Do mains cables make a difference??

[nonuffin]

Yes, indeed an ordinary cable dressed-up as something fancy would be duping people. I'd say that hearing a difference could well be due to a placebo effect or expectation bias.

I am going to agree with you on that point. I sometimes forget that there are folks who have no experience in these matters and can be fooled quite easily. I still cling to the hope that one day they start asking questions and pay close attention to what they are hearing in the cold light of day.