Zu Birth PC and Perreaux Amp. Nice Match!

I've just added a Zu Birth PC to the chain. Perhaps using the same power outlet with my source, a Apple PowerMac was kicking in some background grundge? Well the Zu PC must have filtered out some of that. Granted, the cable isn't even burned in yet, but I did find some iimmediate and positive benefit. I find it hard to describe other than saying the music sounded like it has more depth with the Zu Birth PC in the mix.

Now I know there may be quite a few anti-tweakers and , "why waste your money" folk out there. So please stop reading now Because, I'm going to tell you I saw heard these benefits on Apple iTMS downloads. You know those "icky" compressed ACC files that I have about 1,000 of? Well maybe someday I'll feel silly having spent a lot of money on those downloads, and several iPods for my family (that's for you anti-iPod people). But right now I'm loving it.

Someday I'll have to move this equipment over to my modest "big rig" and see I've I'm just really just trying to turn a "sow's ear into a silk purse. If the anti-ACC/MP3 purists want to feel better I do have over 500 honest to good CD's and a real CD player with DAC.

Cassandra Williams' "Traveling Miles" ACC files sounds even better than before with the ZuBirth plugged in the back of the Perreaux. Perreaux's headphone amplifier manual does state that they intentionally designed the PC cord outlet so that the cable could be replaced by a higher end product (also saving the end user money if they don't believe in PC voodoo. Speaking of voodoo check out Williams singing Run The Voodoo Down"or "As the Sun Goes Down" on the "Traveling Miles" CD.

I've slowly been coming around to the idea that PC's could make a difference. Replacement IC's and headphone cables certainly have improved my AKG K-1000 and AKG K271, but somehow I've remained skeptical of what a PC could do.

I suppose some of the skepticism had to do with the price of PC replacements. Zu's prices seem good with comparable products. Of course snagging a good deal on e-Bay makes the deal even more sweet! The only bad news is that I'm taking the edge of that great $300.00 deal on the Perreaux at AA. But this added expense of a PC shouldn't stop a real tweaker should it?

One step left. Add a Zu mini-RCA Pivot cable and then I can do a "new Zu Review"

I haven't gone the full monty and gotten into the actual conditioners. So I can't comment on their worth other than they tend to be a little rich for my blood price wise. Heck, most of those power conditioners cost more than double than what I paid for the Perreaux headphone amp! Then again some have systems that cost more than my SUV, so they probably deserve the cleanist power that can be fed to them.

I've been running the ZU Birth PC all day now. I'm thinking that the PC replacement, at least this one on my system, isn't as huge of an improvement than my recent upgrades of new headphone cables or interconnect cables have shown me (not to mention the Perreaux itself).

I don't regret the purchase of the ZU Birth PC at all. It is just in the order of things I'd tweak the other cables in the system first, and use the PC replacement as the "frosting on the cake" sort of thing. Again, it probably all depends what equipment you've got to work with and what your budget allows.

There probably is a lot of wisdom in what other have said about diminishing returns once you get in the the higher end stuff. But my strategy is to do what seems to make sense to tweak my source. In my case I can always move this stuff over to my "big rig" which hasn't had much tweaking for several years.

Most places like AA, ZU, Headroom seem to have decent return policies. So other than shipping costs I can't see how you can lose. Sometimes you just have to hear this stuff for yourself to figure out if the cost is worth it.

All I know is that I'm enjoying Robert Randolph & The Family Band's "Live At The Wetlands", and my computer rig sounds great over the AKG 271's and the Senn. 600's.

Will do tomorrow morning. Stay tuned!