wwshull,
i guess the main difference in our opinions on cables comes down to philosophy. i would prefer that the signal coming from my source is changed as little as possible before it comes out of my speakers. the whole point of cables, to me, is to transmit information with as little change as possible. to that end, the simpler the better. i'm in pursuit of getting the sound out of my media and reproducing it as closely as possible to what the engineer wanted me to hear.
i know a couple of studio engineers, and i know that they don't use fancy, expensive cables for their mics, their rack equipment, their studio monitors, or their home stereos.
by saying all that, i certainly don't want to dissuade you from pursuing your own stereo goals. by all means, if you want the sound a cable gives you, buy it! i just don't necessary see my system in the same light, i guess.