The Physics of Electricity

Let’s briefly recap why expensive cables might be better than some stock run-of-the-mill cables.

High purity copper or silver
Gold content
Long grain copper conductors
High performance dielectric material
Advanced welding techniques for connectors
High silver content of connectors
Highly polished solid core conductor surfaces
Conductors controlled for directionality
Conductors and connectors are cryogenically treated
White jackets in lieu of black or color

@geoffkait - you omitted cable geometry

Hi-end cables from companies like Cardas, Kimber and Nordost all utilize more complex cable geometries to improve sound quality.

Regards - Steve

Good catch. I didn’t necessarily mean my list was all inclusive. Shielding geometries, active cables, damping, magic boxes, all sorts of special innovations by various manufacturers pop up. My list is a good place to start. 🤗 Actually, the case could be made for LACK of complex geometry being a valued characteristic, e.g., Anti Cables.

 It will produce a different kind of sound depending on the capacitance and impedance variations, whether for better or for worse. They may have received a better sound if they paid a lot for their cable. The cable they prefer likely sounds better too if they prefer the way it looks. Those are just my thoughts on the matter. You should start off with a basic cable provider to see if it's within your budget. Once you have adjusted your system appropriately, you can experiment with different cables.