Do expensive cables/wires REALLY make a difference

Show me how precious I'm being Geoff.

You can't just write that without facts or figures to back it up. Give me some proof.

Is the fact that the debate has gone on for 35 years more of a point in your favor or mine?

Person could say

"I cannot hear the difference in sound while using different cables but perhaps others can"

instead of saying in denial

"I cannot hear the difference, therefore it has to be snake oil and anybody who claims to hear it is wrong".

Take it easy. It is absolutely normal that your hearing instrument might be not very sharp. No need to go into denial. People wear glasses (seeing aid) and are not afraid to admit that their vision is less than 20/20. Please don't be so defensive to call others sarcastically "Golden Ears".

Myself, I realize, that there are people on this forum with much better hearing than mine. Many of them are even orchestra musicians. Also, many people have more experience in audio, have more resolving systems and better room acoustics. I wouldn't dare to say they cannot hear the difference.

07-25-13: Kijanki
Take it easy. It is absolutely normal that your hearing instrument might be not very sharp. No need to go into denial. People wear glasses (seeing aid) and are not afraid to admit that their vision is less than 20/20.

It has always been curious to me how this very simple point is overlooked. If we got hearing aids at the same rate as eye glasses think of how many people would be wearing them.
And think how foolish some of us would look with big hearing aids sticking out of our ears saying, "There is absolutely no difference between this and that. I listened and heard nothing."

Some of my friends hear things I don't. But I'm never sure if they have better hearing or better imaginations...but I don't really care. I just know what I can hear.

@ Kijanki,, Thankyou, your post was well said, I suppose I would fall in the group of audiophiles that have a resolving system,, and to top things off here, I am a musician,, Arcticmonkey has passion, I have the same passion, just in the other cable camp,, I have grown to realize its good to disagree, but not good to debate, or argue over eanything on audiogon,, Hey, I am guilty of doing just that, I noticed members will not look at you the same as before after that, so, I do my best to carry myself as a gentleman on the gon these days, hopefully, I can gain some conversations back over time, Arcticmonkey is a good dude, cables is not his good conversation, but hey, ask him about his componets and we all are best friends!,, cheers to arcticmonkey.

@Arcticmonkey, do not think of it as "Golden Ears", I consider it "Trained Ears". My hearing is normal, nothing exceptional. This hobby is about learning how to listen, and what to listen for. It's nothing more than time and money spent on trying different pieces of gear and cables that will help you learn to understand and appreciate the differences.
There's nothing special about a person's ability to hear differences, it simply shows that they have put in time and money to investigate this hobby. No one is born with "Golden Ears".