I doubt there will be an consensus.

There is no "correct" ratio. Spend what makes you feel good. If you really believe that the more you spend, the better it sounds, then spend all you can afford, maybe a little more. I, personally, would never spend more than about $3/ft regardless of the price of the speakers.

Take a look at Audio Advisor's site and see what they have to offer in cabling. The Audioquest Type 8 in a 10 ft. bi-wire configuration would run $225.00 and would be worthwhile. I'd spend a few hundred on interconnects as well.

Cables make a difference, but not all systems will benefit from an expensive cable and not all expensive cables are money well spent. Audioquest King Cobra interconnects and Type 8 wire are easy to recommend on performance and value grounds.

90% of what is said and written about expensive cables is pure bullshit and snake oil.

I have 50 years experience with amplifiers and cables and have done extensive laboratory tests combined with critical listening, and have determined that most expensive cables offer only hot air. I have taught electronics for over 30 years, and have been tinkering with audio systems for 50 years or more.

I have a $30,000 system which uses Vandersteen Treo speakers, Musicial Fidelity and Audio Research electronics, and the Marantz SA-1 player, plus a high-quality turntable etc. I think that if I spent $100,000 or more, I could get a very slight improvement in sound quality, but not much.

My speakers are bi-wired with 10-gauge 102-strand Belden pure copper wire and Audioquest gold spade lugs, which cost me around $250 total to put together (10 feet long). I have tested many cables costing as much as $10,000, and never heard any improvement over what I have now.

Audioquest Type 8 uses 12 gauge copper wire. A 10-foot bi-wire pair with spade lugs will cost $225 from Audio Advisor, and that is what I would recommend if you are not experienced at soldering. These should give excellent performance in almost any system. You can also order them with banana plugs or other termination as desired.

Parts Express sells Belden 5T00UP wire, which is a two-wire cable with a pair of 65-strand 10 gauge copper wires in an outer jacket. They are selling it for only $1.35 per foot, which is certainly cheap. You would need 40 feet for 10-foot biwiring, so that is leass than $60. You would also need 12 spade lugs or whatever to terminate it, of course. I use Audioquest gold-plated spade lugs. (wire-Parts Express Stock #102-1190)(Parts Express has a wide choice of gold-plated spade lugs and other connectors for good prices).

In my opinion, if you spend more than $300 for anything, you are getting a bad deal and wasting a lot of money to get nothing.