I used to think pricey interconnects were snake oil...

Unless you do a blind test sighted bias is in play. 

I've tried many cables I haven't liked much, and several that I have.  I wanted to love every single one of them, but didn't.  How are cables that we don't like explained without a blind test?  

"How are cables that we don't like explained without a double blind test".

Just possibly, some folks have better critical listening skills than others. And with sonic differences for wires, which are often subtle, and reveal themselves over long(er) listening sessions, perhaps the differences will manifest themselves only if you have good critical listening skills. Some folks can't hear any differences, and think they don't exist.

Personally I just listen to the cables after they have been up and running for 24 hours before I attempt to analyze their performance, always using equipment and music with which I'm intimately familiar.  

BTW I think the value of A/B testing is flawed, not so much in the theory but in the execution, and of little real value. FWIW.

One of my early jaw dropping experiences in audio were with digital cables. I had already learned how important they were to optimize the analog components. Around 1990 I had a two box CD player. I happily thought, finally a cable that will not matter, it’s digital. But I am a scientist and it comes out, I wanted to prove to myself it didn’t matter. So I borrowed a decent quality digital interconnect. I remember the feeling of complete embarrassment as the first few notes were played… it sounded like someone had come in and upgraded both component boxes with much higher level ones. I was just speechless. Also, what a screaming deal it was… while expensive… nothing like it would have cost to upgrade the player and DAC. 
 

Some components are highly dependent, some less so. Good quality equipment require carefully chosen interconnects to get the best out of them 

But for real they’re snake oil 🤣😂🤣😂

Over any other kind of cables, digital interconnects make the biggest difference in my setup.