Here's my experience, without singling out preferred brands for you to try:
years ago (I mean, like around 1987 or 1988), I sat in my listening room all weekend with a pile of speaker cable and my pair of old Quads, hooked up to a good small ARC tube amp (I think then, it was probably a d-70mkii) and just listened. The cables had been loaned to me by a dealer, probably 4 or 5 different brands. I would change cables and listen; then change and listen more. At some point, I came to a conclusion about what sounded most 'right' in that system with its strengths and obvious weaknesses. (No deep bass, for one). I can't remember which cable I chose at that time or whether it was on the pricier or cheaper end of the scale. The moral was that different cables sounded different.
Fast forward many years later. Same experiment, entirely different system, different room. The changes were noticeable, not in my imagination. I chose the cable that sounded best in my system again. Wasn't necessarily the most expensive (particularly given what some of these things cost today).
Recommendation: deal with the Cable Company, or a dealer who can supply a variety of wire for you to try with the understanding that you can buy used or at a significant discount. You'll probably save money in the long run by buying the cable that sounds best over the widest variety of material on your system, assuming there are no major deficiencies in the chain. You can thus avoid the endless cable swapping/upgrading process, which will cost more in the long run.
A couple other suggestions: most cable manufacturers recommend doing the entire system using their product, even if it means cheating by using a lower rung of the product in one part of the system to save money. I found that having the same cable throughout made everything a little more consistent, given that these things tend to have a 'house sound' or signature.
What works in one system and may be the 'best' in some absolute sense may simply not work in yours to maximum effect, for the money.
A long way of saying 'synergy' but I thought it was worth the extra words.
If the system is fundamentally good, there is no reason why those cables can't hold you through various component upgrades. And, when you have the money, you can also upgrade a rung in the brand's hierarchy. (In fact, I think some manufacturers offer such 'trade-ups' giving you additional financial incentives).
Looking at it from a distance, you could add up the retail price of the cable and say it is an exercise in stupidity, but the improvements, made in the considered way I described, in my system, were worth the investment and other than upgrading the cable from the turntable to the phono stage recently for the 'best' one from that particular manufacturer, I've been extremely satisfied.
years ago (I mean, like around 1987 or 1988), I sat in my listening room all weekend with a pile of speaker cable and my pair of old Quads, hooked up to a good small ARC tube amp (I think then, it was probably a d-70mkii) and just listened. The cables had been loaned to me by a dealer, probably 4 or 5 different brands. I would change cables and listen; then change and listen more. At some point, I came to a conclusion about what sounded most 'right' in that system with its strengths and obvious weaknesses. (No deep bass, for one). I can't remember which cable I chose at that time or whether it was on the pricier or cheaper end of the scale. The moral was that different cables sounded different.
Fast forward many years later. Same experiment, entirely different system, different room. The changes were noticeable, not in my imagination. I chose the cable that sounded best in my system again. Wasn't necessarily the most expensive (particularly given what some of these things cost today).
Recommendation: deal with the Cable Company, or a dealer who can supply a variety of wire for you to try with the understanding that you can buy used or at a significant discount. You'll probably save money in the long run by buying the cable that sounds best over the widest variety of material on your system, assuming there are no major deficiencies in the chain. You can thus avoid the endless cable swapping/upgrading process, which will cost more in the long run.
A couple other suggestions: most cable manufacturers recommend doing the entire system using their product, even if it means cheating by using a lower rung of the product in one part of the system to save money. I found that having the same cable throughout made everything a little more consistent, given that these things tend to have a 'house sound' or signature.
What works in one system and may be the 'best' in some absolute sense may simply not work in yours to maximum effect, for the money.
A long way of saying 'synergy' but I thought it was worth the extra words.
If the system is fundamentally good, there is no reason why those cables can't hold you through various component upgrades. And, when you have the money, you can also upgrade a rung in the brand's hierarchy. (In fact, I think some manufacturers offer such 'trade-ups' giving you additional financial incentives).
Looking at it from a distance, you could add up the retail price of the cable and say it is an exercise in stupidity, but the improvements, made in the considered way I described, in my system, were worth the investment and other than upgrading the cable from the turntable to the phono stage recently for the 'best' one from that particular manufacturer, I've been extremely satisfied.