I have to disagree. Cables can make a difference. There are two extremes, those that think you need thousand dollar cables to get the best sound, and those that say cables make no difference. The middle is probably where the truth is. You do not need to go over board, but I would not recommend using cheap stuff either.

Think of it this way, if you have a cheap cd player and swap out the cheap capacitors for better quality ones you will hear a difference. The same is true with cables. The quality of the medal (copper or silver) will affect the sound. Also a lower gage (thicker cable) will have less resistance if using long runs.

There is no advantage to using any expensive cable as the energy that copper can conduct vs. its heating effect and voltage drop is a matter of physics and anyone who claims otherwise is load of crap. I have seen endless A/B tests of almost every kind of cables. I have read glowing reviews full of meaningless adjectives telling me how great those cables are, in magazines strangely full of ads for the same cables; however, all have shown there is no difference. The cable’s price is it's own justification. There are people who want the most expensive (anything) available, and there's a healthy competition for those people's business.

The quality of cable is a function of the bandwidth of what is being carried on it and for how long. I confess that video cable is more critical than audio cable as its ability to carry high frequencies without attenuation is a requirement. However, we are only dealing with just composite, home-theater type, low-life signals here. Most anything with 75-Ohm impedance will do okay. It isn't a tough signal. It’s not as if you are sending Mega hertz or Gig hertz signal over a 300 feet long distance. There’s little or no difference in most cables above the "really cheap" variety. Some have better quality connectors and/or are less likely to fail, but that's an issue of construction quality not of the ability of the cable to carry the signal. I guarantee you that if you set up two identical systems on some kind of A/B switch and did not know which was which you would only guess it correctly 50% of the time. The difference is not audible in a conventional short-run home theater setup. I suggest you save up your money and spend it on some professional speakers, where the difference will be heard. Moreover, did you know that film and music recording studios use the same kind of cable I have mentioned in the previous post?

And as far as the speaker wires are concerned, some people brag about how much "clearer" the sound is. They are self-delusional. I've heard no improvement or difference. This is the same principal as those who hear MUCH greater clarity of a CD by taking a sharpie and drawing along the edge. You can convince people of anything. The only thing clearer here is their bank account!

For those people who really concerned about their cabling- use a balanced connection instead.

Sound Killer,
YOU SAID A MOUTH FULL!
I AGREE

SK, that is the same thing I said, only I consider accessory cable cheap. Maybe you don't? It also depends on your system. You will not discern a sound quality difference between cables on a low end system. Higher end systems use quality parts that should include your cable. Again I am not talking about real expensive cable just better quality then the accessory cable you have in your system.

Speaker wire is less of an issue in short runs. However, cables that connect your components are more of an issue.

For what it's worth, Shell, I read your original post as recommending against the little rinky-dink accessory cables that come with your VCR - the ones that look like they might almost work as dental floss.

Me too and I went just a bit upside of that for mine...for now
Bill

http://groups.msn.com/audiocables
(once again click on pictures)
here are some cables i own,some i'm proud of(came with the system) some i'm not(bought for old pro-logic system)

this is more for visual aid for outlaws who don't have a clue.they are at both extremes,$3 for a patch cord/$200 for 2 interconnects.14/2 for .38 a foot/straightwire encore;$260 for 8ft pair.etc.etc.

if i had to go out and buy cables there is a whole lot of room in between.

the expensive ones sure look cool and people will say "holy sh--,look at those cables"(if in sight)guess it could be braggin' rights,if you are into that!don't know what i'm trying to say, but for what it's worth,i would NEVER pay the full price for "designer cables",but my hearing is about shot from compressors,paint booths,air tools/guns,concerts and many spl sessions in my truck(and others) i honestly cannot hear a difference!!

and i never have tried the sharpie on a cd, but i can sand and buff scratches out of a cd just like a paint job.uh-oh now i have to kill you all.LOL

Put a mirror on the wall behind components and show it off!
Don’t you want something out of spending your hard earned money?