Sigma Analog on MC2301

[lschoonaert]

Ok so I have something really weird - I have been running my McIntosh 2301's with Alpha HC's for a year and a half. So I wanted to upgrade to Sigma HC's, but my dealer could only demo Sigma Analogs.

They sound WAY better that the Alpha HC. Is something wrong with my ears? I always thought the HC was made for monoblocks, so isn't it weird the Sigma Analog sounds better than an Alpha HC?

And would this mean I'd get even better sound from the Sigma HC, compared to the Analog?

PS. With "better sound" I mean wider soundstage and tighter bass.

[edward3132]

Not surprising to hear your results.

The Sigma's are made with the VTX conductors compared to the Alpha's CDA-101 conductors.
Also the Alpha HC avg gauge is around 10, Sigma Analog 8 and Sigma HC 6 according to the specs on the website.

I am also considering upgrading my Alpha HC on my MC452 to a Sigma Analog for that same reason.

Though I think the Sigma HC would give somewhat better performance than Sigma Analog, not sure worth the cost. Rather spend it on upgrading my Triton V2 to V3

Edward

[GerardJ]

This is also my experience. I upgraded form Alpha HC to Sigma Analog for my Constellation Stereo Amp and they are amazing! I also considered the Sigma HC but for my amp Shunyata advised the Analog; most cost effective for my 14k amp!
Regards, Gerard

[Chad.Wagner]

I switched from Alpha HC to Sigma Analog on my processors and CD player and it made a huge difference. I have Sigma HC on my front three Amps and they sound great! I did not believe in power chords until I heard the difference. I am an elertical engineer and I am very surprised by what I hear and do not hear with my changes.

[audiohippo]

Is the Sigma HC still the pick over the Sigma Analog for performance?

[jpgr4blu]

The chart that used to be on the Shunyata site is no longer available. I spoke to the techs at Shunyata who confirmed at the time that the The Sigma HC is THE choice for amplifiers. Sigma Analog for preamp and other components (including some digital) and Digital, well, not hard to figure.

[edward3132]

That's funny.

Just went to Shunyata site. The PDF is located in the main overview of the Sigma Power Cords or can be found in Support section under FAQ's

[GrantS]

Originally Posted by audiohippo

Is the Sigma HC still the pick over the Sigma Analog for performance?

From my experience, the answer would be no, unless perhaps you have an enormous space-heater style class-A bias amp--OTL's, massive Constellations or D'agostino's, the big Solution amps, Griffon's A' bias, etc. The Sigma Analog and Digital models have more refined conductor sets, while the HC is more about brute-force (gauge). I would stay with the Analog model for most amps. The HC may offer little more weight in the low-octaves on some moderate-draw amps, but given the price difference, I usually recommend the Sigma Analog based on very consistent feedback.

Best regards,

Grant
Shunyata Research

[DonBattles]

Gotta love the approach from an inside man

Originally Posted by GrantS

From my experience, the answer would be no, unless perhaps you have an enormous space-heater style class-A bias amp--OTL's, massive Constellations or D'agostino's, the big Solution amps, Griffon's A' bias, etc. The Sigma Analog and Digital models have more refined conductor sets, while the HC is more about brute-force (gauge). I would stay with the Analog model for most amps. The HC may offer little more weight in the low-octaves on some moderate-draw amps, but given the price difference, I usually recommend the Sigma Analog based on very consistent feedback.

Best regards,

Grant
Shunyata Research

[jpgr4blu]

I stand doubly corrected. Although I was given different advice when the Sigmas were just released