Black Mamba CX for Power Amps?

[jayvis]

I'm wondering if anyone has used a Black Mamba CX power cord on their power amp. I know Shunyata had a high current (HC) version for that application but am curious if the standard CX version would be sufficient.

[Puma Cat]

Yes, I did. Works great. I still use Black Mambas for my preamp, Gungnir DAC, and phono stage. Great cord.

[vintage_tube]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Yes, I did. Works great. I still use Black Mambas for my preamp, Gungnir DAC, and phono stage. Great cord.

Great cord, & 2d Stephens' recommendation -- there are two CX's available on an audio for sale website for $750 total; 1.75M length in 9/10 condition (not sure if you need two -- but he has a pair).

Best Sir,

Bob

[jayvis]

So, the standard Black Mamba CX will do just as well with power amps as the Black Mamba CX HC?

[GrantS]

Originally Posted by jayvis

So, the standard Black Mamba CX will do just as well with power amps as the Black Mamba CX HC?

Hi,

No, the Black Mamba CX will not offer the same performance as the Black Mamba CX-HC for amplifiers because it has a ten-gauge conductor set versus an eight-gauge complement in the CX-HC model. The CX-HC will provide lower octave information with more weight, authority and impact than the CX. The CX is adequate for amplifiers, but the CX HC is superior, or the CX Python. You could also look at second-market Zi-Tron power cords like the Python or more recently the Alpha HC model. I would recommend the Black Mamba CX for pre-amp, DAC or phono-preamp applications.

Regards,

Grant

[jayvis]

Originally Posted by GrantS

Hi,

No, the Black Mamba CX will not offer the same performance as the Black Mamba CX-HC for amplifiers because it has a ten-gauge conductor set versus an eight-gauge complement in the CX-HC model. The CX-HC will provide lower octave information with more weight, authority and impact than the CX. The CX is adequate for amplifiers, but the CX HC is superior, or the CX Python. You could also look at second-market Zi-Tron power cords like the Python or more recently the Alpha HC model. I would recommend the Black Mamba CX for pre-amp, DAC or phono-preamp applications.

Regards,

Grant

Thanks for your input Grant. Your explanation seems to say that the Black Mamba CX power cord performance is purely conductor gauge dependent in high current applications. As compared to the current Venom HC (also 10 ga), how would the Black Mamba CX stack up?

[Puma Cat]

I fully support Grant's comments and conclusions, he certainly knows more about this than I do, and he's a terrific resource for us for all things Shunyata. I would like to qualify my comments as to why I said that a Black Mamba CX could be used with a power amp: it was given the context that jayvis was looking for a power cord that suitable for power amp with a max $300 price, and the fact that I used one for my C-J LP70S for well over a year with excellent results, until I got my Zitron Cobra.

While I fully agree with Grant that a CX HC or (CX Python) would be better for power amps, a used Black Mamba in the $300 price range would be suitable, though not ideal, for this application and would definitely provide considerable improvements over a stock OEM power cord. I am presently using a Zitron Cobra for my power amp with very good results.

Personally, I think the benefits that Shunyata power cords bring are so significant that you should use the best Shunyata power cords you can possibly afford; they really represent an important part of the audio reproduction chain. So, if you can spring for a Black Mamba CX HC or CX Python, you definitely should.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by jayvis

Thanks for your input Grant. Your explanation seems to say that the Black Mamba CX power cord performance is purely conductor gauge dependent in high current applications. As compared to the current Venom HC (also 10 ga), how would the Black Mamba CX stack up?

No, AFAIK, it's not purely conductor gauge dependent. The conductor gauge is certainly part of the equation for high-current applications, but as with all things Shunyata, not the entire story. These cords are much more sophisticated than just "large gauge" power cords. They are designed as a "system" where the component parts work synergisticially to provide a "whole that is greater than the sum of the parts". This is because of the supportive functional "interactions" of the individual design components; the interactions of these components creating a system of fuctional responses is what results in the higher overall performance than something as simple as the gauge of the conductors.

I'll let Grant chime in as the definitive word on this, but the Black Mamba CX series has better noise rejection than the Venom series, if I am remembering all my Shunyata info correctly!

The line has changed pretty quickly over the last 5-6 years, so I am not fully up to speed on the "hierarchy" of which model cords provide the best performance. What i can tell you is that I am a big, big supporter of this company because it's products are based on real science and physics (and I've read and, as a scientist myself, can understand their key patents). One can make truly significant improvements to the overall quality and more importantly, listening experience and overall enjoyment from using Shunyata's products. In my experience, the more Shunyata products you use throughout your power distribution chain, the better. The benefits are additive. The higher you go up the Shunyata performance chain, the better. Unlike the diminishing returns of a lot of high-end audio products, you truly get what you pay for with increased performance concomitant with the increased engineering specification.

Personally, I'd rather go "down-market" in the engineering specification of my amplfication chain than remove Shunyata products from my reproduction chain. That's how significant I think they are.

[DonBattles]

I went from a Black Mamba CX to the CX HC could easily tell the difference on my Luxman L590Aii.

[jayvis]

DonBattles, I see that you use Tara Labs interconnects and speaker cables as do I. Have you ever tried their power cords?