What do $2500 speaker cables sound like?

It strongly depends on your system. Typically cabling is chosen for a level of equipment. For instance I had purchased some Transparent cables ($1,800?) about 25 years ago... they sounded terrible... because they passed through the harsh trebly signal to the very revealing ribbon speakers I owned. I ended up going with Cardas Gold Cross... probably cost $2K. Warmed the system up. Then I upgraded to much better speakers and electronics... immediately the treble was almost lost... too golden. I pulled out the old Transparent... instantly balance was perfect... clean, natural, perfect balance (like my electronics), silent background.

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Since then I upgraded to Transparent Ultra Gen 8 ~ $4,500 (my speakers are ~$32K). I don’t hear the cables.. they get out of the way. That is the way of high end cables... they don’t pick up noice from the environment... they don’t accentuate any frequency... they make for as dead a silent background as your equipment will provide. So, high end cables from highly reputable companies like Audio Quest, WireWorld, and of course Transparent. They are wonderful if you have wonderful equipment. If your equipment isn’t so wonderful then some of the many highly rated intermediate cables can be synergistic with your system by emphasizing something that is underperforming in your electronics or de-emphasizing something. I spent years matching very good quality cables and interconnects to the benefit of my system overall. My system is of caliber now I just go up the Transparent hierarchy to match the value of my equipment, simple, easy and each level simply sounds better. Most of my components are around $20K and interconnects ~$2,800.

For high-end interconnects. I always go into a set of interconnects with great skepticism. Normally I will have just upgraded one or more components, so I am calibrated as to what it cost me for the component (cost per sound improvement) I just bought. So, the sound of the interconnects need to make me feel like it is worth the money... like I have no alternative.. because of the improved sound. It is always a question of bang for the buck... get the most out of an existing component, or save it for a component upgrade.

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This is why it is best to try interconnects either from a dealer or rent. Or just buy some fairly inexpensive ones that are well reviewed. Just yesterday my dealer brought by a $2,500 digital interconnect for fun for me to try (my current interconnect was $2,000 Transparent). It made my system sound bad... brittle, glasslike, not better. Did not need to do any thinking about it... it sounded terrible. This is not common, but sometimes high quality interconnects do not sound better in your system. It should not be a hard choice... it should be easy, or it is a waste of money.

In some instances interconnects can achieve “component level” increases in sound quality. Well chosen interconnects and cables make the difference between a good sounding system and a great sounding system. If don’t hear the difference then you shouldn’t buy them.