Assuming I buy 45 ft kimber cables at $9 a foot for my QS8 for rear surround, this means that I am paying $405 (plus shipping?) to connect my $235 speaker or a total of $640 per speaker.

At these prices, I better hear substantial sonic improvement. Would it not be wiser to buy $540 speaker and connect it with $100 worth of cables and definitely hear substantial sonic improvement? How about $600 speaker and $40 cable (about $0.89 a foot)?