Malman, it’s not surprising that you are in the zip cord camp, IF your system is setup for listening as it is pictured in your system profile!
This post interests me. I’m kind of middle of the road on the subject, yet I get super tempted to spend more. I have Analysis Plus something or other loudspeaker cables. I cannot even recall the model. Price was likely <$300. I’ve also run and made Canare and Mogami cables. They made me pretty happy too. So curious to what I may be missing. No question, though, and outlay for me of $500 to $1500 makes me cringe. I can afford that but it feels like buying an actual component. ’
I suppose pro cable folks would say, You got it! Treat cables like a component. And that creates my dilemma: Even though I can appreciate that a cable can sound better as you spend more.... If I treat them like a component will I be swapping cables for a few years ’til I figure that out too? I’ve spent a ton of energy and time finding component symmetry, and it took numerous purchases, education, buying/selling, FUN, and at times meaningful frustration. This part of my audiophile journey feels a little out there for me to spend thousands on cables trying to figure out a match. I cannot be alone!