Audioquest - IC especially - are these smooth or

Flemke, Passive or not, you are wrong if you think cables are not able to swing the sound of your system one way or the other. Compare some of the solid silver cables out there to some of the gold alloys and then tell me the components have just changed how they sound.

If it's bright it's from your components. Cable conducts signal. Yes,cable can work as an EQ and many silly people pay huge amounts of money for this effect. If silver makes your system sound bright,your system has some piece that is bright. Silver alone cannot create a forward sound.

Wrong some cables do indeed sound "bright" because they transfer high frequencies disproportionately to other frequencies. Also if a cable is becoming reactive in the upper registers this will have the effect of creating "glare" in the treble and this too is an aspect of bright sound. What you need to find are cables that complements your components and speakers. I would also suggest you audition Cardas, Nordost and the new cables from Synergistic Research.

Cables do EQ the sound. I agree.

Cables have an effect on every aspect of the sound not merely frequency response. Also effected are phase information and rhythm and pace- some cables seem to slow the signal down to the point music seems to skip a beat while others seem to speed the signal up. I've just finished an exhaustive search and one things for sure- no one cable works in all applications.