There is a plethora of opinions on the subject of cables so we can't cover them all quickly. My 2 rules of thumb that I try and go by are:
1."Try before you buy" if you can. If you can't then buy used - helps if you have to or want to re-sell.
2."What is lost at the beginning cannot be recovered." I always try my best cable at my source to preamp link to ensure I've maximized the signal at the outset. This doesn't mean that your "most expensive" cable has to be the one that goes there but its always a good place to start.
You can always audition cables via an outfit called the Cable Co. or maybe its www.fatwyre.com where for a fee they will loan you a number of cables and the fee can be applied against the purchase price if you decide to buy.
1."Try before you buy" if you can. If you can't then buy used - helps if you have to or want to re-sell.
2."What is lost at the beginning cannot be recovered." I always try my best cable at my source to preamp link to ensure I've maximized the signal at the outset. This doesn't mean that your "most expensive" cable has to be the one that goes there but its always a good place to start.
You can always audition cables via an outfit called the Cable Co. or maybe its www.fatwyre.com where for a fee they will loan you a number of cables and the fee can be applied against the purchase price if you decide to buy.