I’ve read here and there that it’s best to use all cables from the same manufacturer in a system. I’ve never wanted to spend the money to replace all my interconnects and power cords at once. I’m curious if anyone has done this and what the results were. I have a bunch of different stuff at the moment. FWIW, I have heard a difference when using better cables, but I don’t want to spend the money for the very top of the line AudioQuest, Shunyata, etc.
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In my main system I have been using PS Audio AC-12 cabling in all components. Took me several years to grab them all (mostly used) and I am VERY happy with the incrementally improved sound as I have assembled them all. I’ve changed a cable here and there–and heard the changes . . . but the AC-12 goes back in. I think there may be something to having a loom of all the same cables. My RCA and XLR cabling is all VooDoo Cable Stradivarius and that too seems to be a case where a loom of the same cabling is a boon.
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Hey magister…
Some years back Nordost had 30% off anniversary sale. After having tried
a Red Dawn 1.5 meter xlr Oppo 205 to W4S Stage 2 preamp I was very much
impressed and went for the whole loom …from preamp to power amp plus
speaker cables…All Red Dawn series from Nordost.
Could not be happier.
Best Wishes
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I’ve done this. I’ve been a big fan of Kimber Kable for nearly 30 years. I still use them in my living room system. But in the last couple of years I finally tried Iconoclast cables by Belden ( assembled and sold by Blue Jeans Cables) and found even their lower cost BAV interconnects to be superior to the Kimber PBJs I have used forever. Then I tried their newer Series 2 speaker cables and again found them superior to the 4TC I had been using.
I’ve also replaced several of my power cables all at once by buying a spool of a particular kind of 12awg cable and cutting and terminating them myself. While I’ve heard differences in interconnects and speaker cables, I have struggled to hear differences in power cables. That is until I got this spool. For whatever reason using the same 12awg cables throughout my system made a stunning improvement in my noise floor. My system just is dead quiet. It wasn’t noticeably noisy before but it just seemed even more quiet after. Then again maybe it’s all in my head. 
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I’m using all Audioquest cables except 1 USB and a pair of XLR’s from the AAngen collection thank you very much @aangen. If I had to start from scratch maybe I’d go Inakustik. I almost forgot I have a reference Gryphon power cable also from Al!
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In my case, the interconnects & speaker cables come from Townshend, a company that does not manufacture power cords. Power cords come from AudioQuest and Synergistic Research. I rotated the cables around to find the right match for each component. Works for me.
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I used to have assorted brands of cables and power cords for all components. In the past couple of years, I have replaced all interconnectors with Iconoclasts UPOCC XLRs. The first pair sounded great, but the second pair improved the SQ MORE than the first pair! They enhanced each other’s performance.
I started with AQ Dragon HC to power the P15, it is still the one cord that improved SQ the most. I liked it so much that I added another Dragon Source to DS (now MK2), it again improved the SQ, but at 80% ratio compared to that of Dragon HC. I recently added one more Dragon Source to BHK pre. It brought more of the signature sound (smoothness, quietness, and silky treble) to the system, but at 50% ratio of improvement, I felt.
My point is if you like the sound of one brand, adding more is always a good idea because you will get more of what you like. Mixing cable is always hit-and-miss, and I had a few highly rated cables/cords from the past that just did not like each other.
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AQ power cords…Dragon for PST, BHK, MK2, P20 / Hurricane for BHK 600’s. Iconoclast UPOCC XLR’s,
SPTPC Series 1 and 2 for speaker. They all seem nice. Can’t attest that all-the-same or mix-and-match is best. It might be a “foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” but my little brain says I like it.
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Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. It does seem that there can be (in some systems, with certain components, at least) something to the idea of using all one brand. @rob-c, that is a fascinating story about the homemade power cables! @dchang05 , your experience with gradually adding more from the same company makes sense, and I will try some moves in that direction.
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I concur that there is a positive additive effect with each additional power cord as @dchang05 notes.
Greatest bump on the source components and regenerator. Less so with amps.
I choose to use all the same brand.
When I listen to my electronic music vinyl it sounds even better.
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Much of what we talk about throughout this forum are things that produce incremental gains.
I choose to use cables from one mfr and their top level. I think I can hear and feel the improvements.
But i wouldn’t lose sleep over having a mixture of high performance cables in my system—which I’d bet most folks do.
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Mine is an actual carnival of colors and brands - PS Audio, Wireworld, Furutech, Purist, the speaker cables I actually made of Purist/WBT ends of the Lapp Kabel Ollflexes.
With proper medication that might work.
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It’s best for your chosen manufacturer and dealer.
There are many manufacturers that make identical cables, for example there must be a dozen or more who will supply a balanced cable using Canare or Neglex 2534 and Neutrik gold plated plugs. However, those manufacturers will likely make a range of different balanced cables.
I recently bought two pairs of balanced cables. I chose the design I wanted and got them made up by a reputable cable-maker. There is an identical cable by AudioQuest that costs just under 5 times the price.
I’ve no doubt that cables are a massive branding exercise and that’s what you pay for. If two cables are identical, the fact that they have a different brand name and price tag isn’t going to make a difference.
If possible, make more experiments with different cables in your system at your home and let your ears judge.
Having done that and thank to recommendation of a few members here on PS forum, I found that in my case the fool loom route is preferable. AQ Dragon for power cords (a really cumulative effect), Iconoclast for XLR interconnects.
Digital cables IMO have more variables to consider, haven’t yet found a single brand for all types: HDMI, Ethernet, USB and AES/EBU. Each one might have its own best manufacturer, so here I’m still mixing and matching.
Regenerators and/or power conditioners seems to be more sensitive to power cables, I’m testing the Puritan and it is usually used with a pretty odd power cord of the same manufacturer.
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