2 runs of wires or 1 run w/ jumpers

"I'm curious Zd542 if you are comparing apples with apples. By this I mean are you comparing (2) $1000 cables to (1) $2000 cables?"

Sorry. I didn't see your question.

I used my Tara The 2 as the expensive cables. If I remember correctly, they were priced at about $3500 for a single 8 foot run.

I was going to use 2 runs of AQ CV-8, as the inexpensive cables, so I ordered 2 separate runs. Cost on those were about $1300. As luck would have it, AQ messed up and sent me 2 pairs of Type 6 instead ($400 both runs). They let me keep the type 6 until my CV-8's came. The $400 Type 6's easily beat the $3500 Tara. If I didn't hear it for myself, I would have never believed there was such a big difference.

Zd542, don't let Audiolabyrinth hear you say that a $400 AQ cable beat his $3500 cable, he'll pop a gasket! LOL!

Congrats!! You are indeed lucky, I haven't been so fortunate. I have heard some great inexpensive wire, Cerious Technologies Nano Reference (CTNR), but my current reference is priced at $6300 for an 8 foot pair (High Fidelity CT-1E). I can't afford to biwire at those prices.
Yes, they do sound better than any biwire cables that I have tried, though I do have to admit that I've never tried any biwire cables that were priced at more than $3k for both runs.

The best I have heard in my system, to my tastes were the Acoustic Zen Double Barrel. Perhaps a double run of AZ Absolutes, or HFC CT-1 would be a fairer test to pit against the single run of HFC CT-1E.

I liked the CTNR better than the AQ Gibraltar speaker cable that I had, and it cost less than half the price.

Agree with JMC and others on multiple points; it's a factor of the wire you choose. Having spent several years with full shotgun (double) runs, I can tell you that it can work VERY well for you as the lower effective gauge of a full shotgun run will reap dividends assuming the cable itself will pass the full frequency range well and there is time coherence (very important) across the shotgun.....I see mention of AQ Gibraltar; case in point, I had 4 very long runs of that cable for my HT LS/RS and LSB/RSB speakers and enjoyed what it brought very much however if I used it to wire mains and had no other choice, I'd run it shotgun for personal reasons. My main question is why not go for a better single run of cable and matching jumpers? This is a combination I've gone to over the last few years and won't be looking back...