Quote Originally Posted by DMK
And you should hear both sides.

Side one - there are no audible differences between cables that are suitable for audio which would be 16 guage and lower - NO 24 guage cable! The reason for this is that cable performance can be measured with test instruments and when they are, no differences that would be audible to humans are found. Bias and placebo effect account for what differences you do hear, i.e your mind is playing tricks on you. There is documented evidence of these phenomena.

Side two - measurements don't tell us the whole story of cable sonics. It's important to listen for yourself to determine if you hear differences and if they are significant enough to warrant spending your hard earned money. Cables are very system dependant and if you try something that works for you, it may not work for your friends system. Many audio enthusiasts feel that cables do make a difference and their enjoyment of their systems is therefore enhanced.

This is an oversimplification of the issue, of course. If you follow this board for awhile, you will see the debate flow in more detail. What I believe PCTower was telling you was that you simply need to try cables for yourself to see (hear) if they're worth it and don't follow the A/R status quo. To be fair, you could go to www.audioasylum.com and see a largely different status quo. PCtower was also telling you not to follow THAT agenda. He's telling you to think for yourself and, quite honestly, that's the best advice you can ever get on just about anything. Just make sure you are exposed to both sides of the issue before you decide.
I think you presented a balanced description of the opposing points of view on audiophile cables. I'm not sure what Mikereyno wants. It seems like he seeks assurance he will hear an improvement in his HT system if he spends more on cables, but is unwilling to try a new cable to find out whether he hears an improvement, despite the fact many cable sellers offer money-back guarantees. I don't see anywhere to go from there.