Do expensive cables/wires REALLY make a difference

Why get out of the hobby? Picking and telling the difference between cables in a double blind test was no better then chance.

Chill Chrissain,don't scare the new guy!He's just looking for some guidance and info. as he begins his audio journey[addiction]CWBY,have fun,experiment, and enjoy the hobby!

Trust yourself first and foremost....not the Audio Elite. I have had Uber expensive gear and cables. I have also had more sanely priced equipment. Performance DOES NOT always go up with price!! Recently I dug out of my audio archives a Monster Cable Z200i XLR cable to use with my new integrated so I could hook up my CD player in balanced mode. I then compared the Monster cable to a very expensive High End cable...the Monster actually sounded equal to or better than the $1500 IC. Too bad they have stopped making the Z and M series stuff...it was really quite a bargain:)

I guess it depends on what you call expensive. Can you buy a good cable for 10 bucks? I'd say no.do you have to spend $500, again, I'd say no. The right cables do matter. There are many other things that factor in. I like to tell people if you take one "tweak" out, you might hear no difference. If you take several out, then you will. Cables are like that. There is some good advice above. I wouldn't break the bank on cables, but, the right ones can be dramatic. Experiment within your budget, and see what you think.

You have some good information already but bear in mind that cables are probably the most difficult part of any system to incorporate effectively. There are a lot of very good inexpensive cables available.There are also a lot of expensive cables that their perfomance doesn't justify their price. I would not spend big dollars on a cable unless your system is ready for it. Spend your dollars first on good gear then go to a dealer or the Cable Company ask for suggestions and borrow some cables to try.Give them some time to warm up and get the kinks out.If you have to strain to hear an improvement they aren't worth your money.Trying out differnt cables and gear can be fun but bear in mind that you may eventually find or try something that creates what I call an "Oh Wow Moment" and you want to keep it. So do not borrow it unless you can afford it.