After struggling with big heavy cables for years, I tried Kimber just based on the practicality of their thin and easily managed cables. Well a year later, my top-performing entry-level IC is still the little Kimber PBJ. I know it sounds weird, but it bests cables 2-3 times as expensive. But I wouldn't discount system synergy, either - maybe the PBJs are just the right thing for my gear.

On the minimalist side of cables, I've also been intrigued with the claims made by Pierre Sprey over at Mapleshade (website is currently under construction), but I can't bring myself to pay $30-60 for something that really looks that cheap. That said, I've been told by several people that it outperforms the PBJs by a considerable amount. The other thing I'm wondering about these is if I could simply build similar cables like that myself using good quality solder-less plugs. Anyhow, it may be worth a look-see-hear.