Hang in there Craig. Good cables are important, but in spite of the arrogance of the other responders, there is no evidence that dollars spent equates to better sound. The only statement made by megabuck cables like "The Statement" is that someone has too much money (and not enough listening experience).
I didn't see anything in your comments that indicates that you believe that lamp wire is as good as a well designed speaker cable. But cable hits the point of diminishing returns faster then any other part of the system.
Cables do impact "sound" or character to the way a system sounds, and what appeals to me may not appeal to someone else, but having a set of Vahalla's may be a better conversation piece then the guarantee of a breathtaking listening experience.
And for those who will be quick to dismiss my comments (as they did yours) I've spent years and many thousands of dollars to come to the same conclusion as you. The fact is audio is a business and no where is the return on investment bigger then cable. High end component makers like Levinson and Conrad Johnson spend years and make major investments in research and development to develop new products. Most cable makers either re-package someone else's product or take an idea and just keep reselling it with cosmetic changes. Look at a 380S pre-amp and a few meters of high-end interconnect and tell me they should cost the same!
Have a little common sense, buy good cable and leave the megabuck stuff for those who measure their egos on the name brands they own.
