New cables on order

[BlueFox]

Placed an order yesterday for a Sigma Digital for the two-channel Bryston BDP-1 file player. The Alpha Digital really had a positive effect, so I hope the Sigma ups the level. Plus I ordered the new Venom speaker cables for the HT/surround system. I feel my current speaker cables are now the weak link, so I am looking forward to the Venoms. Hopefully, everything will be here by Thanksgiving.

[medward0]

I'll be eager to hear what you think of the new digital PC as I also got a big jump in performance with the alpha digital.

While no longer the latest and greatest, I got a screaming deal on some Anaconda power cords and put them on my amp and pre. Astounding! Putting these PCs in was one of the largest improvements I've heard in my system....

Now, all of my cables are Shunyata save for the speaker cables...and Transparent has a new ref speaker model out, but the prices are awfully high: I can get two sets of Anaconda SCs for the price of the Transparent upgrade.

[BlueFox]

I received a Shunyata package yesterday, and I just remembered I have a package sitting in the garage. It is the Sigma Digital.

I bought this for my two channel Bryston BDP-1 file player. Well, I am waiting for Bryston to return it from repair. It kept on shutting off with an over voltage error. Of course even if it were here, I couldn't use it because something happened to the tweeter on my left Magico S5. I replaced the tweeter this morning, but it still doesn't work. So next week I have to take it to Magico. I'm glad my HT/surround sound system still works.

I put the Sigma on my Oppo 103 Blueray to burn in. Tomorrow night I will play a movie and see if it makes any difference. This cable is much more unwieldy than the Alpha Digital it replaced. The Oppo was moving all over as I tried to position the Sigma. Of course, the Oppo is pretty light in weight.

I was really surprised the cable came in a carrying case with latches. While nice, I would have been happy with a stock cardboard box. Now I have this case that is too good to throw away.

[Crion]

Just a dumb question, if you want burn-in why not place it on an amp/receiver or something that actually consumes real power?

Real interested if you notice anything at all after burn-in compared to the alpha digital.

[BlueFox]

Because I want to "see" if there is a visible difference between an 'old' Alpha Digital and a new Sigma Digital on the Oppo picture quality. A new Alpha Digital did improve the picture over a Zitron Cobra. After this I will move the Sigma from the Oppo to my Bryston BDP-1 I use in the HT/surround system until the two channel is up and running.

Incidentally, my first Alpha Digital ran a week on the Oppo before I placed it on the Bryston in the two channel. When I did do that I was knocked over by the improvement in sound quality. However, I do not know if I would have heard the same improvement if I had skipped the week on the Oppo, and just started on the Bryston. I do know I ended up buying an Alpha Digital solely for the Oppo.

[scirica]

Originally Posted by BlueFox

Because I want to "see" if there is a visible difference between an 'old' Alpha Digital and a new Sigma Digital on the Oppo picture quality. A new Alpha Digital did improve the picture over a Zitron Cobra. After this I will move the Sigma from the Oppo to my Bryston BDP-1 I use in the HT/surround system until the two channel is up and running.

Incidentally, my first Alpha Digital ran a week on the Oppo before I placed it on the Bryston in the two channel. When I did do that I was knocked over by the improvement in sound quality. However, I do not know if I would have heard the same improvement if I had skipped the week on the Oppo, and just started on the Bryston. I do know I ended up buying an Alpha Digital solely for the Oppo.

Need to see if the Alpha digitals are still available from Shunyata given all the new product they have been introducing lately. I'd like to replace my older Tara Labs PC with the Alpha Digital and "see and hear" what it does.

[Crion]

Any prel updates on alpha vs sigma digital on oppo?

[BlueFox]

I installed the Sigma on Thursday night. On late Friday, and early Saturday, I looked at my two reference Blu Rays, Avatar for picture, and Terminator 3 for audio. The first thing I noticed with both discs is that blue is over emphasized. This was exceptionally obvious on Avatar since the Navi are blue. Since then I have been watching other discs I am not as familiar with, but will return to the two reference discs again this Friday to see if the color came into balance.

Hopefully on Friday, I will have my S5 back from repair, and I can try the Sigma in my two channel system, which is why I purchased it.

[Crion]

I know a "beta" tester said something about the Sigma digital needing extensive burn-in. But I can't really see why color balance would be off. When I experiment with different cables in the chain it's more of either subdued colors (cold look) usually on new HDMI Cables. Then it can be cables with oversaturation more of a thick fuzzy look, and then there are the best ones with the crystal clear natural look able to convey everything as the director/color gradist intended.

But this also calls for having your set/projector/screen properly calibrated, otherwise its hard to draw proper conclusions from what you see.

No comment about any sound differences? It might be a bit premature for that yet since it's so fresh out of the box.

When I want cables to settle on my BD-Streamer (Dune Prime 3.0/HD Base 3D) i usually set a blockbuster movie on repeat and put preamp to standby. It helps.

[BlueFox]

The set is calibrated, but this shows it should be calibrated after a cable change, and after it burns in, if you really want to maintain accuracy. In regard to the color, I added a Zitron Cobra to the set a year or so ago, and that accented the red. Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty looked especially good after that.