combining different cables

I've went both ways on this and find that there is synergy using one manufacture. While it is hard to imagine that every type of cable that a company makes ie,. analog, digital, power will be as good when you think about it if you like there interconnect cables and they sound good with your equipment then you would / could expect that thier speaker cables will sound good also. Not to be confused with whether there are other brands that will sound better. I have been caution not to mix metalurgy, meaning copper with silver because of the different properties effecting the transfer rate which I believe is just resistance. In any event you have to listen to different cables in your system and if they provide the sound that you want then why worry about it IMHO.

Ps: I use to mix silver interconnects with copper speaker cables which my dealer advised against. So I went to all silver and I honestly think that the silver / copper setup provided a fuller sound in my system. lesson learned trust your ears not what you hear or read.

I've tried using the same interconnects and speaker cables from several manufacturers, and have had the same result with all except one: too much of a good thing. All cables inject some chararcter (or "color") on the sound. I find that if I insert company X's interconnect I may really like what it does to the sound, but when I add company X's speaker cables on top of the interconnect, I get more of company X's signature on my system than I want.

I suspect, but have not heard for myself, that if you get in the stratosphere of cables they become neutral enough that the "too much of a good thing" phenomenon wouldn't occur. I'm not willing to spend quite that much money on cables, though.

Note I'm only talking about speaker cables and interconnects. Power cords are "a whole other" subject of discussion and debate.

I would recommend someone new to this hobby to buy the basic cables from a single manufacturer just so they could establish a base listening reference from which they could upgrade or change from depending on the move they decided to make.

If I knew the person, was familiar with their system and knew their tastes and intentions, I might recommend a scheme of cables from different companies.

Personally, I've gone back and forth between using a uniform configuration, then readjusting to a hodgepodge of different brands in order to push the presentation in one direction or another.

No set rules here, as long as you don't buy all pink cables, heheh!

In practice, I always used cable and speaker wire from one manufacturer. But, I have learned that system matching of the electronic components may not always be optimized by the same brand of cable. For example, I am using a one half meter Monster Sigma Retro Gold interconnect between my EAD 2000 CD player and EAR 859 SE integrated. This is magic, but while the Sigma speaker cables provide a big soundstage, the loose detail. I have a simple 10' pair of Kimber 4TC speaker cables, and the system just blooms and also has the necessary detail. If I change the interconnect to a one meter pair of Sigma Retro Gold cables, I loose some of the transparency!

The main thing with cables is not to pay attention to the price tags but to what your ears are telling you. Its great if you make a big dollar investment and it yields great results...but recently, I have been disappointed with a pair of Audio Note Lexus cables...overpriced and over hyped for my system. It is all about synergy within the components that you are using, so don't be afraid to experiment! Also, as a Marketing Executive, I have knowledge of how positioning of products and bells and whistles may not be as additive as you might believe they are when you are deciding to shell out the additional $1K for step ups. Best bet, listen to the cables in your system, when you can relax, using CDs or records that you know well, and go by what your ears are telling you...not a sell sheet, reviewer, or some expert.