Options/recs for VENOM power cables?

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by Matt Lane

Hi Caelin - if you're up for just one more question

For someone looking to improve on simple stock power cords, can you elaborate on the (expected, audible) difference between the HC-V2 cable and its VENOM counterpart in the new NR series?

I 'get' noise reduction intellectually, just want to make the best $ decision since I have a 8 components to power in the living room... and then a half dozen more in the office system...

If you were on a budget, is there a logical order as to which components to install standard HC-V2 vs. NR PC's? In my case, all plugged into dedicated lines, no power conditioning.

Cheers - and thanks again for being patient with my questions!

Matt

Certain components really NEED NR filtering. This includes DACs, transports, digital processors, integrated amps with DACs, music servers and all computer devices. So if you are not getting it through one of our conditioners, you should consider using the NR type cable.

Purely analog components like amplifiers and preamplifiers especially tube equipment can get by with the non-NR cables. This would include the Venom HC and our EF model power cables.

Computers, Ethernet switches, routers, monitors etc benefit greatly when used with the Venom V14 Digital. This cables has NR filters specifically designed to deal with SMPSs and high impulse noise generated by these devices.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by CGabriel

Yes I just checked the website, and you are right. We did a very bad job of describing the cable.

The Venom-HC v2, while fairly inexpensive, has some pretty impressive features. The first being that it is has 10 gauge OFE (used to be called OFHC) copper. And it has pure copper contacts in the IEC and a high copper content in the AC plug contacts. And the biggest difference between it and the v1 is the fluorocarbon dielectric insulation material.

All of these features provide a cleaner and more pure sound quality with exceptional dynamics. The Venom HC v1 is still a great cable for its price. We are just turning the dial up with the v2 version. If you have watched our evolvement over years, you will have noticed that this is an ongoing theme of constant product improvement punctuated with technological advancements.

I will have our guys work on the website. Thanks for pointing it out.

Thanks, Mr. Gabriel, for you expertise and informative responses. Not being an expert on anything, I'll ask if the Venom NR cables filter other types of noise besides the usual EMI/RFI? My conditioners filter those, but I heard improvement in sound when I put NR cords (not Venoms, I admit) on my amps and preamp, mainly an increase in detail. Perhaps putting Venom NRs on my conditioners is warranted?

[robfine]

Happy Holidays All:

Caelin, if you don’t mind a Saturday question:

I have a relatively modest (but very nice sounding) system (hopefully 2020 will bring in some significant changes as tuition bills for kids stop in May) that has a PS Audio P5 feeding a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Int. Amp. Source components are Bryston BDP-3 into either a BDA-2 or Holo Audio Spring Level 3 Kitsune DAC (currently the Holo Audio). At some point I expect I will be moving over to a Shunyata power conditioner but in the meantime— the P5 is connected to PS Audio outlet with a Venom 3 power cord + Venom 3 extension cord. With the P5 being a regenerator, would replacing the power cord with a Venom NR series cord make a tangible difference?

Thanks, (for your response and also for everything I’ve learned reading your responses this past year),

Robert

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by prepress

Thanks, Mr. Gabriel, for you expertise and informative responses. Not being an expert on anything, I'll ask if the Venom NR cables filter other types of noise besides the usual EMI/RFI? My conditioners filter those, but I heard improvement in sound when I put NR cords (not Venoms, I admit) on my amps and preamp, mainly an increase in detail. Perhaps putting Venom NRs on my conditioners is warranted?

Which “NR” cables are you referring to please?

[CGabriel]

Originally Posted by robfine

Happy Holidays All:

Caelin, if you don’t mind a Saturday question:

I have a relatively modest (but very nice sounding) system (hopefully 2020 will bring in some significant changes as tuition bills for kids stop in May) that has a PS Audio P5 feeding a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Int. Amp. Source components are Bryston BDP-3 into either a BDA-2 or Holo Audio Spring Level 3 Kitsune DAC (currently the Holo Audio). At some point I expect I will be moving over to a Shunyata power conditioner but in the meantime— the P5 is connected to PS Audio outlet with a Venom 3 power cord + Venom 3 extension cord. With the P5 being a regenerator, would replacing the power cord with a Venom NR series cord make a tangible difference?

Thanks, (for your response and also for everything I’ve learned reading your responses this past year),

Robert

If you study the PSA forums you will see that they recommend their own high-end power cables for use with their regenerators. So they claim it makes a difference. And that corresponds to my experience with various (not just PSA) regenerators also. If a power cord can affect the performance of an amplifier - why would it not affect a regenerator which is simply an amplifier within an internal 50-60 Hz signal?

And the easiest and best way to answer the question would be to simply try it and confirm or deny it or yourself?

[robfine]

Originally Posted by CGabriel

Which “NR” cables are you referring to please?

Venom NR-10

[CGabriel]

For our power conditioners we will usually recommend and EF type power cord to connect the conditioner to the wall. For our Venom PS8 which has no built in NR we will recommend an NR type like the Venom NR V10.

The cord coming out of the conditioner to the component can and often does benefit from an NR type cord because it intercepts noise directly at the component’s IEC power inlet. So the noise it is intercepting is noise coming out of the power supply not the noise going in as you might expect.

Usually very high power amplifiers perform best when connected directly to a wall outlet using an NR type cord for noise suppression providing unencumbered DTCD (current delivery). Medium to low powered amplifiers will often sound better when connected to a Denali or Triton.

Hope this helps a bit.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by CGabriel

Which “NR” cables are you referring to please?

My apologies, I was reluctant to mention another company's product by name here. I was referring to Transparent Premiums, which filter noise via their network modules. Using "NR" as shorthand was confusing, as I think about it now. Given the improvement with the Premium cords, I was considering Venom NRs for my conditioners or my sources. The source cords I use now are shielded but do not offer noise reduction.

However, I should say the improvement I experienced when putting the new cord on my preamp was new music, not so much attack and decay, or low noise floors and such which one might hear with cleaner power. I heard instruments I didn't hear before on one Moody Blues DVD, for example. I don't think noise reduction creates a string section or a triangle, nor would it remove them (the triangle was absent in one stretch with the aforementioned DVD), though it might account for a slightly more musical sound from a tympani during one track. Those things are more consistent with rolling tubes in my experience (I could be answering my own question here). I may really be considering the possibility of wringing more music out of my sources with upgraded cords. I think, as well, that rather than hijack this thread I should move any other questions or related comments on this point to my power cord thread.

[Puma Cat]

Hi Dan,
Are you open to some suggestions and recommendations for your power distribution system from an end-user who has been journeying down this road for the better part of a decade?

Happy to share my learning and findings along the way...