Cables ... what's up with them?


Can't quite come to terms with spending significant amounts on cables / interconnects. Looking for moderately priced IC's, I came across Phantom Cables (at infinitecables.com; $100 for 3 ICs). Figured had to sound better than the stuff that came with the cable box and DVR I bought. A marked downgrade in audio enjoyment transpired. Which is true?

Better cables revealed weaknesses elsewhere in the system?
Have to spend WAY more to get real improvement?
I have gritty tastes

Right now I'm sold on the crap that came with the cable box

Ed
ekurilla
Contact the Cable Company as they have a loaner program and will let you audition a number of cables for a nominal fee. When you are done you just return them. If you happen to like any you auditioned they can sell you what you need. Also, there are a number of vendors that offer no risk trial periods. They are worth looking into as well.
The Cable Company is a good choice. I believe Clear Day Cables still offer a demo pair or two that are already broken in. If you like them, buy a new pair while you send back the demo pair. There should be enough samples out there to give you a good idea of what you like based on what works in your system.

All the best,
Nonoise
One HUGE factor you may have missed is that new cables need break-in time. This is no joke. Give new cables at least 200 hours break-in. When new, a good or even a great pair of cables can sound like crap. Hope this helps.
Audiofeil, have you tried lKubala Sosna cables? What speaker cables do
you
like to use with Magnepan speakers?