Good, Neutral, Reasonably Priced Cables?

Sean, assuming that a cable meets a reasonable level of design integrity, is it your opinion that the process of evaluating the different designs (sonic evaluation) becomes random and unpredictable?

Would you agree that design integrity could be of a high standard in a $500 I/C, just as high as say a $2500 I/C?
If so, it should then be possible that the less expensive cable could sound better than the more expensive cable, given a sympathetic set of electrical (impedance) properties in system components?
I'm going through cable changes in my system right now, and I'm experiencing a wide range of sonic differences between cable, that seem totally unrelated to price. I won't get into specifics at this point, but it seems to me that spending big bucks on cables does not guarantee any kind of performance advantage over lower cost cables, and that basically it's all about system synergy and finding a cable with the right electrical properties that 'just happens' to compliment the properties of the components to which it connects.
Various things strike me from all of this, foremost is that any written review of audio cables is to be treated almost as a source of entertainment, rather than any kind of resource or reference. Unless you have the exact same setup as the reviewer (impossible, since at the very least, his/her AC will be different) the results of the review are totally system dependant and therefore of little or no relevance outside of that specific system.
A bit too 'black and white' but you get my drift.

Rooze

Sean, thanks for the technical appraisal of zobel networks, I didn't follow all of it but I understand the basic principal of operation and why they are needed. This is of interest to me since I just ordered a pair of Goertz MI3 Biwires, and though they haven't arrived yet, I'm expecting the zobels to be sent along with the cables. Question: is it safe to try the cables without the zobels first, and if no negative effects are present, continue without the zobels? Or should they be inserted as a matter of course in any installation with Goertz cables? I'm using a Krell FPB200 and Magnepan 3.6's. Appreciate your advice.

Rooze

Sean, thanks again for sharing your expertise and also for taking the time and trouble to research the Goertz compatibility issues (potential issues).
As a side, Goertz (Alpha Core) have received a bit of flack in another post here on Gon, not for their products per se but more for their marketing strategy, and while I am not defending their marketing strategy here, I feel it appropriate to mention that my dealings with them over the last few days have been very positive. I placed an order with them on Thursday morning, for cables that obviously needed to be cut and terminated, and they arrived here in Wisconsin exactly 24 hrs later. Their customer service and sales department were very good indeed.
(I did select the solid silver spades over the rhodium plated option)
I'm trying to think when the last time was that I bought new speaker cables, probably over 15 years ago, mostly I pickup used sets from people on the upgrade trail. So I'm not sure what the typical break-in period is for speaker cables, and what percentage of the 'final' sound is heard after say 10 hours. But I have about 10 hours on these now and they are sounding a little forward, a little edgy, and the bass extension and definition isn't quite there.
Incidentally, I was wrong in my assuption that the cables would be sent with zobels. There is reference to providing free zobels on request in the literature that came with the cables, so I'm using them without zobels and I don't hear anything untoward, unless some of the 'edginess' is a direct result of using them without the RC networks?

There's a lot of reaally good information in this thread, I'm going to read through it again and better digest it.

There ought to be a Gon category for 'reference' type information, one that doesn't drop off the page when people stop posting.

Rooze.

Sean, I hope you are still watching this thread, I had a quick question, which is just barely on topic!
I'm doing an internal rewire on Maggie 3.6's and also replacing caps/inductors. I'm looking round for good hookup wire to replace the cheap crappy stuff that Magnepan use. Since I'm using Goertz speaker cables (these are still breaking in, but are sounding a little better each day), I thought about using similar cable internally. I spoke with Goertz and they can custom make a single conductor version of their MI 1 cable, which is similar in design to the heavier guage MI3. It's quite pricey, at $264 for a 50' spool. Can you see any potential downside in using this kind of cable internally. I actually think it would be quite easy to work with, they sell a 'notching tool' that cuts a notch out of the end of the wire and turns it into a spade connection!...talk about minimizing soldered joints.
Would appreciate your expertise to hopefully help me avoid a potentially expensive and time consuming blunder.

Cheers

Rooze