As im mixing up my system i find my " collection box" of every cable, footer, hard drive, power cord ever made has a eclectic collection of stuff i thought was great at one time, but nothing matchs.
My best RCA is Cardas Clear, my best XLR is AQ and my speaker cable is Kimber.
Do you find that getting the best of whoever you can afford works? Or should I try and match interconnects so streamer to pre match pre to amp OR do you guys try and match mfg from source all the way to speaker?
Thanks!
Just get Stealth and donât worry about it. 
Maybe i could pull off Swift series. It climbs pretty quick from there !
The cables I found benefit the most from the same brand are interconnects. Speaker cables I go with different brand from ICs and found great result. So, I donât believe there is great synergy between the two from what I have tried. Power cables depend on brands. Some brands have HC models and source models and they will have better synergy. However, I like to mix a couple different PCs within that too.
For example, I have one AQ Dragon HC plus two source power cords, and I found I donât need more because I needed a PC with a warmer sound to balance out. When I added a Zenwave PSR-11 cord the sound became richer and more musical. I like the result much better than adding one more Dragon (based on the experience from adding the third Dragon).
Of course, I have not tried an all Stealth cable system, so I donât really know anythingđ
I have never seen, touched or heard a Stealth. Never seen one on TMR. I dont think they are allowed. They are only traded at traffic lights, limo to limo with generous helpings of Gray Poupon !
But the interconnect part you mentioned makes sense. And you bring up power, which i did not even think of. I have a Hurricane for my amp. Everything else is older PS audio stuff.
I think we can agree that cables are passive. They cannot add anything to our systemâs sound. They can only take away.
The sound signatureâor characteristics of any cable is the result of the manufacturerâs designs and materials used.
That leads me to believe that cable synergy, like component synergy, makes sense.
Agreed. Just wondering how far to run with it. Im happy with my Monocle XL speaker cables. Ill probably stay with those. If i were to go full monty on ALL cables id probably do Transparent.
I could find a Cardas xlr. Or look to just go kimber, however that Cardas is nice.
And speaking of synergy where does that end? Or does it. I have had a high end integrated that sounded better than any separates i have had.
Is synergy a factor if I lose my streamer/Dac and pre for a 1 box like a dcs Lina?
Iâve been thinking about this for a while now. The only insight I can bring to the table is what Iâve actually heard in my system with the cables available to me. Iâve heard that the sound of a cable is additive to how many you have in the chain. Use one particular cable in the chain and it affects the overall sound in a minimal way. Add another and its influence increases. Sometimes adding a third can be too much. You can mix different cable brands to tune the overall sound. That being said, these observations are from cables that I can hear difference. If I were using a top tier neutral cable perhaps the best strategy would be to use that one all the way through. Iâm struggling with these issues now because Iâm considering buying a cable that I can afford that is known for a particular sound. The same company makes a much more expensive version thatâs known for its more neutral sound. Would the more affordable cable be a false economy?
For me the most important cable is the ac cable⌠Although all cabling does matter⌠ac seems to bring the biggest bang to the table. Also, the cleaning up of dirty ac line anomalies makes a bigger difference than any cabling in my opinion. Overriding ac line noise just kills the musical flow on any system!
You might have something there
And i always âthoughtâ AC cables would be 2nd to interconnects. However depending upon your power, maybe not.
I have always had a âdo no harmâ philosophy but maybe that should be upgraded to âdo as much good as reasonable given system and resourcesâ
I ran a dedicated circuit. Amp gets a Hurricane cable. Everyone else gets my older PSA stuff.
It just occured to me as i prep to try this pre, i got a cornucopia of cables with no real strategy or goal. As i get closer to a long term system, maybe that is something to address. Interesting seeing how others prioritize and address the issue
Regarding cables, this one statement strikes a chord with me. If one truly is seeking neutrality and has discovered it with a particular cable it makes sense to pursue options within that line that maintains that aspect. The trick part is how one defines neutrality. For these ears regarding neutrality it comes down to it in this order:
timbral
temporal
system synergy
noise rejection
I wish I could recover the money that I lost over the years on less expensive but marginally or not at all effective cables.
The day we learn how much our cables are taking away it can be quite shocking. Iâve experienced it and it wasnât subtle. By taking less away added so much to my systems sound! Lol
For me power cables are last place.
First place is interconnects, with the most important between the DAC and the preamp or amplifier if you donât use a preamp. Second would be source to preamp cables. Third preamp to amp.
Second place is speaker cables.
Third place is digital cables.
Coming in last is power cables.
I donât believe in synergy which is odd as all my cables are one brand.
Cost is a major factor. Trying to find a transparent cable in the under $2K price range is a waste of time and money. Some are going to be better than others but the differences are largely imaginary.
Sad but true. Choose wisely. Spend wisely. LaterâŚchoose again. Spend again. Never ends.
But, weâre happy (er), right?
Got to agree with Alâs Hierarchy of Cable Evaluations. Seems like the cable that is closest to the source has the greatest impact. Alâs second Rule of Cable Diminishing Returns, is that you have to spend logarithmically to obtain significant improvements. Both true. Both sad.
That is just sad, so sad to hearđ˘
Never thought possible but I experienced a cable that is able to bring a component like improvement (not a difference, an improvement I mean!).
And the cost is also at a component level, sadly!
I agree with all but I believe the power cable supplying the power source has to be higher than digital cables possibly equal to the speaker cables. I will be switching out power cables on the P20 and I will verify this soon enough again. If the power cable lacks on your regenerator, power purifier, or what ever your system components are plugged into it will affect everything connected in a negative way.
I wish this wasnât true because it makes no sense.