There's a lot of debate about cables out there, and those with their opinions, well, have their opinions, and they probably won't change.
Personally, I've done a lot of cable testing over the years on all sorts of low to high-priced gear, and here's what I can say with a fair bit of experience - depending on a number of factors, including material, gauge etc., every cable has it's own signature "sound", if you will, even if minimally audible. I've also seen situations where some cables sounded crappy with one set of gear, but amazing with other sets.
Ultimately, audio preferences are subjective, and everyone has their own. If you spend some time trying different gear combinations over a long period of time, I'm sure everyone can find a combination that they consider their pinnacle. One thing that's usually a constant, though, is that almost every decent entry-level aftermarket cable is an improvement over stock.
The "snake oil" comes into play with those who try to convince you that the most expensive, esoteric cables are the be all end all. At a certain price / performance point, diminishing returns kick in rapidly, and the difference between, say, a $1,000 cable and a $50,000 cable will be marginal vs. the jump from stock to a $200-$300 upgrade.
IMHO, the goal is to find a combination that you find most pleasing that fits your budget, and in the audio game, there's gear for every single budget out there. Forget what others say and take the time to test different gear combinations; who knows your listening preferences better than you do, after all. With a bit of patience and tinkering, you'll be surprised about the improvements you can make, even at entry-level price points. As a general guideline, for anyone who might be thinking about upgrades, a good ratio is max 10% of the cost of your gear on cables. Anymore than that and you're wasting your money.
Personally, I've done a lot of cable testing over the years on all sorts of low to high-priced gear, and here's what I can say with a fair bit of experience - depending on a number of factors, including material, gauge etc., every cable has it's own signature "sound", if you will, even if minimally audible. I've also seen situations where some cables sounded crappy with one set of gear, but amazing with other sets.
Ultimately, audio preferences are subjective, and everyone has their own. If you spend some time trying different gear combinations over a long period of time, I'm sure everyone can find a combination that they consider their pinnacle. One thing that's usually a constant, though, is that almost every decent entry-level aftermarket cable is an improvement over stock.
The "snake oil" comes into play with those who try to convince you that the most expensive, esoteric cables are the be all end all. At a certain price / performance point, diminishing returns kick in rapidly, and the difference between, say, a $1,000 cable and a $50,000 cable will be marginal vs. the jump from stock to a $200-$300 upgrade.
IMHO, the goal is to find a combination that you find most pleasing that fits your budget, and in the audio game, there's gear for every single budget out there. Forget what others say and take the time to test different gear combinations; who knows your listening preferences better than you do, after all. With a bit of patience and tinkering, you'll be surprised about the improvements you can make, even at entry-level price points. As a general guideline, for anyone who might be thinking about upgrades, a good ratio is max 10% of the cost of your gear on cables. Anymore than that and you're wasting your money.