Best Cables for around $500

For what it is worth; This is how I would look at it:
If you want to add some "warmth" to the sound of your system consider the Cardas Neutral Reference and if you want improved clarity or detail than try the Acoustic Zen Silver Reference. Both are respected names and can be sold without too much loss.

the Morrow might be interesting, they have super detail, though I wonder if the 'neutral' quality they have would work well with Maggies.

I like to recommend Gabriel Gold Revelations which fall into your price range and have a very musical quality and a hint of golden tone

ymmv of course

have fun

I really do not want to prove Peurto's point but I think you have missed one of the most significant cable at this price, it is the Crimson Musiclink cables. You can read about them on Audiogon. They come with a 30 day trial period.

Don't rush your purchase. Try various model and brand. You will know when you find the right cable for your system.

A story.
I recently got a new preamp,sounded great in my system with my $1200 Harmonic Tech speaker cables.
As everything was now just fine I decided to go through my closet to cull the herd of my various and sundry IC's and spreaker cables.
Came across an old pair of cheap(relatively)QED original
b1-wire SP's that I bought maybe 15 yrs ago on the basis
of a 5 star rating in Brit audio mags(before I figured out everything made in UK gets that} which were so bright on the Maggies I had then as to be painful.
On a whim I inserted them in my system before trashing and about dropped my dentures as my Silverline Preludes took a massive jump in soundstage and clarity.
Not quite as rich as the Harmonic Tech but overall a definite improvement,

Moral of story,you never know and nobody can predict,the variables involved in any system and room are so great that only trial and error suffice.