How do you compare components?

@fastfreight I am adding a Denafrips Iris between my Node N130 and the Denafrips Pontus 2, that I love. So both the Iris AND the I²S cable will be new. So, what would you do? Start with the lowest or the highest? 

I see.  Sure, that makes as much sense as anything.  Instal the Iris with the lest expensive cable, and let that settle in a while, getting used to it.  Then you can compare the other cables one at a time.  You will know...   Let us know!

The real trick in comparing... unless you are VERY experienced requires long term listening to detect the differences.  Start with whatever you have. Don’t listen to your equipment but listen to the music... for at least a couple of weeks... until you completely understand what your system sounds like. Then swap in a broken-in new interconnect. You may instantly detect a difference... write it down. Then listen to the music for a couple of weeks, you will start noting differences. Write them down. Switch back to the original to confirm your conclusions. 

Note... If your interconnect is not broken in, then the whole experiment is compromised. You must swap in a fully  broken-in interconnect. So, somewhere else you need to break in the next interconnect. I have a "spare system"... a collection of components that I will use to break stuff in... put at least a hundred to two hundred hours of time on. 

I would recommend comparing  the real cheapy versus the most expensive first to allow yourself the most likely largest difference in sonic qualities. If you can’t hear any difference... then maybe checking out the differences between one cheapy and another may not be worth your time. Go borrow a $700 interconnect from an high end audio store after you have compared yours. You might be surprised. 

Flipping back and forth is for experts. Sure, do it. But do not expect to really think you are detecting anything more than a really obvious differences and missing most of them.

Yes, in case you are wondering... this is incredibly time consuming and requires a lot of work. I have spend many hundreds of hours evaluating wires. I came up with variables and rated each on a scale of one to ten. This helped me understand the variability. 

@ghdprentice Great advice and I appreciate having a sound guideline to follow. I'll have to plan this out carefully since I will probably get impatient and form gut reaction opinions before the cables have a chance to break in. I could plug the DH Labs from my computer to my monitor at work to help it burn in. Do you think that will help? 

When comparing differences that are subtle, I listen to stuff I know well, and take my time to overcome the day-to-day variables.  Sometimes characteristics start to show up that I didn't notice immediately. and sometimes it's things I can't "unhear".  Once you've got a feel for each, go back and forth and confirm which one you like best.