Frogman - some of the top studios in the world have cheap Yamaha NS10s in their arsenal of equipment. There is a good reason for this, and it's not about creating a believable mix or master......it is about complying with radio expectations, sales to the ear-bud crowd, etc....the joke is that if you can get it to sound good on NS10s, it'll sound OK on your car radio or I-pod.
My point above was that you might have 8-10 cables between the components in a studio signal chain. The components themselves can easily cost $100k plus. We don't spend that kinda dough on hardware gear if we can't perceive a benefit. Those specific 8-10 components I noted are most often connected with high quality Mogami cables they cost roughly $3000 - $5000. Do you not believe 99.9% of the TOP studios would gladly spend 5-10 times that amount on cables if they made the difference that you are suggesting. The theoretical science behind cables is interesting, and the cable industry has exploited this information. But again, how much of a difference does it make in a studio set-up. The studio biz is competitive and I will purchase every "edge" I can to beat my competitor. A tube condenser mic or vintage compressor or Pultec EQ or great monitors will often make obvious audible differences. I've never had a client "hear the cables" and that's because relatively inexpensive Mogami cable is completely neutral to the human ear. (MASTERING is a whole different topic where commercial requirements/expectations must be met to promote sales - hence equipment tweaks are used to boost and cut, etc etc.)
My point above was that you might have 8-10 cables between the components in a studio signal chain. The components themselves can easily cost $100k plus. We don't spend that kinda dough on hardware gear if we can't perceive a benefit. Those specific 8-10 components I noted are most often connected with high quality Mogami cables they cost roughly $3000 - $5000. Do you not believe 99.9% of the TOP studios would gladly spend 5-10 times that amount on cables if they made the difference that you are suggesting. The theoretical science behind cables is interesting, and the cable industry has exploited this information. But again, how much of a difference does it make in a studio set-up. The studio biz is competitive and I will purchase every "edge" I can to beat my competitor. A tube condenser mic or vintage compressor or Pultec EQ or great monitors will often make obvious audible differences. I've never had a client "hear the cables" and that's because relatively inexpensive Mogami cable is completely neutral to the human ear. (MASTERING is a whole different topic where commercial requirements/expectations must be met to promote sales - hence equipment tweaks are used to boost and cut, etc etc.)