"ANTI-CABLE" SPEAKER CABLE vs Audio Arts SC5?

I am using Mike Morrow's SP4's, 6' lengths, between a PrimaLuna Prologue II integrated and a set of Totem Arro's @ 4ohms. These cables take a long, long time to settle in, a process I am still enduring. Read testimonials on his site and other places on the Web, and the word "rollercoaster" will come up, a one-word assessment that is fairly accurate. At times, the soundstage has either fallen, dynamics are thin, bass is muddy, mids shrink, highs splay out, or even volume drops--I have experienced different combinations of the above kill-list sometimes within the course of a song. But these negative issues are lessening. Rather, the enjoyable aspects of what I was expecting are coming to fruition: soundstage that plays out into the room, clarity and richness, silence and attack, definition and air. The musicality that you have mentioned is all there, or becoming moreso, and has been increasing enough to make me keep them. Burn-in has become a reality for me (perhaps its to do with the dialectric?), as I'm listening to it right now, and there have been days when the only sound I hear from my speakers is buyer's remorse. But patience is rewarding me, the good days are becoming more frequent, and even the bad days are turning into fewer bad minutes. We'll see how it goes...
I understand that moving up Mike's line of cables is worth it, but for now, the SP4's is what I could afford, with no regrets. Have him put the cables on the cooker--a good investment. And you'll still have plenty of burn-in on your rig. He also has a healthy return policy, so if they just won't pony to your system, no worries.
Not as smart as Al and the others, but that's all I got for now. Happy hunting.

Sunnyjim-My dour language, stemming from a serious personal family situation, I'm sure, has left an obviously negative impression of Morrow Cables. (Perhaps I shouldn't even be out on the forums, but this hobby is a great release, anyway, so I'm using it to it's potential.) My explanation is lacking, however; my apologies. So...
Mike offers either a two-day or a week-long break-in service for his cables, for a fee. He is up-front about the long settling the cables require and provides ample consumer evidence supporting this fact. I opted for the shorter break-in service, and while the wires sounded good right out of the box, there were a few troubling moments as the cables continued their break-in and integration into my system. As it stands now, however, the cables have mostly opened up, and the sound coming through them is terrific, some days quite dizzying, and seem to only be getting better...
I agree with you on the fickle nature of upgraded sonic performance: up the ladder we go, hoping to eek out a little more quality in sound, only to be met with high maintenance components, ever more difficult esoteria, and, of course, larger sums of money spent with increasing amounts of self-delusion. But we endure a certain amount of nonsense, because at the beginning, only wanting for decent sound, most of us came to the realisation that one didn't just head to the corner appliance store to pick up a rig--bang, instant good sound.
I was using a set of DIY cables that ran about $40 before my recent upgrades, and the sound was nothing to scoff at. However, I knew that the right upgrades would only help my system. Swapped out a few different sets of cable, including AudioArts, although not the 5's (like most of these companies, I understand that moving up the product line is worthwhile). I wanted to like the AA's, especially as Rob is a wonderful individual with whom I enjoyed a great conversation, but they refused to integrate into my rig. I therefore figured that I was either stuck with the DIY cables or had to save my pennies for esoteric and expensive audio jewelry.
Then Mike helped me out with the SP4's during one of his sales. I had read much about his wire and, upon the recommendations of many Audiogon members, skipped right to the 4's. Indeed, there has been a little suffering (should have got the full break-in, though I'm a cheapskate), but the result is wonderful. The music shines, as it should. Even after some difficulty (which is small, in the scheme of things), I highly recommend them.
Twisting your own cables might be something to also consider (as I see that you are, like the rest of us, searching, searching). I just got two rolls of differently-gauged magnet wire, 19 and 21, for speaker cables for my wife's MiniWatt. I don't really need another project, but I'm still a bit excited about it. I'll let you know if I blow anything up...
(Nonoise--Are you jacking the Mapleshade's into the HF and the ClearDay's into the LF for your bi-wire set-up, or are you using the ClearDay's for the returns? Interested...)
Hope this clarifies things a bit. Thanks for the listen. Best,