Which cables go with what?????

I disagree 100%.

If you terminate most any cable with the nominal load and source impedances that it would see during normal operation, most all of them will pass signals with phenomenally high levels of linearity. It is the impedances of each component being linked together combined with the electrical characteristics of the cable itself that we hear, not the cable itself. That's why "Cable A" may bomb / sound horrible between the Super Deluxe 2000 and Whiz Bang 1000 but works great between the Whiz Bang 1000 and a Golden Jalopy 1500.

While i do agree that some cables may have a higher DA ( dielectric absorption ) factor, have slightly variable series resistance, varying levels of reactance, etc... most all of them are capable of passing signal without major problems on their own. What makes the big difference is the fact that the terminated and source impedances are changing as both amplitude and frequency are varied. As such, the cables themselves are acting as impedance transformers between the two mating components. How good of a job the cable can do in terms of minimizing the reflections between the two impedances while allowing maximum signal transfer "wins". That is, as far as "system transparency" goes.

Cables that lack this ability ( in a specific source / load combo ) will result in some type of "colouration" being presented. This is due to a greater amount of reflections altering how the signal is transferred and how the circuitry responds to those reflections. Changing either the source or the load component could produce drastically different results.

When all is said and done, it is more a matter of system synergy / circuit stability / personal preference than any other factor. There are no "best" cables because their are no perfect sources or loads. Sean
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boring [adj.]
PRON: /'bOri[ng]/
1. So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness; "a boring evening with uninteresting people"; SYN. deadening, dull, ho-hum, irksome, slow, tedious, tiresome, wearisome.
boringly [adv.]
1. In a tedious manner; "boringly slow work"; SYN. tediously, tiresomely.
boringness [n.]
1. Extreme dullness; SYN. dreariness.
born [adj.]

ultralingua (english vers.)
-cfb

Cornfed:

Boring can sometimes be excellent (Henning Mankell novels for example).

Now if you will, please do "jaded" (which though never excellent, is often entertaining:-).

Bravo Audioengr! Wished I had seen your post sooner. Audioengr has nailed it done! About time someone said this as succinctly as you. I even go so far to say that when shopping for audio gear, not only should one take their own music to audition gear with, but also, and perhaps more important, your own cables! At that, I recommend using the most neutrally, transparent cables you can find. That way you get to hear the gear for what it is and honestly determine whether the piece of gear or system being auditioned fancies your listening preferences. Neutral and transparent cabling takes away the “editorial” issue of most cables.

There are tons of great "sounding" cables out there. They work with well with certain systems to one degree or another. Then, there are some great cables available that work great with virtually any system. These offerings reveal the glorious synergy of well-chosen gear or the weakness’ of poorly designed gear or a miss-matched system. With great “sounding” cables, chasing the rabbit can go on and on and it seems you never quit get to the music. Close, but no genuine cigar. It’s easier to change cables every month to six months than address what may be the real issue…poor gear or system synergy.

With great cables, there is no chase and the result is not “close”, it’s magical. If one has taken the care and time to define their listening preferences and to assemble a system that reflects those values, you find yourself captivated by the music only rather than music that directs your attention to the gear. Personally, I hate listening to gear and wires.

I recently received a comment about how one of our cables revealed a weakness in their analog front end. I thought, “Finally, somebody gets it!” Normally, one would say the cables are at fault. Rather than blame the cabling, this individual was familiar enough with their system to recognize where the real fault was. They now have the opportunity to address the real issue rather than go on chasing the cable rabbit and never really fixing the problem. Bravo to that person!

Kind Regards,
Robert