Why do cables from the same manufacturer work as a system?

[caesar]

Does anyone know why cables from the same company sound as one piece? Or is it a myth?

 

[Speedskater]

At the least, it's an exaggeration.

 

[JackD201]

I've found that having different lines from the same manufacturer is as much a crap shoot as having stuff from different manufacturers. I much prefer just staying within the same line. I guess it is because they share the same metallurgy and geometry. With this I'm referring more to interconnects. I find SCs less obvious since I'm required to tri-wire and have short runs. Far cry from running 12m ICs from pre to amps

 

[DaveC]

I've found that having different lines from the same manufacturer is as much a crap shoot as having stuff from different manufacturers. I much prefer just staying within the same line. I guess it is because they share the same metallurgy and geometry. With this I'm referring more to interconnects. I find SCs less obvious since I'm required to tri-wire and have short runs. Far cry from running 12m ICs from pre to amps

Yup, it can be a crapshoot as far as combining different IC cables and imo it is the metallurgy. SCs can be included but not always as the SC has much more variable conditions vs ICs from system to system and the results are less predictable.

 

[Speedskater]

On second thought, it's a myth.
Excluding cables that have build-in EQ networks, the best cables should sound like zero length cables. So if a cable or group of cables sounds different than an infinitely short cable it can almost always be traced to noise (including hum & buzz), interference, ringing or oscillation.

 

[rockitman]

I think there is something to be said about the loom approach...all cables from the same manufacturer and model line. I follow this approach for my first string gear.

 

[DaveC]

On second thought, it's a myth.
Excluding cables that have build-in EQ networks, the best cables should sound like zero length cables. So if a cable or group of cables sounds different than an infinitely short cable it can almost always be traced to noise (including hum & buzz), interference, ringing or oscillation.

On third thought, you have no clue and no actual experience.

 

[microstrip]

I agree with Jack - you should keep the same line and manufacturer to maximize the system performance. If it does not sound like you want try another complete set.

I find fantastic how sometimes a manufacturer can have a similar sonic signature in the IC, speaker and power cable of the same line using similar technological approaches - they work in completely different bandwidths!

 

[DaveC]

I agree with Jack - you should keep the same line and manufacturer to maximize the system performance. If it does not sound like you want try another complete set.

I find fantastic how sometimes a manufacturer can have a similar sonic signature in the IC, speaker and power cable of the same line using similar technological approaches - they work in completely different bandwidths!

Yeah, they really do... but wrt "same line" that may or may not be true depending on the wire used. If the different lines are made using the same type of wire there should be no issues. For example, all the UPOCC wire manufactured by Neotech has a very similar character whether it's UPOCC copper, silver or silver/gold alloy... they all have a very similar characteristics and they will all work well together. If the wire used in different lines is very different though, then it may not be a good idea to use cables from different lines... it's all in the metallurgy.

 

[LL21]

I agree with Jack - you should keep the same line and manufacturer to maximize the system performance. If it does not sound like you want try another complete set.

I find fantastic how sometimes a manufacturer can have a similar sonic signature in the IC, speaker and power cable of the same line using similar technological approaches - they work in completely different bandwidths!

Hi Micro...for you, does this 'uniform/single manufacturer approach' include not only signal but also power cables? I have always enjoyed TA ICs and SCs, and having tried a few others, i still liked TA so i have stuck with them across IC and SC. For some reason, i did not have as good an experience with TA power cables in comparison to my preferred Purist Audio Dominus and later generation PAD cables which i still use today.

 

[JackD201]

On second thought, it's a myth.
Excluding cables that have build-in EQ networks, the best cables should sound like zero length cables. So if a cable or group of cables sounds different than an infinitely short cable it can almost always be traced to noise (including hum & buzz), interference, ringing or oscillation.

They should but they don't. Cables are subject to the laws of physics like anything else. Effects of resistance and capacitance on signal transmission has been long documented as are their characteristics at varying lengths. If you find them "perfect cables" do let us know. I know of none that exists.

 

[microstrip]

Hi Micro...for you, does this 'uniform/single manufacturer approach' include not only signal but also power cables? I have always enjoyed TA ICs and SCs, and having tried a few others, i still liked TA so i have stuck with them across IC and SC. For some reason, i did not have as good an experience with TA power cables in comparison to my preferred Purist Audio Dominus and later generation PAD cables which i still use today.

Lloyd,

For a few weeks I hosted a complete set of the top Transparent Power cables with the Power Isolator MM2. The system sounded really great, better than any others I tried with the Opus set. The strong points were bass delineation, energy and a superior sense of absence of stress.

For the moment I still keep one single TA MM2 power cable just for my conrad johnson premier 350 - the already great sounding amplifier jumped to another class with this power cable.

