Will I hear a difference with these cables?

I have a friend that has a much better ear than I do and is also an EE so it's always interesting to see what he thinks. I always try to get his opinion before making big purchases. He visited the hi fi store with my wife and I to help me choose between two speakers. At this point the biggest difficulty is that his listening time with my system is very limited so it's difficult for him to hear subtle differences. When I did a Sort Kone demo he thought he heard an audible difference but wished it was easier to do an A/B comparison because the difference isn't immediately obvious. His second set of ears helps separate the real from the placebo.

I certainly have not heard anything negative from them so I have no real reason to change back.

I always try to get his opinion before making big purchases.

So,you buy equipment based on your friends hearing? Why don't you make decisions based on what you hear? After all,you will be the one listening and spending the money.

His second set of ears helps separate the real from the placebo.

Can you explain this further,I don't understand what you're saying.Be assured,I'm not trying to question your process.I just find folks take on these subjects interesting.Thanks for sharing.

Trust me when I say that I wouldn't purchase anything that I didn't like, but as an example I was very torn between the 816v and 836v Focal speakers. There was about a $1,000 price difference and I wanted another opinion on the difference in sound vs. the value. Having a 2nd set of ears gives me the opportunity to have him tell me what he hears and what he likes or dislikes about them. We've been friends, college neighbors and roommates for more than 10 years so we have a pretty good idea of what the other one is looking for in a purchase so he can give me good advice the majority of the time.

As for a placebo check, it's just nice to have someone else confirm an improvement and my wife doesn't care enough to give most changes an honest listen before getting bored. She heard a huge difference with the speaker upgrade, but claimed no difference with the receiver swap that was a significant improvement for me.

I don't just trust anyone to give me their opinion, but he's the exception. Between his EE knowledge and appreciation for all music, both live concerts and home audio, he is a great sounding board for my thinking.

Mceljo,
When I mentioned "nude" I was only referring to the termination. I prefer silver tinning the end of the cable and connecting directly to the speaker and amp. The best connector is no connector at all don't you think? Adding another interface and possibly mixing different metals with competing physics can only harm the signal, This affects timing, bass response, smearing of notes/clarity etc. IMO. (speaker connectors... all of them are for convienience. If it was practical they would all be hard wired from the amp to the speaker. No connector at all).

Agreed, I considered going without a connector at the speaker, but in an attempt to do some A/B comparisons I wanted it to be as quick and simple as possible. Also, the back of my receiver is nearly impossible to get at so the banana plugs are a life saver.