Taipan vs Black mamba

[camtwo69]

In the order of Shunyata power cables what was the better cable

The Taipan Alpha Helix cable or the Black Mamba

I know its its a long way back , hopfully someone

will remember .........

[Smp]

Hi, my first ever Shunyata product years ago was the Black Mamba and it staggered me at the improvement it wrought on my listening - it powered my PS Audio - (P10 model). I subsequently acquired two Taipans, but in my opinion they never came near the Black Mamba. From memory they were both towards the bottom of the Shunyata range at the time, but that the Taipans was the slightly later Helix model. I now use Anacondas, but if I had to go back to either Taipans or Black Mambas I wouldn't hesitate in choosing the latter. Hope this is of some help.......but hasten to add that my system's configuration may have affected my choice.

[GrantS]

There were many iterations of the Black Mamba, so its important to qualify the era because they did change over time as our ability to customize parts and materials to fit our purposes improved.

The original Black Mambas by todays standards were smooth, but dark and tube-like in tonal character, much like the original King Cobra. That made them great for solid-state/Digital systems of that time (that were bright), but not so great for more harmonically balanced or pure sounding systems. The last iteration of the Black Mamba, the CX or HC models, were phenomenal for the money, even at MSRP--balanced sounding, dynamic, smooth yet detailed and harmonically they were just right. If you could find one used, they are hard to beat for that price.

The original Taipan's were clear-sleeve, triple shielded cables that had amazing timing alacrity and immediacy, but they leaned forward a bit and were not as smooth as our better power cords. The Taipan Alpha's were really good and at the $650 MSRP, $300 used, might be a great buy.

The Taipan Alpha Helix, like the other Helix power cords were hand-braided internally to minimize resistance to peak-current. They sound very natural, balanced and open, but do not have a defining characteristic that you can point to--more, they were self effacing and natural, versus powerful sounding and dynamic. If I were choosing the Helix versus a Black Mamba -- produced prior to 2005, I'd choose the Helix as the more balanced sounding product. The CX model Black Mamba and the larger HC model is a different story. Best Buys on the used market.

The Helix Series was a pre-cursor to the CX. If you are shopping used and on a budget, CX should be on your short list. Regarding your Helix Taipan versus Black Mamba question, I'd recommend the Helix because the Black Mamba models changed so frequently. You can't be sure of which you have. We do have serial number records going back some years, so if you have those, feel free to call us and we will do the best we can to qualify models based on serial numbers and help you make the best decision.

Hope everyone is enjoying the end of a nice Holiday.

Best regards,

Grant

[camtwo69]

Thank you GrantS exactly what I was looking for .

[The Lost Bears]

GrantS, How does the Taipan Alpha Helix and Black Mamba HC cables compare to the new entry level Ztron Viper cable? The current price for the Ztron Viper is about the same as a used Black Mamba CX HC. Thanks!

[camtwo69]

I received my used Shunyata Black Mamba CX power cord yesterday . I used it from my
Mcintosh MVP 871 to the Mcintosh MPC 1500 power conditioner , Replacing the stock
power cord . The best way I can describe it , the detail and the clarity was what caught my attention right away . I now have a Black Mamba CX/ HC power cord on the way that will go from the wall to the power conditioner . I will keep my eye open for 1 more Black Mamba
CX / HC to go from the Mcintosh MA 7000 amp to the power conditioner .

So far very Pleased , Cant wait to get them all connected with the Shunyata cables .

[chessman]

I have a Black Mamba CX-HC from the wall to my Hydra 6. I am very pleased with it. (Not for sale )

[camtwo69]

Thanks for the tease Chessman ....

[chessman]

Trying to be supportive of your choice, which I think is high bang for the buck and high performance.

[GrantS]

The Black Mamba Cx- HC is a bit of a legend. That was a near non-profit product for us but what it did was invaluable in cementing our reputation for a commitment to great products at prices that were not artificially inflated to create a better dealer margin.

The Taipan Alpha Helix was a good power cord, but no where close the BM-HC. The Viper and Black Mamba Cx-HC are close, performance wise. I might give the narrow nod to the Viper simply because of the noise reduction (subjective). If you consider the aesthetic of each and cost to produce, the BM-HC would take the nod because it was so expensive to make. They are close enough in performance that the differences in systems they are evaluated in will outstrip the differences in their performance. Perhaps the HC is a little warmer on an amp, the Viper more resolute and dynamic, but by mere shades, not by any obvious standard.

I hope this helps a little. If you want to ask system specific system or application questions, feel free to e-mail me.

best regards,

Grant