If Cables Are Not Tone Controls...

chayro, keep doing what you're doing. You are one of the few who finally figured it out; it is necessary to use entire sets of cables to make progress with them. 

Cables influence not only tonal balance, but also dynamics and resolution/definition. Don't expect those who mix cables to agree or understand.  :) 

Also, don't listen to those who promote their favorite brand in nearly every thread. They're trying to keep their resale value high, and very likely a less expensive product could outperform them. Of course, only comparison would tell with certainty. 

There is a correlation between measurements and cable sound quality. I am reviewing a set of cables now that are aggressively designed to meet optimized measurements. They sound wonderful! The also are much less expensive than many boutique cables. So, do not fall for the idea that a cable is superb because it is mentioned incessantly, or purportedly premium. 

The promotion of a cable as "colored" or "not colored" in an absolute sense is nonsense. Only in comparison of sets can such things be determined, and are properly discussed in that context. Most of what you read about cables, and how they are used, here is of marginal value.   

@chayro You're absolutely right in your OP.
@hilde45 I'm afraid your analogy doesn't work.  Audio systems wouldn't work without cables. So cables are a component, just like a turntable, an amp or a loudspeaker.  A closer though still imperfect analogy would be to say that cables are one of the smaller ingredients in a particular dish. The audio rack or the speaker stand are closer to the plate, though this still isn't exactly right.
@chayro I agree that the formulation of the phrase is actually wrong.  We judge all components on the basis of their sonic presentation, which can involve a number of things like good treble, good bass, good timbre, etc. etc.  We combine them in ways that seek to create a combination that sounds great to our ears. (There's that recipe analogy again.) Preferring Cardas over Nordost is no different from prefering Shindo over Benchmark.

All I want from a system is as much data retrieval as possible within the compromise of cost and effort. The benchmark is the combination of transparency, speed, and color. The goal is the balanced maximum of each parameter.

+1, @douglas_schroeder

Nice synopsis Doug.