Shunyata Research

[prepress]

My Shunyata Venom extension cord came today, which will be used to extend the cord of my line conditioner. I've not been able to find a 12-gauge "regular" IEC cord to meet my needs after weeks of research, so I went with this Shunyata.

I will say the color is different than the photos suggest. It's more a slate blue, and a darker one at that. I didn't get it expecting much sonic difference, especially in the use I'll put it to. But if I do come across another 12-gauge extension cord, then this Venom will be used to extend one of my amps to the line conditioner. That might be more of a test on sound.

[Omerta]

Originally Posted by cmalak

Check out this link at Shunyata that goes over their new DTCD measurements of chords: Shunyata Research

I own Shunyata PC's and the further you go up the line the better they sound to me. I like with there new measurement device that they show a difference to the stock cords but what graph I want Shunyata to show is the difference from the Python CX to Anaconda CX. There we can see what differences are between two well built cords in there line with a bit of a price difference. To my ears the Anaconda exhibits more bass weight and articulation in the bass notes and a slightly blacker background verses the Python. Is it worth the price difference? to me yes, but I would like to see a measurement to prove I am not fooling myself.

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by Omerta

I own Shunyata PC's and the further you go up the line the better they sound to me. I like with there new measurement device that they show a difference to the stock cords but what graph I want Shunyata to show is the difference from the Python CX to Anaconda CX. There we can see what differences are between two well built cords in there line with a bit of a price difference. To my ears the Anaconda exhibits more bass weight and articulation in the bass notes and a slightly blacker background verses the Python. Is it worth the price difference? to me yes, but I would like to see a measurement to prove I am not fooling myself.

agree about Shunyata products and your question

[prepress]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

JSCC,
I have to disagree with Gonzalo...i bought two of the Diamondback Platinum power cords when they were half off at $125 each. One of the best improvements I've done to my system. My results are consistent with Cyril heard, and I definitely heard an improvement in the bass. And I was one of those that was really, really skeptical about power cords, but man, was I impressed with the improvements they made! I am also impressed with the build quality of their products.

I also just saw that the Shunyata Venom3 was released, and my guess is that it performs as well as the Diamondback Platinum, which now looks to be discontinued from their lineup. My guess is the half-off sale was to move existing DB inventory before the new Venom was released.

Overall, I am quite impressed with Shunyata's products and will likely be buying a Black Mamba HC for my power amp at some point.

I spoke with Shunyata last week, and was told they still offer Diamondback in custom lengths.

[tdelahanty]

I have always been extremely skeptical about powercords. Recently I bought a Venom and a Diamondback and installed them on the pre and cdp. The improvement in sound quality was noteworthy, enough to consider them a wise investment.

[MisterBritt]

Has anyone experimented with the Shunyata Research Dark Fields? These come in two sizes, and are basically designed to keep cables and cords off the floor and away from each other behind the rack?

Maybe this link will work:

Shunyata Research

Where I'm coming from is, I do have cords and cables on the floor and I do have cords touching one another behind the rack. I really never gave it too much thought before now.

I have read several online reviews but you know, it's like they had never tried anything before and are just blown away by it. How could you be in the business of reviewing equipment -- tweaks in this instance -- and have not heard other or better? They always start the review by setting the tone as if they are your best audiophile buddy and they are embarrassed to admit it, and so skeptical themselves, but they have just discovered the greatest, most cost-effective tweak of all time. And it's been a secret -- until now.

So I'm skeptical from the start. And curious if there are any other real world reviews you guys would like to share? Thanks.

[cmalak]

I own Shunyata's PCs but I have always been skeptical about these cable elevators, however, I must admit, I have never tried them so i don't know if it's snake oil or there is actually something there...

[MisterBritt]

Originally Posted by cmalak

I own Shunyata's PCs but I have always been skeptical about these cable elevators, however, I must admit, I have never tried them so i don't know if it's snake oil or there is actually something there...

Yes, I see you like their power cords. If I am the canary in the coal mine on these Shunyata Dark Fields I'll report back.

Dark Fields -- anyone?

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by cmalak

I own Shunyata's PCs but I have always been skeptical about these cable elevators, however, I must admit, I have never tried them so i don't know if it's snake oil or there is actually something there...

Cyril.......A little story. I own quite a few very nice guitars, a number of which are electric guitars. Sometimes I will play one of the electric guitars upstairs, plugged into an amp in the dining room, and on occasion I have laid the guitar on the carpeted floor of the dining room while it was still plugged into the energized amp. I have heard no increase in noise coming out of the amplifier. My house is a wood framed home built off the ground on 9 foot concrete columns, so the floor and joists under it are all wood. When I decided to add the two rooms and a half bath under my house, which is now my recording studio and home theater/two channel audio room, I poured a concrete slab that is steel reinforced with heavy gauge wire mesh throughout the entire slab. The finished studio and control room floors are padded and carpeted. I often play electric guitars in the studio, and again I will from time to time lay my guitar on the carpeted floor while plugged into an energized amplifier. Whenever I do this in the studio, I immediately get a healthy hum coming from the guitar amp's speakers. Simply by lifting the guitar off the floor the hum disappears. This is happening due to a reaction to inductance between the coils in the guitar's pickups and their interaction with the steel reinforcing wire in the slab. If I place the guitar on a stand, no noise. If I lay it on the floor, big hum.

I believe it is this same type of voltage induced interaction between interconnects and speaker cables reacting to a ground plain like a concrete slab, which cable elevators attempt to eliminate. Buy elevating cables at a distance above the ground plain you are reducing or completely eliminating the voltage induced reaction. Along this same line of thinking, I believe that elevating cables off a wooden floor that is not a ground plain, as is a reinforced concrete slab, is a waste of time. The cable elevators are providing no genuine solution because there is no induction problems to begin with having wooden floors beneath the cables.

This is just my own theory based on the experience discovered with my electric guitars, and crossing this discovery over to audio cables and cable elevators. I have no scientific research to support my notion, but it does seem to make sense, at least to me.

[cmalak]

Dan...that's interesting and based on how you laid out the facts, it seems to make sense to me to. Thanks for sharing your explanation.