whats the very best sounding cables for realistic money

As you have probably reaiized, there is no one correct answer. Most of us probably feel pretty strongly about the cables we use or just "the cable debate" in general. I love Silent Source cables. At this point I can't see using any others. They aren't cheap but the money one spends definitely goes towards the actual product rather than marketing. 

That being said, I went to a workshop at the RMAF a few years ago that was all about "cables". It actually wasn't promoting a particular brand or product. The workshop highlighted the impact that "like brand/type" cables can have on a system. They started with a mixed bag of good quality cables. The system sounded fine. However, when they switched out the cables for all the same brand/type the system came to life. The timing and coherence were noticeably better. It was one of the best workshops I ever attended and it has helped me ever since. Good luck on your quest!

soundstring!

See the custom cable ensemble I am using on my system details page. 

The Analysis Plus Pro Power Oval power cord with Wattgate plug for less than a hundred bucks for one meter length is not chopped liver.

It feels like I've replied with the following maybe once or twice a year for the past decade.  This approach should fit your budget and is usually good for a laugh.  And you can always look this up and see for yourself...

Way, way back when I'd stumbled onto some references to speakers being displayed by Quad at a HiFi show near London and the real kicker to the whole thing was that the Quad guy had gone down the road to the local Home Depot equivalent, bought some orange outdoor extension cord (I think that article said it was Black & Decker wire), and Quad was displaying their speakers at that show with the extension cord being used as their speaker wire.  Apparently no one noticed for days...