Tha amazing thing to me is that an EE student would think that a cable needs any kind of added circuitry! He has simply been suckered by a more sophisticated and costly brand of snake oil.
Well, at least now I know how I'm going to finance my audio upgrades: I just need a few spools of wire...shrink tubing...some small capacitors, resistors and potting compound...some small Radio Shack project boxes...unburden myself of any integrity or scruples...