Cable white papers from the world of rocket scientists, designing lossless cable designs for nasa;
http://www.analysis-plus.com/Pages/report981.htm
the design page;
http://www.analysis-plus.com/Pages/thedesign.htm
Right, but gross oversimplification of the issue.
Speaker manufacturers design and test output, which would compensate for all of the microcosmic variables.
By digging backward to things like the impedance vs. frequency we undo the design engineering and try to quantify
the unquantifiables.
I contend that a pair of drapes, or speaker spikes or dampening feet, or placement to wall/ceiling will always have a far more dramatic affect than speaker cable, unless is it grossly inferior to 14 gauge zip cord.
Also, remember to tin the tips to prevent a stand of wire from shorting the terminals.
I totally agree on the latter. Try playing back a stable 13 kHz tone and test the effect of moving your head around.
Or wearing different sweathers when listening. etc etc.
But I must ask what defines a "microcosmic" variable ?
And you claim in public that speaker manufacturers have designs covering the unquantifiable and so end up with designs that _compensate_ for all microcosmic variables?
I'm went to a very small tech institution, very Socratic. I like a good discussion and also the use of contrarian commentary to open the discussion even more. I hope that no one here sees it as an argument. It's not meant to be.
By microcosmic variables I mean such things as exotic speaker terminal posts, exotic speaker wire, and wood/ marble bases for solid state amps and other things that are very hard to quantify with actual measurement.
My point, in short, is an amp is designed and tested with speaker cable. It usually is not pure silver nor gold, but often closer to "consumer grade." Damping factor and other relevant design characteristics should be engineered for a nominal, typical speaker cable in the circuit.
To an amplifier engineer, the oxygen level in the copper wire is a microcosm. The stability of the support platform under the amp is a microcosm, and so on.