why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

"...we always forget recording quality in these arguments. [ ] Cables are part of it but recording is too. [ ] Just enjoy your system. I did today just like college. [ ] Music is a joy. Enjoy it. Expensive or cheap cables tap your feet bob your head and zone out!"

Great reminder on 11/18 from Calvinj about what's really important in all this audiophoolery.

With regard to the OP's subject, I'd say for some, because they think cables make a difference (I certainly believe they do) and therefore want the best they are willing to afford. For others, different motives might be at work. In any case, whether their choices make sense to me is completely irrelevant.

Of course you have to know your source material and have had experience with equipment used when evaluating new cables. I'd say over a grand maybe for expensive or around $15K if your me:)

I hold the believe that spending 20%-25% of ones audio budget on cables is justifiable. I have a system that retailed at ~$15K however spent ~$8k on it. I have ~$2k spent on cables.

I do not believe i have expensive cables. My friends who own much lessor expensive systems believe my cables to be so. Someone with a ~$200k system and holding to my allocation % would have ~$50k invested, therefore owning expensive cables (by my assessment). However, I believe ownership of these cables to be easily justified.

I also believe that the $50k cables applied to my system would make an improvement, however not be justified as distributing the money across the system would provide greater improvement.

Whatever the cost of a system, component synergy remains most important. Synergy when matching components toward ones personal taste. Cables that do not possess synergy with ones system, or at a cost to obtaining better synergy elsewhere in ones system, are too expensive.

Calvin,

thank you for the kind words and comments in the 'spirit' of this thread,

@mikelavigne, you are slacking on your cable game. You got to get better ones. Lol. I'm rolling on the floor again laughing. On a serious note you seem to have an amazing system. Cheers!!! Lol.

sorry I'm not watching Audiogon every day so my responses are not always timely. the 'gon' interface keeps me away.

this week I did receive my second set of Tara Labs Grandmaster Evolution 2 meter RCA's for my Lampizator Golden Gate 'dsd only' dac. again; I am quite amazed with the step up in overall performance I hear. and I've not yet placed them on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker yet.

allow me to explain my 'other' cables a bit, although any attempt at a serious comment on this silly thread is likely a waste of time. i use the new darTZeel NHB-18NS preamp and the NHB-458 mono blocks. darTZeel has their own proprietary interface using BNC connectors called 'zeel'. this interface is superior to RCA or XLR in my experience. so that is what i use between my dart pre and amps, an 8 meter pair of 'zeel' style Evolution Acoustics BNC's. then also between my King Cello tape repro (for my 2 Studer A-820's) i use a 13 meter pair of darTZeel's own BNC's as those tape decks are on the opposite side of the room. the 'zeel' cables can be any length and sound the same.

I've commented earlier in the thread on my speaker cables.

@mikelavigne. Your system looks great. I bet you it sounds great. I'm going to have to hear it one day. Looking at the pictures makes me want to hear it. I know you have spent a lot of time and resources making it sound great. I was just kidding you earlier. Lol. I know you have made great choices in equipment and cabling.