How accurate are cable descriptions for your system?

The only way I have found to approach it is to trial certain cables in my system.

Sure, there could be a "wrong" cable for a particular system, given how the components, as a system are voiced- that is, you are combining attributes and to some degree using the cables to fine tune the system. Before you go crazy on wire, I’d want to know that the system is optimized for the room, some room treatment or other things may prove to be important too, but placement and positioning, which may require some experimentation and heavy lifting, might also be in order first.

Sometimes, differences in cables in my experience are subtle- not imaginary, but the system has to be capable of revealing, and benefit by, the match up. Some synergies are well known for particular amp-speaker sets. I know one person whose tastes are in the stratosphere and he largely avoids audiophile cable in favor of very basic wire.

Hearing an entire system "loom" of one cable type or brand can let you hear the "house sound" or character of the cable a little more easily, but there could be differences within a brand, from the lowest priced to the upper tier.

And that is where you can waste money until you trial them in your system. It is work. I did it first, meaningfully, in the late ’80s, and after a weekend listening to 4 or 5 cables, I came up with one I preferred. I can’t remember where it ranked in terms of price.

There’s a lot of stuff written, but given the wide range of variables between your system and someone else’s (the room alone, as well as set up will have a considerable influence over sonic outcomes even if the gear comprising the system is identical--not something likely), I’d say that the views of others may gave you some insight into the sonic signature of a cable. But it is in your system, using your ears, that you will make determinations, not the words of someone else using a different system and room. That’s all I got. Good luck. The more time you spend on listening and evaluating, the better your outcome will be. You also will learn to improve your analytical listening in the process of making such comparisons for yourself.

I hate to say it but those cables for $100 and $79 are going to be junk, the best cables for audio and this has been proven for 50 years now is OCC single crystal wire and it's not cheap but if you hear it compared to all the other ofc stuff on the market including the real expensive stuff that's a rip-off the OCC is the clear winner, the ofc stuff is not even in the same league.

QUESTION: To what degree can his descriptions be taken as "likely true" for any given (sufficiently resolving) system

ANSWER TO HOW “LIKELY TRUE?”

For all the good and valid reasons already laid out, it is a minimal to nil assurance that a blind purchase will also work in YOUR bespoke system in absence of a hands-on audition and experimentation in your bespoke system.

Simply put, it is a purely calculated risk purchase 

I don’t trust anything said by a seller about subjective aspects of their audio equipment; they have motive to stretch the truth, and no reason to be especially truthful because there are no consequences.

I do have a measure of trust in the forums and reviews, but not in any single forum comment or single review.

The more sources the better, but if I read the same thing repeatedly stated the same way - ie, ’It’s a ’musical’ amp' - I ignore it.

If the descriptions are made by persons with experience of the equipment, and in their own words those various persons are found to be saying essentially the same thing, then I have found that it is true.

Sorry for the correction havocman but occ has been with us a little shorter (1991) and yes is a considerable upgrade compared to ofc. Trple C is a more advanced manufacturing process and for me the better sounding too. You cannot go wrong with either though.

Unfortunately with cables you pay you get, overpriced maybe but what isn't. 

So many times i have found out, searching for the century deal,  that low budget cables called "giant killers" are nothing but very ordinary in disguise. Better save up for something better. Different systems different results, different ears, but house sound is real and easier to hear when a complete set of cabling is introduced in ones system.

Cables should remain in a system for a long period to show what they are capable of, swapping more than often is a waste of time.

I have never listened to SVS Ultra or Tuneful cables so i cannot comment on reviewers findings but i found reviews for Kondo, Acoustic Revive, Furutech to be very close to my findings.