I did experiment with a nearly full loom approach last year. I had been very impressed with the cost:performance equation of the Quiescent ethernet cables I have in my system. I added a power cable to my block (changing all the power cables was too much cash), a custom iS2 cable they made for me between my streamer and DAC and their XLRs DAC to amp. All good and I am very happy with the results so I didn’t compare vs anything other than what was there before.
I also liked their speaker cables but the expense was higher so I compared with Hemingway and some pre-owned Tara Labs that were available. The Tara Labs gave easily the best performance- same brand loom synergy did not win out. Do the TL cables have better synergy with my amp & speakers or are they just better cables (price when new suggests they should be)? Who knows, I don’t care.
Synergy is something rarely mentioned these days, which makes this thread all the more interesting. Back in the 70s/80s, synergy was all the rage. The magazines talked about it all the time as I recall. The concept of certain combinations of equipment working not only particularly well together, but of the whole being much greater than the sum of the parts, was well established and accepted. One such obvious example was the Linn LP12 with Naim amplification and either Linn or Naim speakers.
Now many years later, and in the cold light of day, I’m not sure how much real validity the concept has. Sure, certain combinations sound particularly good, but that’s just down to judicious matching of components. As for the whole performing much better than the sum of the parts, I don’t know how one would determine that, or even what it really means. It seems to imply some sort of magic at work.
My take on it now is that synergy, as far as it means certain combinations of equipment performing well together, is as valid today as it’s always been. As far as the whole performing much better than the sum of the parts goes, I think that’s a rather fanciful concept that is really just another way of saying how good it sounds as a combination. I don’t believe there’s any magic going on - just close attention to matching components so that they compliment each other particularly well.
If you look at most audiophile owners of very high end stuff, rare are those who have full loom. First because most top brands are specialised with amps only, or dacs, or speakers.
Then speakers cables don’t need to be of the same brand as interconnects, not speaking of ethernet or power cables.
Full loom sometimes works, as with the Ansuz ecosystem.
But mostly it’s more a commercial advert , to incite buying from the same brand.
Then they are closed brands, as Naim, where a pre goes with the power…
As a graphic system designer I do occasionally receive feedbacks from my customers, number of them are about their ‘clever ways’ to improve my products.
On one hand I’m indeed very happy to see my customers very passionate about my products – they defo love it. But on the other hand, if I have to be honest, most of the ‘clever ways’ are in fact overlook my design intention, and fail to see the product as whole.
good example is, I hired a world famous designer to take part in my project and it costs a fortune for an absolute matching design to work as whole, but customers tend to choose their own way because they prior ‘freedom’ and ‘themselves’ above objective fact.
DIN cables of Naim is also good example, many said it’s marketing but most of them who said don’t even know what’s signal grounding. People just don’t care about shxt these days.
I have a colleague who is running all TAD. TAD Laboratories (Technical Audio Devices) manufactures high-end, audiophile-grade amplifiers. Originating as a professional audio division of Pioneer, they now produce luxury home-audio electronics, including power amplifiers, preamplifiers, and integrated amplifiers. They also makes some of the most highly regarded high-end loudspeakers and professional studio monitors in the audio industry. Originally spun off as a project within Pioneer, they manufactures premium, high-end CD and SACD players that also function as digital-to-analog converters (DACs). They do not offer a stand alone Streamer. They also produce premium speaker cables and interconnect cables to compliment their ultra high end systems.
Since they don’t offer power cords he uses Audio Envy exclusively.
I don’t know, you can draw your own conclusions. Does this qualify as synergy?
For me synergy is when the sum of the parts produce something that the individual components can not. An all Naim system of source to loudspeakers may work very well, but the substitution of any of those components may find a synergy that exceeds the full Naim end to end system. I have found this particularly with using non Naim loudspeakers, and non Naim digital sources. Is that synergy or just my preference? I also say that in terms of HiFi I will continue to beat the drum of the room being part of that synergy.
It’s fascinating that you say this. In my long experience of Naim ownership I found the opposite. I always regarded Naim as a ‘closed system’, with the introduction of any ‘foreign’ components, except for the Linn LP12 or the classis Linn speakers of old, as being highly undesirable.
If you look at it from a different angle, perhaps you’re not designing exactly what people want - reminding me of architects who design houses and win awards based on style, but practicality is sometimes sadly lacking. Design for show or design for use - but whose use, and who is the beholder whose eye needs the beauty?
This is not being critical or in any way dismissive of your work as I don’t know it, but simply pointing out that the designer and user may have different views on style or practicality, and users’ views can be at least as valid as the designer’s ideas.
The same of course could hold true with music replay equipment.
Many a time I was been told (by dealers) that synergy depends on how the boxes are made in terms of technical specs and builds , and to mix them with other makes altogether, best results is to have almost same principles /buld specs. But when I look at how their systems are been put together , totally opposite what they adviced . To me is misinformation and confuse the buyers .
No IB that’s fair comment indeed I don’t feel it’s critical, I did suffer from similar bullshxt by renowned architects and designers.
What I want to carry out here is, in those contexts people tend to choose what they feel comfort instead of logically superior choice (I did ask their reasons of choice in friendly manner), things don’t always make sense in reality.
Synergy is certainly a very important consideration when first putting together a system. Also when trying to get the very best out of everything playing in the listening room.
But I dare say after a good while it could be something forgotten about.
Forget the system and enjoy the Hills being alive with the Sound of Music
Turmeric contains an array of naturally occurring compounds that work synergistically, which you miss entirely if you just swallow an isolated curcumin pill.
