This is a question that probably comes to mind at some point along the journey.
I guess it’s also about the decision of whether to play safe or take chances with mixing components from different manufacturers in the hope of finding a magical synergy..
Matching stack, or mix and match? That is the question
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I used to follow and believe in this method of keeping system components within the same brand as much as possible. Thats what you were taught, shown back in the day, when Sony, Kenwood, Technics, Akai and the like built full stack components.
I don't believe in the above approach anymore and this comes from using various equipment. Off course, equipment needs to have synergy between them, which is the purpose of auditioning gear, before you buy. Sometimes, you can't which is a gamble. That said audio dealers understand this and the better ones are quite accommodating in the sense that they let you take the equipment home (Or you brings your to their shop) and check if they work well together.
The most recent change I've made is with my home theater equipment. My front, center, surround, sub are all different brands and they sound great. This is not a case of making peace with the equipment. They just worked after I tried them out. There were instances I could not get all loudspeakers in one room so was a bit of guess work. In the end, they did gel together.
Similar situation when it comes to CD Transports and DAC. I've found that sticking to one brand is a case of the manufacturer milking you. My experiment with using a cheap Ultra HD Blu Ray player as the transport and a dedicated quality DAC from a different brand has been amazing.
To understand if two components work well together takes a little time. I think its worth a trial. You learn along the way.