why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

Taters, what you said may imply to most brands of cable's, not taralabs!,I tell you what, let's get in touch with each other and allow me to expose new insight with your beliefs of some cables, are you game? , email me, happy listening.

Stop worrying about me so much. I'll be fine.

Using the analogy of exotic sports cars to audio cables does not make much sense to me . A super car will appreciate in value . The value can be seen .Open the doors , the hood .It is all visible . It does not take a rocket scientist to see the materials used . cables on the other hand ....

"A super car will appreciate in value."

Not after I'm done with it.

We have some really smart people here on this site ......and ones that been around the '' audiophile hobby '' for a long time as well as ones who have very strong opinions with good intentions to inform as well as impart their observations. Nobody is exactly right here and haven't we all learned, especially with CABLES is that to buy what sounds good to YOU. That is the bottom line .... However, why I am adding my 2 cents now is what has been brought up briefly here and should be reinforced is that the markup on these cables is crazy ....some have touched on that as I have noted, but some of these companies and they are the '' bigger ones '' with the '' bigger names '' have a mark - up of anywhere between 60-80% on their manufacturing cost. I understand that it is free enterprise system .....not my point. What is my point is there are some cable manufacture's who have been at it for a long time whose materials, products to their actual cost charge only 20-40% of markup. But there us the belief and the reason for the OP's statement that the more money the better the cable which is NOT always the case. This came directly from an established and successful audio dealer who has since retired..... who taught me to look for value / performance from a sold company and you will never go wrong - or lose a lot of money when you do go to sell it. Especially with cables !!!! There are some cables out there are well engineered, well designed at a good price that are just as good as the crazy expensive cables in which not matter how much money we have to spend.....get to keep some of that money in our pockets .....and use it elsewhere in the system. Also, one last point ....I am also very leery of any cable company who does not display or won't show a cross - sectional view of their cables construction. " We don't due to competitive reasons " ......hmmmmm okay and sorry but don't believe you and maybe they should add some electrical lights to their cable as that will always make it sound better or some magical dust or even better yet ....big electrical boxes.