Cable Costs Relative to System

If you accept that Malcolm Hawksford's definitive work The Essex Echo manages to hit the nail on the head (and few have argued with it) then one of the key issues (there are definitely others) with cables is so-called 'skin effect'. While there are various strategies to deal with skin effect, the problem has probably not been eliminated in any real world design (yet).

Skin effect causes phase distortions. It seems to be accepted that while some people are very bothered by phase distortions, others are not. That may mean the latter have tin ears, but alternatively it may mean that those that are not bothered by phase distortions simply have superior brains that are capable of adjusting these phase distortions out of what they are hearing (since that is one of the functions of how the ear and brain interact).

Whatever. My point is that some people may hear little difference between cables, while others may hear significant differences, based on their sensitivities to phase distortions.

I don't care what one calls distortion, it is all unacceptable. That is, if you can hear it.

It will sound like bragging, but like I have said it before, my hearing measures way beyond normal hearing. I hate distortion of any sort. If it is there, I will pick it up.

I use short, pure copper cables and interconnects.

I don't trust proactive cables. Once, I was sharing a Pass Labs X150 with a friend. He plugged it into his system as is. I agreed it sounded terrible. Then, I asked him to switch out his MIT cables with some Cardas he had on hand. Immediately, there was a great improvement.

With my straight forward cables, the Pass amp performed brilliantly.

My speakers are among the most revealing speakers ever divised. My pass amps have the purest circuitry of all high power amps.

My front ends are to my liking, and that is all they need to be.

Some people need the latest and greatest tweak, be it cable science, isolation devices, or conditioners. If they are using frequency mashing cables, I can see why. I would sense something wrong too.

After hearing Transparent Cables I see why those with alot of $$ pay for the exotics!
While those at the lower end of the Tax paying spectrum must hope to find the most cost effective solution.For myself it was getting a 47Labs OTA Cable Kit which could fill in for my internal speaker wire and wire most of the rest of my system. I think it come to about $500 in cables I spent total with the whole system going for $10K New.

As for percentage that it made up I guess it would be 5%. I think now it comes down to getting better with diminishing returns.

Don't blame me, I really enjoy in changing cables. My current allocation is 30% to equipment, 45% to cables, 20% to rack & stands, and 5% to tips and spikes. So, it is time to upgrade my gears and I've almost squeezed the last drop from the existing setup.

It's a system thing. Like one of the other posters said, they are not "accessories", they are an integral part of the "system". If you get chincy on a CDP, you will probably end-up spending more than you would like to "tone-control" out the harshness. If you buy inexpensive components, then expensive cables will probably not help the system much. However, if you spend the big bux to get components that are very extended and resolving, expensive cables will take it to a new level. You will never get the performance out of the components without spending some money on cables. You will always be limiting their performance.