 

[LL21]

Lloyd,

For a few weeks I hosted a complete set of the top Transparent Power cables with the Power Isolator MM2. The system sounded really great, better than any others I tried with the Opus set. The strong points were bass delineation, energy and a superior sense of absence of stress.

For the moment I still keep one single TA MM2 power cable just for my conrad johnson premier 350 - the already great sounding amplifier jumped to another class with this power cable.

Great stuff Micro, and the description is extremely consistent (as you already know well) with the TA signal cables (IC/SC). Will keep that in mind.

 

[witchdoctor]

Hi Micro...for you, does this 'uniform/single manufacturer approach' include not only signal but also power cables? I have always enjoyed TA ICs and SCs, and having tried a few others, i still liked TA so i have stuck with them across IC and SC. For some reason, i did not have as good an experience with TA power cables in comparison to my preferred Purist Audio Dominus and later generation PAD cables which i still use today.

In my HT I have power cables from one vendor and interconnects from another vendor. It sounds good but if I were to do it again I would probably go 100% with one brand.

 

[LL21]

In my HT I have power cables from one vendor and interconnects from another vendor. It sounds good but if I were to do it again I would probably go 100% with one brand.

Good to know. thanks. I suppose i too could go back and rework the whole system again, but in fairness, it has taken so many years to picking and choosing to get to the sound i like with my own priorities, i strongly suspect, i might just be forcing a complete rebalancing again. With the new room, we are still working on rebalancing to keep the clear advantages of the new room...while trying to recapturing just 1 remaining element we used to have (power of midrange attack...ie the 'strike' of piano keys and the 'vibration of strings' from well recorded massed strings'

 

[witchdoctor]

Good to know. thanks. I suppose i too could go back and rework the whole system again, but in fairness, it has taken so many years to picking and choosing to get to the sound i like with my own priorities, i strongly suspect, i might just be forcing a complete rebalancing again. With the new room, we are still working on rebalancing to keep the clear advantages of the new room...while trying to recapturing just 1 remaining element we used to have (power of midrange attack...ie the 'strike' of piano keys and the 'vibration of strings' from well recorded massed strings'

In my system if there was one cable that made the biggest difference with the strike of a piano key and the air around acoustic instruments it is the digital cable. It impacts everything downstream and if you lose the information at the source (or right after the source) you can't get it back.

 

[thedudeabides]

Interesting thread.

I just posted in the Shunyata Research section on prioritizing the purchase of three new PC's.

I'm going "all in" on SR. One of the few companies that I'm aware of that tries to objectively describe reasons for the subjective reaction. Already have SR IC's and PLC in my system.

Not to criticize other wire manufacturers but I personally find that very refreshing.

And I do believe there is the synergy phenomena if one chooses this approach.

 

[BlueFox]

Interesting thread.

I just posted in the Shunyata Research section on prioritizing the purchase of three new PC's.

I'm going "all in" on SR. One of the few companies that I'm aware of that tries to objectively describe reasons for the subjective reaction. Already have SR IC's and PLC in my system.

Good call. Their cables bring out the best from your gear, and at a reasonable price.

 

[bonzo75]

Good to know. thanks. I suppose i too could go back and rework the whole system again, but in fairness, it has taken so many years to picking and choosing to get to the sound i like with my own priorities, i strongly suspect, i might just be forcing a complete rebalancing again. With the new room, we are still working on rebalancing to keep the clear advantages of the new room...while trying to recapturing just 1 remaining element we used to have (power of midrange attack...ie the 'strike' of piano keys and the 'vibration of strings' from well recorded massed strings'

Just to understand, you lost these two things you had due to change in room, but with the same gear?

 

[GuillaumeB]

Hi Micro...for you, does this 'uniform/single manufacturer approach' include not only signal but also power cables? I have always enjoyed TA ICs and SCs, and having tried a few others, i still liked TA so i have stuck with them across IC and SC. For some reason, i did not have as good an experience with TA power cables in comparison to my preferred Purist Audio Dominus and later generation PAD cables which i still use today.

Interesting. For what it's worth and this is just another subjective and system-dependent view, I recently auditioned a pair of the new TA Opus power cables. In short I didn't get on with them.

I had thought that given my system is pretty much TA loom throughout (Ref XL Gen 5 speaker cables, and Ref XL digital cables) that there might be a nice synergy thing.

Instead I lost a lot of bottom end poise (sorry not a great description but that is the best way I can think of describing it), despite the impression that the soundstage had opened up a little, an effect that wasn't unpleasant at first.

So I stayed with my trusted Entreq Atlantis mains cables, which just seemed calmer and better grounded (pun not intended!!) with much better textured bass. But it was the poise that really jumped out at me. I am yet to find a mains cable that comes close to it, mind you I haven't tried that many!

Guillaume