Second Round of Questions on Speaker Cables

What length are you running ?  It makes a difference.  Personally, regarding sound changes,  I would look more at physical cable characteristics rather than brand.  

1.  You are currently running OCC copper at a "medium gauge".  Personally, I think OCC copper is the best for interconnects, but, I have not tried them on speaker cables, but, OCC copper is the best copper you can get, so, it will be hard to beat what you already have, unless you are looking to boost certain frequencies.

2.  Depending on length, you could try a much lower gauge with OFC copper, ie. like 7 gauge per speaker, 3 or 4 gauge per connector.  I have found this gives more bass, but, rolls off the high end a little.  So, this would be good for bright speakers where you want to increase your bass.  Personally, I think the OCC copper is better on the high end vs OFC copper, and super low gauge gives more bass, but, super low gauge OCC copper is not really available...   Note: 12 feet of speaker cable made a difference in sound for me.

3.  Silver plated OFC copper silver cables and pure silver cables I have not tried, but, I would assume that they would help the high end frequencies, so, if you want brighter, this could be the way to go. 

4.  I have silver plated OCC copper interconnects between my turntable and preamp, and is is a great sounding interconnect, but, I cannot speak to speaker cables.  

Note:  Your comment of wanting more "body" to me means that the sound is a little "thin".  This is mostly imaging and lower frequencies.  So, look for speaker cables that have reviews saying -  good low end, and expansive sound stage, this should guide you in the right direction.  Also, interconnects between your preamp and amp can also help the expand the sound stage. 

I hope this helps you. .  

Your description of Cardas is right on. So I think what you mean is you simply want neutral (letting exactly what your components are doing) with better dynamics and quieter. In this case I recommend Transparent. They are excellent wires (of all types) and one of the largest and most respected brands. They have been around for 45 years... for a reason. I use them throughout my main system. Long ago I bought some used ones as a test, they were stunning and then started replacing my wires with them. They are currently producing Generation 6, which was actually a major upgrade over Generation 5. But if you want to get the idea you could try Gen5. However, be very careful in the used market. China has been flooding the market with fake interconnects and cables..

So many wonderful speaker cables out there to choose from.  But, the trick is finding the perfect cables for you and your own audio system.  I faced the same dilemma that you're now facing about 15 years ago.  I found the perfect speaker cables for me through one of my local high-end audio dealers, JPS Labs Superconductor 3, and I've been using them every since.  You just have to keep on searching and auditioning until you find the perfect cables for you.  That's all you can do.  Happy listening.      

Yes, make sure whatever you buy can easily be returned for low or no fees. That means either an internet direct brand with an in home trial period or else a local dealer who will work with you on that. 

Since you considering Cardas I suggest giving Brian in their tech support a call.  I have found him to be extremely knowledgeable to match your system and what you are trying to achieve with the Cardas line.  He will not just try and upsell you to the highest price cables.  He also has a lot of experience with competitors as well.  Everyone here will recommend what they have but the secret is to match with your specific setup.  With so many choices, as you're doing here, the more opinions/experience you can get to narrow the field the better.