System Synergy

I always thought separates (power amp & pre) were the way to go and went through agony trying to get a good match, although integrateds always appealed to me as well if one could live with a passive linestage because the issue of matching pre and power amp would be gone. Also integrateds have the advantages of hard wiring over IC's. My current amp is an HK990 which has an active line stage and an adjustable gain feature which is intended match the outputs of various sources but which can be used to match pre and power amp without any apparent degradation in sound quality. It is an answer to one aspect of system synergy although I don't know of any other integrateds that feature this. The integrated would have to have an active line stage in order to achieve the adjustable gain.

Another major factor would be matching amp to speakers so that the amp would have enough damping ability to control the drivers but not so much that it overdamps causing a thin qquality with loss of bass. Paul Speltz addresses this issue with his autoformers. You can read research conducted on this issue on his website.

This is an interesting question.

I think the closest thing to a "formula" for system synergy is to "work backwards." Start with the room. Match the speakers to it. Then match the amp to the speakers. Then match the source/preamp to the amp. Then match the cables to their respective components. Then assess your need for tweaks. This is an oversimplification, of course, but you get the idea.

As far as what constitutes "matching," that is different for different component pairs. For speaker/room matching, the considerations include things like: Where will the speakers be placed relative to room boundaries? What is the total SPL you hope to achieve? How far from the speakers will you be sitting? Can you place room treatments in the room, if necessary? The answers to these questions can affect your choice of the speaker's transducer type, sensitivity, radiation pattern, frequency extension, etc..

None of this is terribly original, but I think it's sound advice. One thing it leaves out, however, is among the most important considerations for system synergy: What types of music will be played back on the system? IMO, if your hardware isn't designed with your software in mind, you will never be totally happy.

Bryon

System synergy and enjoying the music is certainly what our hobby is all about. It is not just a matter of proper TONAL balance, but instead, discovering what components and cables work well together to compliment each other, our listening preferences, AND our listening rooms. Unfortunately, there is no "magic formula" that we can go by to determine this. There may be a few "rules of thumb" we may discover over the years that may tend to steer us in the right direction, but it is often a personal thing.
I have helped other fellow audiophiles put together systems, assisting them with their quest, and one thing I have learned is that what may sound great to one person, can often sound rather un-pleasing to others. We all have personal preferences as to what we find as either "pleasant sounding" or "correct". Also, people tend to enjoy different types of music as well, and the presentation of that music will also vary. If someone prefers hard rock, and does not have an interest in, say violin or female voice, then one would tend to build a system around that preference. I always try to get a feel for an individuals' musical taste and listening preference before making any suggestions. I would prefer to have them hear a few different systems first, and getting their reactions of what THEY hear as pleasing or not. Even my own taste tends to change from year to year. Beyond "getting started in the right direction", you just have to experiment and let your personal taste be the judge. If the music does not move you emotionally, keep experimenting until it does!

My experience has lead me to believe the best way to go about it is to find speakers that you like, but that also work in your room. Speaker to room matching is the most important thing to get right. Room treatments are critical here.
Then find an amp (integrated in my case, preamp + amp for others) that works well with those speakers.
Then the sources, then cables.

I say this because I've had some really good speakers with some really good amplifiers, but because the speakers didn't work in my room it was all for naught.

Technically it's matching impedances of source -> amp/pre -> speakers.
The general rule is where output impedance is substantially lower than input impedance.