Are “audiophile” speaker wires and interconnects snake oil?
Sophisticated speaker wire and interconnect cables are not snake oil, in fact material differences in the composition of the wire, insulation, connectors and assembly techniques can make a big difference in the sound.
Case in point, there is a 10cm bundle of twelve signal carrying wires within your I25 that make an obvious audible difference in the performance of that amp, meaning the difference between excellent and magic.
So, if fractions of a meter of wire can make a difference, be it internal wiring or speaker terminal jumpers, then it stands to reason that meters of wire will have a similar, if not greater, impact on the overall sound of your system.
It is simply a matter of some wires might be better suited to your system and personal preferences better than others. And while our experience leads us to work with Audioquest, Anzus, and in-akustik cables in our listening rooms and demo systems. That said, there are many more really great cabling companies out there like OCOS, van den Hul and Cardas among many others.
We would recommend working with your dealer or dealers to sample whatever they may have available for loan in your budget to try in your system and go from there.
