System Synergy

a stereo's final signature will always be its loudspeakers

How many companies make pre-amp's, amp's, CDP's, Turntables,and speakers? Even if one company made all this gear do you think anyone would actually believe that the speaker was as good as the amp, as good as the turntable and that any one company didnt have a weakness?
I understand your question but it really isnt possible, not in hi-end circles.

I think system synergy can be optimal or excellent. Same same throughout is definitely one way to reamin close to it without taking much chance of diminishing it. Obstacles do stand in the way of that 'all the same name" path ocasionally. Mostly money, as I see it. Philosophy is another. An approach to a system building exercise can demand changes.

At some point in a good number of systems departures from having all the same are dictated, and no longer a choice. Just now I can't think of one manufacturer that makes everything a high end audio, or video system requires, 'soup to nuts'.

Mostly though, I think the departure from an all "xyz" system is fueled by the desire to obtain a better level here and there throughout the system.

In fact I think many times system synergy is bypassed or overlooked as the newly acquired device is not thoroughly optimized and integrated into the system. it's simply plugged into an exsisting system and followed by only a cursory decision on it's 'synergy' with the balance of the equipment on hand... but such is the way of things.

I would believe many great opportunities are passed in just this way. there's more to this than just components. tha'ts the "art" part of system building. It takes more than getting, hearing, and then getting another one. it takes time too. Oh, yeah, and money.

the assessment of synergy is subjectively based.

the presence of synergy is not guaranteed by incorporating the products of one or two manufacturers.

a revox system (with factory interconnects)and a mac system and yes there is synergy...there always is, butits fun to experiment too.

I have all Acoustic Zen. 2 sets of Matrix Reference II IC's and Satori speaker cables. I did this for synergy and because I thought they were excellent wires overall. No PC's however. Now that you mention this, maybe I'll try an AZ PC. I've spent so much money already, what's a little more? But like so many of us, I still struggle to get my system to sound the way I want it to. If I could go back to the beginning there are so many moves I would make differently. Maybe one of them would be to go with all one brand of source and electronics.