Best interconnects & speaker cable? I don't get it

Broadstone, yours is probably the most reasonable, evenhanded and non-judgmental post that I have read from someone not sure of the benefits of cables. As has been pointed out don't sweat it too much and "don't force the issue". My suggestion would simply be that if you do want to experiment try the various cables for extended periods of time and not switch back and forth quickly and frequently. Then, see if patterns emerge as far as your enjoyment of the music. Did you notice a particular lyric that you never paid attention to before? Do you find yourself tapping your foot to a particular tune more than usual? "Hey, I never heard that background vocal? Etc... If you can answer yes to any of those questions in relation to a particular cable, then you have found the better cable.

Every cable sounds different in every system and every room.
I've changed tuners and made the IC on my CD sound worse.

The most important variables, IMO, are unknown and most likely
unknowable. Cut and paste, ladies.

Thanks, Rpfef, for sharing this. It is in step with suspicions that I have gradually developed on my own over my 50+ years of involvement in this hobby. A few years ago I tried a less comprehensive listening test which was inspired by a friend who is an avid and dedicated hobbyist. He claimed that I would easily be able to tell the difference between my $400 speaker wires and his "high end" $3000 + cables.

We used his system because it was easy to walk around and, while listening to my music selections, he switched wires between the speakers. We started with my wires and switched to his and my first impression was that, although subtle, his seemed to be a bit warmer, a quality that I prefer. We then went to blind testing and, not having the psychological influence and expectation that these more esoteric wires should be better, I could not tell the difference; we switched places and the results were the same.

We didn't try comparing interconnects but I suspect the results would be similar. Granted, we did not use the worst or best wires available if price is a significant factor in this evaluation, and, maybe if we had compared something like tiny gauge telephone wire to even my wires, some difference could be heard and I expect that this would be the case.

In the end I don't want to give the impression that I believe, as I've read here on Audiogon posts by others, that speaker wire should be considered nothing more than an electrical conduit. I'm simply saying that what I believe to be quite subtle differences between wires of various size, composition and construction, is beyond my ability to discern and, as I said previously and commentated on by Jmcgrogan2, this "deficiency" in my ability to do so makes my choices much less expensive.

That being said, although I'm pretty happy with my system overall, I will probably not completely abandon the quest. I just won't be obsessed by it.

I don't know about anyone else, not having ever been anyone else, but things sound different to me with my eyes open or shut.
If I turn the lights off at night, the volume seems to go up as well.

For years I couldn't tell the difference between wire - until I sorted out the rest of the system. That includes the room, vibration, recordings, system quality and system synergy. Once everything got working, cables had a much bigger impact. Some are more involving, others less. Not saying it justifies the expense for everyone, just sayin'.