sometimes it's simply how much time we want to spend buying/selling/shipping and listening to different cables...there are so many good brands and models out there...
How important is it that all cables come from the same manufacturer?
My cabling needs are (1) Ethernet to server, (2) USB from server to DAC, (3) balanced XLR from DAC to amp, and (4) speaker cables.
All other things being equal, should all cables be from the same manufacturer?
Same with power cords. Is there a problem using different brand cords with different components, all other things being equal?
PS, I know all other things are never equal, but trying to isolate the “mixing brands” issue to assist in decision-making.