[AVphile]

On Tuesday, I received a Venom V14 Digital Power Cable to use with my Lumin T2 music streamer/DAC. (Up to now, I have been using a Venom 14 Power Cable between my Denali 6000/S and the Lumin T2 and a Venom HC Power Cable between my Denali 6000/S and the wall socket.)

After burning the new V14 Digital Power Cable in for 48 hours, my wife and I sat down to listen. What a disappointment! The lusciousness of the sound (for example, Barbra Streisand singing "Memories" -- from the musical "Cats") was gone, replaced by a much thinner, albeit recognizable, variation of human voices and what seems to be an exaggerated tilt towards treble. This effect was consistently evident track after track regardless of whether the data was 16/44.1, MQA, 24/96 or DSD128 and whether the source was Tidal or ripped albums on my attached hard drive. The sound quality was constantly shocking, terrible, and very disappointing. Rather quickly, out came the V14 Digital Power Cable and back in went the prior Venom 14 Power Cable. Ahhh -- all was good again.

This condition has caused me to wonder whether: (a) my V14 Digital Power Cable is defective, which is unlikely given it underwent a comprehensive QC prior to shipment; (b) the overall power conditioning provided by the Denali 6000/S combined with the further digital noise reduction provided by the V14 Digital Power Cable is simply too much of a "good thing"; or (c) somehow my audio system's combination of components and cabling, when the Digital Power Cable is included, simply doesn't work due to some mysterious adverse synthesis.

This post is not a slam on Shunyata. I employ numerous Hydras, Denalis and cables of various generations and sorts in my system and credit Shunyata for its significant contribution to the wonderfully satisfying end result. The sonic impact I have described is, I believe, a surprising anomaly. While I suspect the culprit is "b" above, I am very curious about the opinions of others as to the cause.