As for Mtrycrafts, you really should put the question you want to him, not look to where he is making some other point. For one thing, in the little snippet of interchange, you simply misunderstood the point Mtrycrafts was making, which simply about the difference between hearing and perceiving. It was about word usage, if you will. In other words, he pointed out to the poster that it would be better to have said that if a person really believes there is a difference, they will likely perceive one. The context of the discussion assumes a case in which there was really no audible difference.
Now, if you will look into the lists of references Mtry has supplied, you will find some that have documented differences in speaker cables (16 gauge vs. 24 gauge, 30 foot lengths), notably Laurence Greenhill, "Speaker Cables, Can You Hear the Difference," Stereo Review, August 1983, p. 46-51. He has referred to this from time to time in the past.
I suggest you deal with explicit statements on various questions, not some snippet where you think you can mind read his intent. Mtry does not deal with absolutes here, only probabilities. I have discussed this with him sufficiently on the net and in person, I think, to have a better idea of his views than you do.
You quoted me as saying:
"However, to reason that because there may be a difference that therefore there must be an audible difference in your system is not valid. One cannot validly reason from possibility to actuality."
Your reply was:
"Please point to one instance where I have ever argued that as a valid proposition?"
Did I say that you had discussed it? I do point out that you give Dr. Toole's simple division of good and "bad" cables much too much weight, and seem to regard it as an admission of audible differences between cables under ordinary circumstances. But here's something you said:
"Now everyone seems to agree that room acoustics and poorly designed loudspeakers often are extremely important considerations in the quality of audible sonic differences between systems. So if, in Toole's mind, the sonic effects of "bad" cables are on a par with the audible consequences of room acoustics and poorly designed loudspeakers, he must beleive that the audible sonic differences that can exist between certain cables can be pretty significant, at least based on what that particular quote (which, again, is the only public pronouncement of Toole that I have ever found on the issue of cables) seems to suggest."
Now, if that isn't moving from possibility to actuality, I'd like to know what is! And of course, Toole said nothing of the sort.
You want a good case where an interconnect could make a difference? Many phono cartridges are sensitive to capacitance, and interconnects can have different capacitances. I doubt that even Woodman would deny that, as it used to be quite well known and is easily measureable. Personally, I would rather adjust this in the preamp, but one could do it with interconnects. I can add 180 picofarads to the capacitance the phono cartridge sees with a switch in my preamp, and this results in a significant sloping off of the highs, something I do not usually think desirable with most recordings.
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"Nature loves to hide."
---Heraclitus of Ephesus (trans. Wheelwright)