Best place in the system for a good PC?

ABX is tough in my case. I'd like to compare and contrast mainly on my amp, but it's a tube system and by the time I warm up, listen to A, turn it off, cool it down, switch the cords, and power it on and let it warm up again... well, it'd have to be a big change for me to notice.

The cables I'm going to try are the Zu BOK and Zu Birth (mk1 I found here). The team at Zu work hard to please and I've always been pleased with their analog & digital cables so I'm going to give them the first crack.

Thanks All.

I don't use ABX to evaluate components (including cables). I prefer to change a component, listen to it for several days, up to a week or two, and then switch. Repeat as needed.

Some differences may discovered immediately, while others are subtle, and take time to learn.

I think that's often the problem with quick ABX testing. Too short of evaluation periods with strange gear.

for what it's worth, my zu bok made no difference vs a generic PC

In my experience, a high end power cord made the biggest difference on my amp, then my source, then my preamp.

Mooglie makes good points and is just how I approach noting changes or improvements.

Provided the system is sufficiently resolute and even reasonably well setup, I would defy anyone who could not tell me they heard a difference between some of the power cords I own. Namely the diffs between a Shunyata Python VX and my Taipan helix’s. or using a closer priced analogy, my Voodoo tesla II vs either a Shunyata Taipan helix or the older version Python VX. They each range from $900 $1200 when they were new & current.

Trust me on this part.

If anyone could actually say they hear no differences, putting betterment aside and pointing directly at the diffs in sound and presentation…. THEY’RE IN THE WRONG HOBBY…… OR…. God bless ‘em they’re near deaf and won’t be spending much money in this past time.

There does seem to be with power cords more of a time frame for them to work at their optimum levels. More so than with Ics, but all require some ‘get acquainted’ time once input to a system, even after they’ve all been run in!

Bryoncunningham echoes my own experiences.

One last point… as with the powered devices we buy, preamps, amps, sources, etc…. as their price goes up generally speaking, a likewise incident in cabling happens concordantly.

Dabbling about in the under $100 or $200 areas with wires isn’t going to reveal nearly the changes or subjective improvements those cables in the $500 - $1500 retail spectrum can display.

I’ve said this till I’m blue… with PCs… you have to get a couple two or three IEC to NEMA adapters. So when you make a swap of PCs, the newly inserted one is not cold. Plug it into a fan, or fridge. Still, some time following insertion is required, eg., ‘get acquainted’ or settling in after being bent and twisted all about..

Again, the diffs are later on readily apparent in regard to PCs, once the rig is resolving enough, and the disparity between the cables is increased. Otherwise the changes will be far more subtle and less distinguishable.

Depending on the pc too, the system doesn’t have to be a killer sounding rig for disparity to be easily recognized. I can put my cables into my bed room system and realize gains with no trouble at all… and it’s just an old Sony ES AV reciver, and Oppo 980, with Phase Tech 85db two ways. Using SR Alpha Quad non active spkr cables..

Trying out power cords under $200 MSRP may interest some, and in fact be quite interesting an affair at times, but my exp says there are not too many standouts in that region…. So time then becomes more valuable than questioning a flock of inexpensive cords dissimilarities IMHO. Get a VAudio Flav, VD power III, Cardas gold Ref, Voodoo Silver Dragon, or an Audience pc and you’ll be fine until the bug bites again. Preowned they’ll all be under $300, some will be far less. All are good. One guy told me the pc Parasound offers for under $100 is a very good pc too. I’ve tried all but the Cardas and Parasound.

Good luck.