I agree with most of the above comments. Buy what will work best for you while spending the least amount of cash. There is no sense in over-spending for something that you do not benefit from.
Having said that, i would get used to the system with the cabling that you start off with and listen to some very specific recordings on a somewhat regular basis. This may take some time to do and dont' do it trying to "analyze" anything. This will only add stress and take away the enjoyment factor of listening. After you feel that you know those recordings inside and out and are comfortable with the system as it is, THEN substitute cabling. If you still don't hear a difference, then stick with what you have. As Newbee points out, there are differences amongst cables and how they mate with the rest of the system, but not all differences are for the better.
Some differences in performance are not "up-front" noticeable but are rather subtle. As such, A-B'ing various designs may not allow you enough time to get used to the subtle shading or texture that the system presents with each design in place. Even then, it sometimes takes an educated ear to be able to pick out the differences.
You should not feel alone in this situation. There are many times that i've gone through the same discussion with my Brother. While we do have slightly different tastes in tonal balance, i can usually pick things out that he overlooks. After we get done arguing and we settle down : ) I'll tell him to listen for specific characteristics and then compare the two. I do not point out what passages to listen to or specific notes as that would give him a preconceived idea that he "should" hear something different at that point. When all is said and done, he can typically refer back to the same points that i was able to pick out the differences at and we end up agreeing 98% of the time.
The point is that we all listen differently with some aspects being more important to some than others. He would have been completely happy with the lower resolution component had i not tried to steer him into something else. Once the differences were pointed out though, it is hard to take a step backwards.
This also goes goes to show that two people listening to the same identical thing can hear slightly different presentations. While it is the same tune with the same amount of detail presented by the same system, some listeners are able to dive deep into a recording while others swim on the surface. Obviously, there are several different levels between the two and that is where listening skill comes into play. None of us are equal in that respect nor have the same preferences. That is why i stressed buying what YOU like and can hear. Learning the differences can sometimes be a detriment as we tend to listen to the recording and presentation rather than just kicking back and enjoying the music. Sean
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Having said that, i would get used to the system with the cabling that you start off with and listen to some very specific recordings on a somewhat regular basis. This may take some time to do and dont' do it trying to "analyze" anything. This will only add stress and take away the enjoyment factor of listening. After you feel that you know those recordings inside and out and are comfortable with the system as it is, THEN substitute cabling. If you still don't hear a difference, then stick with what you have. As Newbee points out, there are differences amongst cables and how they mate with the rest of the system, but not all differences are for the better.
Some differences in performance are not "up-front" noticeable but are rather subtle. As such, A-B'ing various designs may not allow you enough time to get used to the subtle shading or texture that the system presents with each design in place. Even then, it sometimes takes an educated ear to be able to pick out the differences.
You should not feel alone in this situation. There are many times that i've gone through the same discussion with my Brother. While we do have slightly different tastes in tonal balance, i can usually pick things out that he overlooks. After we get done arguing and we settle down : ) I'll tell him to listen for specific characteristics and then compare the two. I do not point out what passages to listen to or specific notes as that would give him a preconceived idea that he "should" hear something different at that point. When all is said and done, he can typically refer back to the same points that i was able to pick out the differences at and we end up agreeing 98% of the time.
The point is that we all listen differently with some aspects being more important to some than others. He would have been completely happy with the lower resolution component had i not tried to steer him into something else. Once the differences were pointed out though, it is hard to take a step backwards.
This also goes goes to show that two people listening to the same identical thing can hear slightly different presentations. While it is the same tune with the same amount of detail presented by the same system, some listeners are able to dive deep into a recording while others swim on the surface. Obviously, there are several different levels between the two and that is where listening skill comes into play. None of us are equal in that respect nor have the same preferences. That is why i stressed buying what YOU like and can hear. Learning the differences can sometimes be a detriment as we tend to listen to the recording and presentation rather than just kicking back and enjoying the music. Sean
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