Hi all, I had read some posts on this , in some other threads , but never a thread discussion on this topic. Some said boxes of the same make delivers best synergy across, so do cables .. what’s your experience/thoughts on this..
let’s have a friendly discussion and real life experiences on how this synergy works or it doesn’t .
Please share your views 
, and please no attacks here… let’s go
I’m not sure a single brand end-to-end gives you absolute synergy so much as a shortcut to an assured degree of compatibility and performance.
Straying from that puts appreciably more effort on the consumer and risk in terms of trial and error. You may mix and match and I am sure achieve better results, but you equally may fail and achieve worse results. Certainly more trial and effort is involved and therefore time and expense. Not something I have the slightest patience for.
So no, it doesn’t offer assured maximum synergy at all, merely an assured and known level of performance.
I remember one occasion where wallet in hand I drove 50 miles to buy some B&W speakers, to go with my Naim 200 series, I took my favourite CDs and was totally underwhelmed
Synergy was non- existent, my wallet stayed in my pocket.
Alternatively I remember a BlueSound Node and Chord Qutest where there was serious synergy
As a concept synergy should not work but in practice it can be very obvious.
Ian
Ultimate synergy? A one box option: ghetto blaster; music centre; Muso. My audio quest has taken me from multiple brand systems to increasingly single brand. The comfort of knowing it all works together, the visual acuity of design, and the financial security of not taking a punt on some esoteric experiment, combined with a sonic signature I like, and ongoing support and service (fingers crossed!), is irresistible.
When we /I visit retails and visit hifi show, mostly all are using the same make cables throughout, is it more for commercial purposes or does it assume synergy is there using same makes ? And mostly the retailers / exhibitors won’t happen gives you an honest answers to that 
And if one notice, boxes are mixed from different makes but not cables ..
@Emrah .. your doubts too???
And , how one define synergy in HiFI ? Any enlightenment? Oh yes, not forgetting , room also plays a part in this too
Synergy is not just about things working together, it’s very specifically about a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In terms of hifi I’m not sure exactly how it can be demonstrated that a system has synergy, over and above working well together. For years I had a classic Linn/Naim system and then for even more years I had an all Naim setup. Did they have synergy or just work well together? I don’t really know and at the end of the day it probably doesn’t matter.
I’d be interested to read @naimophile ’s take on this. As the thread starter they must surely have a view.
I also trying to find answers to it .. and the members thoughts on this.. and absorb and discuss and learn from it..
but.. in short , lately, 3 weeks ago, I retired the hybrid naim power line w NCF 50 to complete my nordost loom.. 2 different sound just w 2 power cords out of the rest of the cables. I was wow.. ok 10% of overall can have a big different . And in the end , the full loom sounded more pleasing to me . The stuck effect of the retired cables was gone. And now it’s more coherent, smoother, lightning fast (that’s what the makes I have are known for) and pleasing to the ears.. now it’s almost 250 hrs running in , and it sounds more “family”
With naim house sound been very distinctive.
I don’t know, maybe it’s called synergy altogether ? I would believe it is.
Maybe synergy is the signature / house sound of a make that do not change when doing pairing , be it boxes or cables of even blocks and switches
Synergy to me in HiFI , is to bring individual component /accessories to their fullest , without altering any of their signature house sound , and altogether brings out the fullest potential in the most harmonious way.
It makes sense that using products from the same manufacturer is more likely to sound right than using products from different manufacturers that have nothing to do with one another.
Never even tried to mix pre/power amps from different manufacturers. At times it took a while to get the right balance when using the same manufacturer. I now favour products from the same era, or ideally, products originally developed for one another.
One set of thoughts on the matter: pre amps and power amps and streaming pre amps and power amps are developed together, with the company’s interconnect (how many times, in these threads, have people expressed a preference for Naim’s own connectors in this situation?). This implies synergy. However, this does not mean that you cannot get synergy by mixing and matching.
Thanks for starting this thread @naimophile
I can understand the notion of synergy with components. But where I really struggle is the claim often made by manufacturers that power cables and interconnects also create synergy when combined within the brand… the “full loom” idea.
This does not make much sense to me because the difference between cables within a brands hierarchy is substantial. They have to be. The conductors are and their combination is certainly very very different when you compare entry level and high end cables within a brand.
So how can there be more synergy within one brand than across brands?
What is the substance behind the notion that companies use some unique technology that transcends the difference in conductors and filters as a source for creating synergy in a full loom.
I find the concept of synergy very difficult to understand and achieve. I don’t see why synergy could only be achieved when using components and cables from one manufacturer. As an example: I have tried NACA5 cables with my Naim equipment a couple of times and it just does not do it for me.
Their may be brand synergy, visual synergy, price level synergy etc. etc. In the end, I don’t care as long as it sound nice to my ears.
@naimophile My limited take on synergy is around the boxes. My first Naim system was based on the HDX as the front end feeding into 252/SC/300/PS. I really enjoyed the system, the ability to build up the music library on the HDX and the overall sound.
When the motherboard on the HDX failed, I changed out to the Innuos Zenith mk3 with the Chord Qutest DAC. There was a noticeable SQ improvement. More recently changing the Chord Qutest to the Holo Audio May KTE has led to another step up in the SQ.
So from my perspective it is possible to improve SQ without all boxes being from one company. However the heart of my system is definitely all Naim. One more point, due to location I have not been able to listen to how a Naim Streamer/DAC would compare to my current setup.
I think synergy may well be more important with electronics than it is with peripherals like cables/interconnects and network apparatus. I think it is reasonable to assume a company selling sources/preamp/power amps will have designed them to work well together. Doesn’t mean that has to be what you buy but surely a good place to start.
Not all manufacturers actually sell all the other bits and bobs anyway, or make specific recommendations regarding them
Bruce
This may help answer your concerns?
I spoke w the cable makes I use and he did mentioned about using the same series or something like that.. the manufacturer
will have the same material or a base set to start with when they are making the cables and from there they will upscale to higher series using the same tech and configurations etc, by/and adding more nos or more tech as the series goes upwards to achieve higher tiers .
As same technology and materials are used
throughout, the synergy will be achieved..
I did some demo w full loom and taking out one cable to test on the so call synergy , there is a different and the sound just break off and you don’t hear the synergy sound . So synergy is there when work on a full loom.
Synergy doesn’t always mean that you love the sound or you don’t like the sound, it’s more on to find out how well they work together as a full loom.
You may want to try it yourself one day and good to know your findings ..and share your thoughts with us 
Surely your boxes need to match also? This whole full loom cable synergy just seems like manufacturers spiel to reel in the easily lead amongst us.
Yes definitely… putting all organs (boxes) together and get the best veins to pair w the boxes that can make them work well altogether. Best direct need to be expensive , expensive doesn’t mean it will work out well
I do not think that 'speaker cables form part of a synnergistic loom. Simply put, although ICs will be a standard length, our rooms will demand that this is not the case with 'speaker cables.
Yup.. and therefore understanding the room is also important, although we may not get 100 a cool listening room, but tweaks are there for us to experiment and adjust .. eg when we have all equipments , toeing /placement of speakers can help in a cheaper way.. sometimes when we gain something, we may lose something too.
I personally think it solely depends on the design.
Wooden play blocks are free to go together even though the blocks look alike, don’t mind mixing with plastic toys and could be great fun.
Lego are play blocks as well, but the interlocking feature is obviously telling you it works as a system. Follow the instructions and you will have a designated result. (and few alternative options)
Of course one can always use glue to hard-wire their bricks but fellow Lego lovers will always suggest more elegant solutions.
As many said your system your choice.
