The cables are really very flat, so can be in my case, two of them (for rear speakers) easily hide under a rug. Loss of sound I could not find, but also have no direct comparison. The Strip was fairly easy; easily scratched with a utility knife, the insulation with strong leaves them well dissolve. Only the combination of drilling stripped ends is somewhat more difficult than with round cables, but you just have to take care of the flat design in purchasing.
