Similar situation as above, but compounded by the compromises and trade-offs that you find agreeable compared to someone else.
I can tell you that it is NOT zip cord, or the free OEM interconnects that come with a lot of audio components. For those first upgrading from zip cord and the freebie interconnects, the vast array of choices is quite bewildering.
You can go homebrew, and see one of my DIY audio cable to build your own high performance cables for a fraction of what many high end cables cost.