I'm not suggesting people should buy the ridiculously priced cables, but even in (computer) networking, cables matter. If you try to run 100Mbps Ethernet on marginal CAT3 rated cables, you will get errors on the wire. Of course, for speaker cables, keeping conductivity high is what matters. So I'm just suggesting that using a thicker cable for longer runs (with 4 ohm speakers) will make a difference. Just not $7000's worth!!!
Exactly. The ethernet cable is entirely different. It's built to carry low power high frequency signals. The speaker cable only has to carry frequencies as high a 22 kHz, but at a much greater power level. The inductance of the cable comes into play at these ultra-high frequencies (read open circuit).
A nice thick gauge cable (12 to 14 gauge) of any maker will suffice for speaker wire use.
I was also going to make a comment about the sample size, but John beat me to it.
