This was confirmed to me when some friends and I took the same cables around to test in our respective systems. The character of the cables and power cords, first heard and identified by doing comparisons in one system, were then heard in the other systems, regardless of system, gear, typology, or set up. In some cases, the cable or power cord character was so evident, it completely changed the overall character of the system, rather than just "balance" or complement the sound of the system. It was easily heard and for me, it could become a distraction with a spotlight shouting, "look at me".
I prefer cables that simply seem to allow one to hear the components. It is often hard to know what is what, but when one hears more music and less spotlighting, one gets a sense. My preferred cables and cords, based on my somewhat limited comparisons, tend to be simpler, more practical designs with good connections. And a phono cable should be flexible and not so heavy as to affect the balance of a suspended turntable design requiring its own support structure. The fascinating thing is that among those of us who did these comparisons, opinions varied considerably. As David writes, personal preference is a different thing.
