Help me buy some new cables....


Okay, I am looking to buy some cables on eBay--I am hoping to take advantage of some clearance items. I use an all Magnepan HT driven by Citation 7.1 and 5.1 amps. My processor is a Lexicon MC-12 (don't know how much that matters). I am thinking of buying one set of a couple to try them out and then buy more if there is one I like, but frankly, I am not a big cable experimenter and with two newborns I just don't have the time or money to do much right now.... So any way I can cut a corner and get a good sound the happier I will be. Anyway, there are a few choices that I've got:

Straight wire Musicable II
Vampire Wire
Monster Cable of a few types (300i and 350i I think, plus a couple others)
DH Labs White Lightening
Audio quest g-snake
knuconceptz
Tributaries (their lower end cables of course)

I could also DIY some cables, but time becomes a REAl issue. Also, while I have no doubt I can make a functional cable, I've never actually made interconnects before so I am worried about the end quality even if I found the time to do it.

I'm also open to suggestions. As you might guess, I am not looking to spend very much here. My budget basically maxes out at $50 per pair. I'm considering doing one very nice pair for the front speakers and perhaps center channel and lower end cables for the surrounds.

Thanks for any advice!
Aaron
aewhistory
I do not have first-hand knowledge, but there are many forums discussing the subject and I would not risk buying AQ cables from a private seller on ebay. Maybe the more accurate term is grey-market and not counterfeit.
But the extremely low prices seem suspect to me. I'm only saying buyer-be-ware.
so these grey market cables are being taken out of the back of the factory in china, or a container headed for the U.S.? I did notice that the package did not have a UPC code. But would a counterfeiter go through the trouble of duplicating the inside and outside packaging? Doesnt it cost a lot for the molds for the plastic innards of the package and for printing the exterior for what presumably is a low volume product. My bet is that these have been diverted from the regular channels of distribution. K2s are being sold for $400 instead of $10k here in the U.S. Is that really possible?
"K2s are being sold for $400 instead of $10k here in the U.S. Is that really possible?"

I suspect you already know the answer to that.

Morrow, Signal and Clear Day all make reasonably priced high quality cable and you are buying a handmade product direct from the manufacturer. All great guys selling great products.
When I was starting out in our hobby, I purchased used Kimber Kable PBJ's. I've since upgraded, but for the money, they were very good.
Hey, I didnt think it was possible to charge 10k speaker cables. the $400 seems more reasonable to me, regardless of what is inside them. So is it really possible? who the f knows