to schipo: the electromagnetic field radiates well outside of the dialectric. That field interacts with ANYTHING including the insulation material lining the wire. (air being the least interfering) and raising the cable allows the majority of the cable radiated field to just be in air. (aside from the cables dielectric material) If the (say) thin speaker cable is touching a solid surface for it's full length, that magnetic field is interfered with only on one side. and maybe the signal gets smeared.
So the 'science of risers is clearly there. Whether it makes a difference in your, or my system depends on hearing, cables, insulation, flooring..
The riser height should be factored by the size of the radiated field. I would guess one inch is good enough for the average cable, maybe two for an unshielded cable like Kimber PBJ. And two for power cables. (this is an uneducated best guess.. you want better read and absorb a few electrical field books and decide for YOURSELF what YOU think is a good distance.) Remember the field is strongest closest to the wire, and weakens rapidly further from the wire.
Of course, you other argument about the proliferation of riser designs is different. THAT issue goes to the same problem that includes Tice Clocks, Teleportation Tweaks and a plethora of hokum selling itself as "science" to exploit idiots and extract profit. (and even plenty of geniuses can be idiots at times)
