Done a lot of cable listening over many, many years . . . I set my stall out back in the 80's, the amps and speakers I was using were producing a sound I liked. Change the cables and the sound changed . . . 'it was different' . . . not necessarily better or worse, just different. I used 1m of Linn K20 and a 5m interconnect run to the power amps, this interconnect cable was something that I had tracked down, it was not designed for hifi use, it was cheap, I made it up with nickel plated RS connectors.
Almost 30 years on, I still use the same cables, although the lengths are now the opposite of those originals; K20 8m, interconnect 1m. I avoid silver cable as it tends towards being bright, this includes silver windings in TT cartridges!
I believe this consistency has helps me adjust and evaluate my hifi SQ, so that what I hear can be trusted and I can make meaningful assessments in my mind . . . I trust my ears.
I also believe that a truly balanced system does not need fancy 'signature laden cable' to tweak it . . . If it needs a cable to alter the sound, there is something wrong in the component match??? . . . and dont forget, some cables are directional . . . :?
Does this make me 'blue' or 'red' . . . ?
CJSF