Which cables go with what?????


I never fails to amaze me, the questions people ask on this forum, always trying to find some synergy between cables and their components/speakers.

The fact is: there are two classes of cables:
1) Those that are neutral
2) Those that impose a sonic signature (tone controls of a sort)

If the average audiophile spent his time trying to weed-out the tone control cables and get some neutral cables, then all that would be left is to determine the right synergy between his or her components. This may mean elimination of an offensive component, as painful as that sounds.

Component synergy is real. Amps and speaker combinations definitely need to be selected carefully. In some cases also preamp-amp synergies are important. If you are using tubes, then there are even more compatibility issues. But cables, forget it. If you are trying to compensate for a poor component or speaker design by using tone control cables, you will probably never be happy and likely compromise the sound of the other components in the process. You will certainly never approach a live or "master-tape" sound. There, that's my editorial. Hopefully some will learn from it.
audioengr
Audioengr's original post and replies to it like Sean's constitute what I think is an interesting and important question.

As an engineer, I'm well aware that the putting together of optimized systems is normally done by a design team that would never dream of leaving it to an untutored end user to shape through mix and match.

As stated already in this thread, audiophiles usually match gear on sound and much audio gear is designed according to idiosyncratic engineering principles, therefore the end result is that the connecting cables become a battleground for the subtle mismatch of electronic parameters, as in Sean's detailed reactive loading description.

Audioengr's original argument is that IF you match components well enough, including with tubed systems, that it is at least possible to get the cable influence out of the equation. Obviously cables need to be as well designed as possible (re S23chang) but the HUGE dependency of system sound on cable parameters can be avoided - unless you give up and admit that your goal is not to optimize the accuracy of sound reproduction but just to color the whole system according to your own whims ..make that..tastes.

Personally I think this is a goal worth working for (if achievable). The way forward would involve manufacturers taking a substantially more active position in determining system match for their own components and in publishing those data. Audiophiles can hardly be expected to do it, and nothing will happen when everyone insists that 'its all a matter of taste'.
System synergy is dung? What about impedance matching between pre and power amp, between power amps and speakers, between speakers and rooms, etc.. I'm with Sean on this one, though I see Audio Engineers point. With out uniform standards, we need to find synergy.
lemme@lone wrote:
"if a 15 foot run of cable can be readily had from Empirical, why does everyone else have so much trouble making a standard 3 footer that should have 5 times less 'signature'"

The answer is simple. Most manufacturers of cable do not have a clue about the physics. It helps to have almost 30 years experience doing hardware engineering design. I have been researching cables specifically for almost ten years, including computer simulations of IC's and speaker cables. These really help one understand the physics without the need to build hundreds of prototypes. It eliminates much of the trial-and-error. If you see a manufacturer of cables that uses a similar design for IC's and speaker cables, this is the first indication that they don't have a clue....
"Audioengr starts the thread knowing full well it will serve as a promotional vehicle for his product."

Bullshit - It just irks me how many audiophiles believe this nonsense. I read hundreds of posts like:
"what speaker cables will sound good with my B&W 803's?"

I just want to dispell these notions, that's all.