What About Loom Theory?

Thanks Al. I always read your posts with interest.

Having experimented with numerous cables for years,Tara, Kimber, Stealth, Nordost, Shunyata, Audioquest and others as mix and match and otherwise, I am a firm believer in the loom theory. Every cable has a character. Some provide better leading edge, some better tone, some lusher mids, some fuller bass, others more impactful bass, etc. As there is no perfectly neutral component, there is no perfect cable. Among the above brands, there are no slackers and none with any major weaknesses that I've heard. But for my system, there was one that I preferred as a complement to the sound of my components. Whenever I inject another brand in the mix it interferes with the overall sound that I'm after. Now-- if a source component needs a boost in one area or a little bit of tempering on another (e.g.-high end too brittle or too prominent), I have, in the past, put the appropriate cable in that spot. But for me the better solution is to gather the components that best provide the sound you seek and then wire the system with a loom that does no harm to or complements that sound. This goes for cables. I have not experimented with power cords in the same way so I cannot say that they form an essential part of the loom.
Others may decide to color each component. I guess I just don't have the patience for that.

Like anything else in audio, the only way to know if it works for you is to try it.
Listen to a loom that you think might work and then try to change a few cables here or there and see what it does to the overall sound.
The loom theory works for me----and my loom is not Nordost.

Onhwy61
I have no experience with the loom theory as it applies to digital cables or pcs---only with interconnects and speaker cables. You make a valid point in that some manufacturers are known for their preamps, others for their amps, others for a source and many of us mix and match components. Once the sound of the component combo worked for me (and the system is only as good as the weakest link at this point), that's when I try to preserve/maximize its strengths and minimize its weaknesses with a single loom. This will not work for everyone--but it sure is easy and it did work for me. The only area where I thought of varying was the ic between source and pre and that's because I am not completely satisfied with the sound of my cdp. But no cable preserved its clarity while providing better heft. I tried other cdps which did give me what I was seeking. I will eventually upgrade my source to one of those--- a Wadia, MSB or ARC source, but for now I'm ok with my BelCanto and my loom.

Hi Al:
The principles you refer to are unassailable and indeed important variables in cable selection. One other principle that my ears taught me over the years is that a Nordost cable has a different sound than a Cardas cable and, absent an extreme mismatch, that sound will be consistently audible with a large variety of different components.