Quote Originally Posted by superpanavision70mm
Cable debate is not unlike any other debate in life when it comes to each persons experience and perspective on issues of quality. Some people believe that premium gasoline makes your car run better than the cheap stuff (none of it's cheap these days though), while others believe that it all comes from the same place and it's a big scandal. Some people believe that bottled water tastes better than from the tap, while others think that it's yet another scandal and that bottled water is no better for you or no different in taste. Some people buy Nike shoes for a over $100 and say that they feel better on their feet than the $50 alternative brands. Other times people just pay huge sums of money for something that is just ...well, more pleasing to them...like Oakley sunglasses that cost a few hundred dollars. Maybe that block out more UV, maybe they last longer, maybe this and maybe that...whatever the case...people usually buy them because of the name and the style.

Cables are no different in most cases. However, for those that want to spend their hard--earned cash...go for it! I know I have spent a great deal of money on my cables, but not nearly as much as some. However, I can also tell a difference with what I use versus buying cheaper stuff. If you think that we are stupid for spending so much money on cables....too bad! Chances are you are not able to hear the difference for a variety of reasons....either your equipment is incapable of discerning the difference...your ears are unable to detect the difference, or your equipment is not calibrated (or room) in order to tell a difference.

In the meantime...the debate will continue as always and I suppose it's entertainment value for some.
Well, I think you’re argument is going a bit far. In most the ‘debatable’ examples you listed there are very measurable differences that clearly contribute to performance. The differences are large enough to be easily perceptible. Expensive gas/Cheap gas, tap/bottle water, Nike/other shoes…Preference is arbitrary; the difference is clear, people differ on what they prefer.

Cables on the other hand have little to no measurable differences in performance. The differences, if any, fall way below what would be considered readily perceptible. The differences, if any, are so slight that subjective bias becomes the dominant factor for ‘preferring’ one over the other.