Seeking informed recommendations for power cables and interconnects

Thanks whart, helpful advice. I agree your way is the preferable means to isolate the best performers. I was hoping others who have used similar components may have already been through this exercise.

I ran the amp into the wall before getting the Furman. To my ears, the Furman improved the sound and lowered floor noise.
I have seen Jim's book referenced before and plan to get a copy.

As a fellow Vandy owner, I think AQ is the best choice for speaker wire.
I use the GO-4 double shotgunned to the speaker.
I suggest PM-ing John Rutan (audioconnection). He sells Vandersteen and AQ. and knows just about everything stereo. He can give you lots of free information without trying to sell you something. I think he will provide the best information for your current components.
Bob

Yes, I am pleased with my AQ Rocket 33s, so not looking to upgrade speaker wire. I may take advantage of The Cable Co.'s lending library as that seems the most economical way to compare. Just wondering if I should focus on ICs first before the power cords.

@arturos73 Great opening post. Clearly laid out and full of information.

@whart Provides a terrific summary and approach.

Having recommendations as a guideline from those like @gdnrbob as a fellow Vandy owner and others who have similar equipment or setup to yours will be valuable. But as already pointed out, only you can drive this.

To your specific question about IC vs PC, which first:

Ideally, both simultaneously, but if you need to take a stepped approach and do one step at a time, I would choose the power cables first without hesitation.

According to the specs shown here the Parks Audio Budgie phono stage has an extremely high specified nominal output impedance of 6,000 ohms. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that value is even considerably higher at some frequencies. (Although I’m a little uncertain concerning your use of the word "hybrid" in referring to it; is your phono stage a different configuration than what is shown at the link, which is described as having an all tube signal path?).

Assuming that none of your cables or power cords are especially long, and assuming the 6,000 ohm spec is applicable to your unit, I would therefore think it likely that the connection of the phono stage to the integrated amp would exhibit greater sensitivity to cable (or power cord) differences than any other connection in the system.

Although that is not to say that you would necessarily find a given $500 pair of cables used at that location to be subjectively preferable to the Blue Jeans you are using now. And in fact low capacitance, such as Blue Jeans LC-1 provides, assumes particular importance when a cable is driven by such a high impedance. But as I say I would think that interconnection is likely to be the most cable-sensitive point in the system, and it is therefore what I would focus on first.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al