Why Do Cables Matter?

Is the OP serious?  Does he not know that the internal conductors are chosen/built to a cost and performance targets while the external cables are at the option of the user?  That higher performing components with parts like better wiring also increases their costs and thus prices?

Cables for sure matter I owned a Audio store for10 years  and many times they would say buy a $40 k audio system  but then only$2 k on audio cables,

I would then have-to  prove by letting them borrow , at least spend at least 10-15% of the cost of your audio system on cables , power cords too count just as much at getting the most out-of  your Audio system . Now isnot the time to be frugal .

I tried long ago blue jeans cables and Mogami , it okay best ,

for example buytheWireworld  Eclipse speaker cable ,and interconnects 

that’s maybe $2500  $1500 for a 2 m speaker cables , and 2 pair of interconnects , before discounts  ,these are a major upgrade .

power cords what do you have there ?  At least buy Pangea  sig mk2  power cords 

under $300 each  these use Cardas  top Copper wire , a good value . Everything counts ,by being frugal you are greatly restricting the potential of your detail, sound staging and imaging .  Mogomi is what I use for practice on my guitar , nothing more , Audio cables can be very expensive, but what I recommended is average price between10-20% of the cost of yourAudio system is a good average to spend .

in part youget what you pay for .

Why post something like this when you can grab a few pair from many online dealers to hear for yourself if there is any difference in sound quality? If you can’t hear or your system isn’t capable for it to take advantage of better cables then don’t waste your money, pretty simple. I can hear a difference between cables, good or bad, and then there are cables that sound a little better but cost exponentially more so then you have to determine if it’s worth it or not. Also, are you talking about silver or copper, there is a difference?

Even on the other cable naysayer audiophool websites that claim there is no difference between cables, never use the included IC’s that come from their equipment, they always buy the $50 blue jeans or Mogami cables and claim technology and sound quality can’t get any better. So I bought a pair of $100 blue jeans to see if they were onto something. After break in, I sold them. The sq went backwards, dull, no soundstage. 
 

Go out and listen for yourself, nobody is going to be able to tell you what you will hear using your equipment.

+1 audioman58 

I used blue jeans cables until I was able to hear a difference when I borrowed a few pairs from audio connection. Not only was the highs cleaner, but even when I switched to the cable with the battery, everything was well balanced. Hard to explain but true. I liked some of those other analogies too. I think it’s like if you buy a sports car with a lot of horsepower and put cheap tires on it. Expensive High power amp, with cheaper cables. Let your ears be the judge. 

+1 rbstehno Following on from the previous post, it's amusing that the people who claim cables don't matter are generally using cheap cables.