It’s no surprise that audiophiles will pay top dollar for high-end loudspeakers and stereo equipment. But it may be shocking to learn the extreme prices hi-fi aficionados will pay for cables.

Believe it or not, some pairs of loudspeaker cables can cost more than an average house. But the necessity of high-end audio cables is not without controversy; a simple internet search will turn up many opinion pieces that doubt the efficacy of cables in producing a discernible improvement in audio fidelity.

These detractors point to a lack of double-blind testing and scientific support for some claims. Believers, on the other hand, cite their subjective experience when swapping out cables. However, one thing is for certain: Each of the following nine elite speaker cables is a paragon of audio construction and aesthetics.