DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?


Yes they do.  I’m not here to advocate for any particular brand but I’ve heard a lot and they do matter. High Fidelity reveal cables, Kubala Sosna Elation and Clarity Cable Natural. I’m having a listening session where all of them is doing a great job. I’ve had cables that were cheaper in my system but a nicely priced cable that matches your system is a must.  I’m not here to argue what I’m not hearing because I have a pretty good ear.  I’m enjoying these three brands today and each is presenting the music differently but very nicely. Those who say cables don’t matter. Get your ears checked.  I have a system that’s worth about 30 to 35k retail.  Now all of these brands are above 1k and up but they really are performing! What are your thoughts. 
calvinj
"Our ears and brain have very short term audio memory." ?? Some people must have one helluva time, recognizing who’s called them on the telephone then(sorry for your inability). A good man understands their own limitations. A wise man understands: everyone doesn’t share them.  Can you tell if you're listening to Albert King, or BB King?    I’ve been tuning my guitars, without any kind of tuning aid, perfectly in pitch, for the past 5 decades(+). Virtually all the EXPERIENCED guitarists I know, can tell you whether they’re hearing a Fender Strat, a Tele or a Les Paul, without looking and even what pickups are being used. Ditto, with drummers and real Turkish Zildjians vs Paiste vs Sabian. The same applies to hearing the differences in drum skins/heads(ie: Remo vs Evans and even the various iterations, within brands, once they’ve heard them). Such would have a hard time, if they couldn’t remember how their drums/guitars sounded, before the skins/strings lost their resonance. I could continue, but- if one has no experience in such matters, it’s impossible for them to(or, at least, unlikely they would) grasp the concept. So- it would be a waste of keystrokes.
From my own experience I did not find much difference in interconnects back when I owned equipment costing on average $1K to $2K. I could hear a very slight change, but nothing to say it mattered. This with cables as cheap as Kimber PBJ up to KCTS silver. I was able to notice better bass, but not much else when I bought my first aftermarket powercord. When I retired and bought new equipment averaging $5K a pop, interconnects became easier to differentiate. And powercords became something I could hear differences in too.So the level of equipment may matter too, beside if you have ears of cloth or gold. Just sayin’.
"But that is reality, audiophiling is a lot like wine tasting, the more you know you spent the better the wine tastes. So that means if you want your system to sound better, upgrade your cables and it will... I’m saying that upgrading your cables WILL make a difference if you want them to, it is purely psychological."   I you actually believe that there's no difference between wines and what's perceived by those that can tell you, where a good wine was grown, the vintage, etc, "is purely psychological",  you obviously know as much about THAT subject, as you do about Physics.   Stick with your Ripple or Boone's Farm(not to mention: zip cord) and save your money!   https://winefolly.com/review/how-to-taste-wine-develop-palate/
@geoffkait - Since you posted about, "pro audio" immediately after my post, regarding cables and studio use, I gathered that was to what you were referring. I couldn’t agree more, regarding compression, BUT- as far as, "all the old dudes": the first I mentioned(as well as the others) have avoided that huge pitfall. Matter of fact, it’s Bob Ludwig that’s been trying to get the industry and people in general, to understand how bad it sucks. A talk he gave at AES, regarding the Loudness Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMWUOCbWp1M If anyone remembers, "the good old days", he does. If you’re interested in producers that avoid compression, even on CDs, try the labels I mentioned, if you’re into their preferred genres.
bac2vinyl
Power cables can not make a difference…Can not convince me that the power cables that came with my Marantz MM8077 or my Parasound A21 are mediocre.
This is a good example of the power of expectation bias. If you insist you cannot be convinced, then you are correct.