Do Costly XLR Cables Make A Difference?

I'm an electrical engineer and many time have serious doubts about one might consider "woo-woo" claims about the impact of more expensive interconnects, power cords, fiber optic, etc. 

And yet, based on the rest of your above post, you apparently do believe that there are differences in the sound produced by different cables, despite there not being any clear explanations for why that is the case. Is that correct?

We can all agree that more expensive cables are not necessarily better than less expensive ones. But if you find differences between lower cost cables, why would there not, at times, also be differences found in higher priced cables? Value, and diminishing returns are related, of course, but only part of the story.

Hello @phishhhhh4, I too avoid (hate) the little battery packs associated with some cables.  I have high end stuff with a mix of Kubala Sosna Elation and Realization and I love them.  I have tried many others and I did  have a full loom of Audience AU24SX which I thought wonderful until I heard the Elation cables.  Battery packs may help, but I am just not going there!

And op @ryder , All my cable upgrades have made an improvement to my ears and in my system.  I believe in synergy, and would want all cables the same or very similar.  I do not like any silver in my interconnects, power cords or speaker cables.

Not sure about silver in USB cables but mine is pure copper K-S Ralization. or part of my MUON Filter System from Network Acoustics (recommend highly).

Disclaimer, I do not use any XLR balanced cables as Audionet recommends single ended interconnects (RCA) to avoid the op-amps associated with the conversion of the XLR signal in their equipment.  I do not have long runs for these at 1 or 2 Meters.  Good Luck!  Cables are the hardest thing to figure out.  Disbelieving is the easiest way out, just not (to me) the best sounding!

Audiophools are so easily separated from their $$$, just the thought of a 3k cable 'being better' than a 2k cable is laughable at the very least !!

Most are easily separated from their $$$ when they perceive an improvement, enjoyment and satisfaction from the purchase.  This is true in everything we buy.

If you don't see, hear, taste  or feel the improvement, then you are most welcome to keep your money.  Especially if that gives you satisfaction!  People come here to see if others have appreciated all the various upgrades vs. others that have not experienced them.

Good expensive cables if  match properly the cheaper even if match , the expensive one win.