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Double your pleasure with same cable throughout?


Howdy sports fans,

I’m a bit aprehensive and certainly more than a little confused about recent events and would really appreciate some insights from those who have done a likewise effort…. I'm talking about runing SAME BRAND and/or brand & model IC throughout a system. As to culminate this venture by so doing, will be a fairly costly thing and thus delay my finishing things up with my sys…. though I'd rather a delay than a re-do. Been there, done that, on the re-do thing.

I’ve been in the hunt for a different XLR IC from my preamp to amp lately. I found something quite interesting during that process. After (and still), trying several previously ‘untried’ brands in that spot, along with some of the same brand/model, as was/is already exsisting upstream, I’ve thus far found that the EXACT same brand as the source to preamp cable provides the greatest enhancement. The same brand & model, even more so…

Is this common?

Perhaps much of the ‘cabling’ going on in the majority of systems I see here at Audiogone in the various posted systems is a ‘cost’ driven exorcise. Can’t say for sure… and perhaps not, though surely it would be understandable were it so. Given the results, which really speak for themselves, I fail to understand Why then, aren’t more systems running the same brand IC and/or even the same model IC, as wel throughout a system?

Using a MIT Mag 3 on my source, and inserting another MIT offering between pre & amp, remarkable improvements were realized. First was the Shotgun S2, and following it, a Mag 3…. I stopped there as info I gained about which level of IC should be put where seems to indicate the source IC should be of a higher level than the pre to amp IC... or the same, but no further up than the upstream IC as a general rule.

Is this simply a thing MIT has going for themselves? Would even greater positive attributes be realized by adding MIT speaker wires too? Or maybe that’s too much of a good thing?

Or is this just a fluke?

I’m still looking and have a few more items to review before making my choice… but it’s getting closer to ‘buying time’ and I thought I’d ask those in the know… still I want to try both Synergistic REs Ref, and Nirvana SX & SL, as well before deciding. Other cables I've put in have been from decent to outstanding, for the most part thus far, but 'same same' sure has the edge right now.

SURE DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND INFO…
blindjim
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,157 posts
 
As a general rule of thumb that may or may not apply to your specific situation or taste and obviously subject to exceptions to the rule, if you want to fret over cables and spend massive amounts of time optimizing your system, then go with different cables throughout your system. If you don't want to spend too much thought and effort and are willing to have your system only reach 99% of its potential, then stay with a single manufacturer.

Seriously, in a perfect world I'd have every wire inside and outside every component made by the same manufacturer.
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,299 posts
 
Going with the same cables through out the system is only good if you are using the Equipment from the same Manufacturer product line.

If not, each Component must stand on its own when it comes to its indivdual Cable needs. Some cables will let your equipment shine others won't.
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 

It’s great to see just how many varied lines of experience here say going with ‘same same’, throughout is fine, and others indicating ‘to each’ their own. Of all the more remarkable and fascinating results I’ve experienced thus far after sampling a fair number of ‘wire’, there is definitely that ‘mystical’ mix that generates a truly special additive character to the systems performance. Finding wires that ‘work well with others’ is a must. Keeping to one or two manufacturers in the power cord arena is a worthwhile avenue to follow IMO. in my case Shunyata and VooDoo do very well together there.

Co-incidentally, MIT and Synergistic also working in tandem provide excellent results… with Synergistic having the edge in sheer numbers in the signal carrying department of my rig.

AS the last poster promoted , I predominately have my system two thirds the same. (a fluke, not an intention) in almost every area. So that might be the reason behind the reason… but in fact I just don’t know really. Just sort of worked out that way. I have found it a safe bet to go with something in the brand already at the party than to start chasing about without a clue.

If there is an explanation for additive benefit, subjectively determined or not, the thing that comes to mind is the ‘phase’ relationship of the wires themselves, or the sourcing of the ore itself. There could not have been the same impedance matching, given such dissimilar pieces… so phase stands out as my main suspect. Yeah, I know everyone is attempting to make everything in proper relationship to phase. I wonder. With inductance, resistance, impedance, and capacitance all integral, and inherent dissimilarly valued elements of cable production, there is no established standard for them from maker to maker.

What ever it is I will give the “Closer matched” award to models from the same maker… and it might be simpler… as the sourcing of the materials or method by which they are processed... beats me, but somehow it just makes sense to me.

Lastly, as significant as was the acquisitiohn of the IC I chose, so did I find just how much change to the tonal set, and sound field itself, can be had by making minor changes in structure, setup, dampning and isolating components… but that’s a subject for another time. IN any case I’ve found there truly is something to the ‘same same’ approach. Given, I’ve two separate systems; I put what I could from one into the other, and each time the results of likewise cords for example, provided cohesive and homogenous results in performance, and elevated quality of sound. Things were simply more musical. Regardless the system using the wires. .. but then it’s probably just me. However it shakes out for you and your rig, I will remain a proponent of using as much of the same cabling as I can, till that tact disproves itself… or I’m forced by ‘price’ to look elsewhere. Last I checked, price does matter… at some point… and I think I’m getting the point lately.
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