Why Do Cables Matter?

Better crossover components in speakers make a much bigger improvement in sound rather than replacing the internal wiring.  Replacing the electrolytic capacitors in less expensive speakers with roll film caps or at least bypassing the bigger electrolytics with a small film capacitor is the biggest bang for the buck.  I was doing that back in the 1990s.  Better inductors and resistors in the crossovers will help too.  Then after all that, internal wiring may or may not make a sonic difference.  It is typically not too difficult to get to the crossovers in speakers.  Film capacitors for a given value can be quite a bit larger than their electrolytic counterparts.  That’s why sometimes it better to just put a small value film cap in parallel with the large valued electrolytic.  Gain most of the improvement in sound that way.

I’ve been a lifelong music lover, so I’ve also been pursuing audio systems and upgrades that get me closer to live performances. I recently upgraded my interconnects from Kimber Hero to AudioQuest Dragon (read Robert Harley’s review in The Absolute Sound).  My Speakers sounded more alive, more detailed in the midrange and highs, and better controlled in the bass region. I am now planning to upgrade power cables.

@gs5556   YES! 

@nonoise Sounds much like Kenjit doesn't this poster.  

@jasonbourne71 Your history does omit some important facts.  Monster 300 (the original, not further Mark versions or Monster 400s) was simple in design and well executed.  For some reason, the future cable designer/manufacturer (I forgot his name & company) was entrusted with Monster's first interconnect.  It is a success over the typical really cheap and common RCA ICs at the time.  It has a bloomy and full bottom end, mostly neutral mid and rolled off highs, very pleasant, not highly resolving, but at the time, it was a step in the right direction for improving audio sound.  

So, don't tell me it's a bunch of baloney.  Sure, I've heard excretable, extremely expensive high cost/end cabling but I also have heard bad/cheap Pangea power and IC cabling in even high end systems where the owner typically was an electrical engineer and until shown the value of a quality higher end cable, said cabling doesn't matter (usually just power cabling).  

I'd be ready to make a poll and I'm pretty sure that, in 2023, the vast majority of audiophiles agrees on the fact that cables matter, that it's completely normal to hear differences and that spening a certain amount of cash on cables is, in fact, healthy.

Naysayers may think they are smarter than the rest, they are mostly unable to hear the difference and frustrated, due to diminutive hearing or a lousy system. 

Threads like this belong to 1971 when all amplifiers were thought to sound "alike".

I’m a dealer for Infigo audio. The company has experimented with the best copper and implements shielding that keeps outside noise out and are less likely to be affected by outside factors to just let the signal flow.  We do this in our USB cable for example.