Does creating a loom in cables in a system make a significant difference?


I use a mix of different cables for interconnect, speaker and digital cables.  I have no complaints. The music sounds great!   I seize upon good values for superior cables from Audiogon and Audiomart US.  I'm setting up a system in another room  and I'm wondering if I should stick with one brand of cable throughout or just keep buying high quality cables regardless of brand.  I'd appreciate your thoughts.

styleman

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

The idea of your system sounding great with a full loom or a complete mishmash says absolutely nothing to answer the question. Unless you have compared the opposite… there is no information gleaned.

In my fifty years of pursuing the high end, owning dozens of components, and hundreds of interconnects… with slow and methodical convergence on synergy of components and same interconnects and cables is however evidence… although somewhat indirect.

I do have a theory for which I have a lot of personal evidence. But would be hard to prove (like everything in high end audio):

If you consider a sequence of four components Streamer -> Amp or TT -> amp)… each with a different small shortcoming.

To make it simple, let’s say component one rolls off the highs, component two rolls off the low frequency, component three rolls of the highs and component four rolls off the lows. By the time you hear the output has a highly attenuated high and low frequency. This is a pretty strong case for all the same components.

Then apply the same logic with all cables and interconnects. Suddenly the same components and same carefully chosen interconnects become a much more synergistic collection of gear.

 

The real world is much more complicated… but this really suggests the same everything will provide the best sound.

Of course if a different company produces a much better single component you have to weigh the variables. But if a company produces outstanding components across the spectrum, then they have a real competitive edge. 

 

I think it is likely ideal… but dependent on your components. I have been working on my system for fifty years. It has been a mishmash of components for most of that time. 
 

I have invested a huge amount of time and discretionary income in my system… doubling the investment every decade. You can see where I ended up… under my user ID. All Audio Research electronics, all Transparent interconnects, cables and power cords (save one). I never set out to harmonize my electronics and cables… it happened through extensive experience, auditioning, and evaluation.
 

One day I ended up with the best system (for my tastes) I have ever heard… and it turned out to be a known synergistic set of components…. Audio Research,  Transparent, and Sonus Faber speakers. Hmm, this can’t be an accident.