Are you implying that there is NO difference in I/C's, speaker cables, and power cords?
No. I am saying that any 'sound' a component has is distortion. Even it is a distortion that 'sounds good', or is pleasing, to the listener.
The 'sound' of a cable does not get you to an accurate 'true to the original' playback of the music.
I traded in several thousand dollars worth of cable for RadioShack products fully expecting an audio train wreck. But all that happened was the system sounded a little more real. I had to laugh at myself for being so gullible.
My system:
Audio Aristry 'Dvorak' 2-way active EQ/XO open baffle speakers. Two pairs 12" woofers in push-pull (also open baffle) configuration.
60w ATI amplifier to each driver.
Top end gear is not significant, nor are cables, or tweaks. But I have spent great effort in the best setup to get the most out of the system in my room.
Of course with dipole (ELS, Planner/ribbon, and open baffle) designs, acoustic room treatment devices are hardly needed since their approx 30 degree radiation pattern does not excite those pesky room modes like the 360 radiation pattern of the enclosed cablinet designs.
Plus, with open baffle, you do need a vice for your head to not lose the sweet spot as it is quite wide and deep. Setup is not nearly so finicky either.
Define 'sounding'. Any 'sound' a componnet makes is distortion. The degree of distortion of an amp is measurable. Those with low enough distoriton tend to publish the specs that reveal that quality.
Those with higher degrees of distortion tend not to, and like to play to, 'its how it sounds to you', for their more gullible potential buyers.
Anyone aspiring to 'true to the original' in their playback system that has ever hooked up dipole speakers to a low distortion amp will attest to the high degree of realism they experience in music.