Cabling with a single vendor-new experience for me

I usually sniff out sales and closeouts when it comes to cabling. My 7.1 ch HT system is cabled with products from PS Audio, Belkin and Philips (HDMI), Kimber, Audioquest, and JPS Labs. Until recently my 2-channel LP-based stereo was cabled with PS Audio (power), Kimber Hero, AudioQuest Black Mamba, and either Belkin Silver Series (the old OCC version) bi-wire or Cobalt single wire + jumpers for speaker cable.

Recently I decided to see what it would be like to have the interconnects, speaker cables, and power cable all from one vendor. The cheapest way to find out would be to re-cable the 2-channel rig. For the LP playback chain I would only need one power cord (integrated amp), a set of interconnects between the outboard phono stage and a line level input on the int. amp, and a pair of speaker cables. Well, technically I should also get a pair of same-vendor speaker jumpers but I haven't done that yet.

I decided to get some matching Zu Cable through Zu's promo outlet on eBay. First I bought a pair of Wylde interconnects and Libtec speaker cables. Both models are second from their top of the line. I've had these for 2-1/2 weeks and have been burning them in the whole time via FM tuner and CD changer. Finally today I felt like the interconnects had finally burnt in enough to take the edge off the midrange and treble, put them in the LP signal chain, and played LPs all day.

Then late today I finally took deliver of the BoK power cord (it took me a couple weeks to win an auction for the matching power cord), which is also Zu's second from the top. I plugged it into the integrated amp and queued up the CD changer to burn in the power cord for a couple of hours. Now I'm listening for the first time through Zu interconnect and speaker cable, while wall AC is delivered through a Zu power cord.

Wow! I thought the spkr cable & IC were good, but the power cord makes it come together beyond all hope or expectation. With the Zu PC in place, the sound has taken on a very relaxed and musical sound that was just out of reach before. With just the IC and pwr cable, I was enjoying the added detail, but my shoulders kept hunching because there was a slight stridence that I hoped would disappear when the cable had fully burnt in. Inserting the Zu power cable has absolutely fixed all that. The low level resolution is like nothing I've never had in any of my home systems, but even better is the shoulder-dropping relaxed presentation that makes it easier to connect with more of the music and how the music is performed than I've ever had at home.

Currently I'm playing Diana Krall's "Quiet Nights" album on LP. It's an all analog production and it shows in the way it fleshes out the forming, blooming, and fading of every note played or sang. The transparency and sensation of "in the room" has reached a new level for me.