Bill 10907,
Since you welcome all opinions...here’s mine :-)
Don’t rely on cables as an attempt to tone control. Aside from the dubious claims that they will make much difference in the first place, if cable manufacturers are changing the sound, then they are designing the cable to depart from neutral. Why roll the dice like that?
You could simply purchase cables by Belden or Canare (or the like) from, say, Blue Jeans cable. They are pro-grade cables, by companies that actually supply measurements, so you know you are getting competently designed cables not meant to alter the signal or sound. From that starting point you can know it’s not the cable, save significant money by not playing the audiophile cables-sweepstakes, and concentrate funds or attention to where differences will matter more, especially the interaction of the speaker/room. Placement and angling, not to mention some room treatment if necessary, will render differences FAR bigger than any (competently) designed cable.
I can make my Thiel 3.7s or 2.7s sound thinnish and bright if I really toe them in, or deep, smooth and lush simply by toeing them out. In fact I’m constantly amazed how much sonic difference the slightest adjustment of speaker position or toe in makes (which is expected by acoustic theory). I can make the sound dense, punchy and exciting by pushing the speakers back some more, or enveloping and ethereal by moving closer to nearfield. Or a mix in between. These are levels of sonic difference no cable can give you.
I know a lot of audiophiles don’t want to hear this type of advise; we want everything to make a difference so we are "in control" and the idea of tweaking with cables appeals to this. And the manufacturers will happily take your money by preying on this audiophile nervosa. But...there are other ways.
I just bought a beautiful new turntable that I would not have been able to afford if I’d allocated the portion of funds to high end cables that many audiophiles presume to be necessary.
Now...back to expensive cable recommendations from others....;-)
