Blindly deafly? bought Purple Flare cables...

"My only concern / curiosity is that I am "starving" or "short changing" the woofer by splitting up the 8TC through internal bi-wiring, and adversely affecting the sound because of it.

I may look into "renting" an internally biwired 12TC from The Cable Company and listening for any differences. If I hear none I'm done."

You're not starving your woofer with the 8TC's. Its easy enough to check, though. Just but the jumpers back and connect everything to just one set of binding posts.

No reason to upgrade to the 12TC. Your equipment is very good but when you start to consider cables that cost more than the equipment, it makes much more sense to upgrade active components. Don't get sucked in to the cable trap.

Oh Tim, Tim, Tim. Judyazblues said it perfectly. Naturally the guy in the shop is going to swear you'll ber happy. HE'S TRYING TO SELL A CABLE!!! However, Zd542 says, "don't get sucked into the cable trap". Good cables do make a difference. My advice Tim: EVERYTHING is system dependent. What works well in one system doesn't in another. I've recently been shocked to hear that in my system, an interconnect costing half the price of my beloved reference interconnects, has won my heart. The amount you spend doesn't mean s***. It's how a certain cable works with the equipment it's connected to that does. No one wants to pay outlandish prices for cables but in the end guys, it's not snake oil if it sounds better.

Actually, Judyazblues said it most imperfectly. Cynical, totally useless and unhelpful comment; in typical fashion.

Timothyd11, I admire your willingness to ask for advise and to admit that you simply don't know the answer. That is much more than many audiophiles with a macho attitude about what is "best" are willing to do; they are usually totally clueless about what is, in fact, good or not. Like the stereotypical (pun intended) guy who refuses to ask for directions when lost, and simply drives around and gets even more lost.

First of all, you are way ahead of the game in being confident that cables make an important difference. As you may or may not know there is a contingency out there that is even more clueless than the macho types with their insistence that cables don't make a difference. Having said all that here are my honest opinions about your situation and your actual questions:

- no reason to have to "trust" dealers to take back cables. Simply find out ahead of time before laying out the cash; nothing wrong with that.

- no, I don't think the components that you have justify the expense of $1000 on cables. They are good components, but if your goal is the best possible sound for the buck, $1000 is better spent in other ways including possible component upgrades.

- if you really want to "be done with it" and you can't get a refund for the Kimber, don't worry too much, you could have done A LOT worse; the Kimber is good stuff and tried-and-true.

- if, as you said, you could not hear (remember) the differences between the Nordost and the Kimber, my brutally honest and personal opinion is that you are not ready to play the cable game at the $1000 level YET. There are many options available (especially used) for a fraction of that amount that will help you educate yourself as to the possibilities re synergistic interactions and simply to cement for yourself what kind of sound you actually like (Anti-cables, Signal Cable, among many others).

Good luck.