Richard
Dear Shunyata Research,
In the approximately four months since first learning about Shunyata Research as part of my research into speaker cables, I’ve very much come to appreciate the need for good cables throughout all of my home theater and 2-channel audio systems. Consequently, I’ve invested approximately $13,000 in power conditioning/distribution products (Denali 6000T, two MPC-12C units, two Venom Defenders, one Sigma NR power cord, three Alpha NR power cords, two Venom HC power cords, a Venom USB cable and a host of Venom HDMI cables). I’ve yet to pick up that set of speaker cables that I’d initially been interested in….I’ll likely need to wait until next year to make that purchase.
Thank you again for your products and customer service – they are very much appreciated.
Michael Z. Troy, MI
Hi! Richard, I pray this email finds you well. I’ve been wanting to write and brag on the Venom phono cables for several months. I am 61 years old and have never written to a manufacturer in my life. I research what I buy and I expect it to meet or exceed my expectations. I’ve listened to, played and recorded music all my life and consider myself to have very discerning ears. I’m not big into “gear”. I’m into music. I added a dedicated listening room to the house and am very pleased with its acoustics. My system consists of a VPI Classic and Soundsmith Zephyr feeding a Sutherland 20/20 which in turn feeds a low-wattage SET pushing a pair of high-efficiency drivers and a pair of REL subwoofers. My last component upgrade was the Sutherland which I added about 4 years ago. At the same time I bought a pair of $1000 phono cables which sounded exquisite, but were accompanied by a low-level 60 hz hum. After quite a bit a tweaking and experimenting, I determined that my system requires a fully shielded phono cable and that the phono cable must be grounded to the RCA plugs at both ends. Otherwise it will hum. I paid several hundred dollars and bought the only phono cables I could find in my price range that met the criteria. The hum was gone, but the cables lacked the detail and transparency of the $1000 cables. They weren’t bad, and I learned to live with them, but I knew they were the limiting component in my system. Fast forward 4 years. I had surgery in March and knew I was going to be down for a few weeks and would be listening to music a lot. I decided to treat myself to a system upgrade and the obvious target was the phono cables. After a couple weeks of research I concluded that the Shunyata Venoms were my best bet. You were good enough to confirm that the Venoms were fully shielded and that the shielding was designed as a conductor between the RCAs. I ordered them and they arrived a week before the surgery. My hope was that they would have some of the transparency of the $1000 cables. I was not prepared for what I heard. Right out of the box they were an incremental improvement over the old cables, but within the span of 2 or 3 LPs they were in another league. By the time they had 20 or 30 hours on them they were just as transparent as I remembered the $1000 cables to be. On excellent recordings, complex orchestral passages are fully sorted out. A dozen violins is no longer a mass of sound, but 12 violins. But there’s more. The Venoms are quiet. As quiet as I thought my system was, the silences in music were now startling. Microdynamics and macrodynamics are noticeably more dynamic. And because of the lower noise floor and improved resolution, imaging is noticeably more holistic. I am not generally a big fan of superlatives, but the Venoms, at $400, have proven to be one of the great bargains in my system, and I consider all my components to be high-value components. They represent an upgrade at least on a par with the turntable and the cartridge and the phono pre-amp at many times the price. They really are that good. I can hardly say enough about them. I just wanted to thank you for the outstanding customer service I received from you and for the remarkable Venom phono cables.
I haven’t bought me a second Alpha IC yet. Sometimes things don’t go as planned… 😉
Recently I was ”forced” to buy me a pair of Alpha SP, and my GOD what a great cable this is. Way better then the (great) old Anaconda SP. Rock hard bass and magical 3D. Just love it!!
I ended up selling my Triton V1 and then I was without a Triton, and what does a Snakehead do?? Start looking for a used Triton V2, of course. But I couldn’t find anyone here in Europe, so I had to buy a V3!! 🙂
The V1 was really, really good. But the V3 is in another league. I actually didn’t think it could get much better then the V1 (feels like we have pretty good electricity here) but I was wrong. Direct out of the box I was disappointed. Bright and harsh sounding. But after a few hours in the garage with fans and lamps it sounds fantastic! This is just pure magic! Almost eerie quiet between the tracks now.
It actually sounds like my ARC REF 75 is more powerful with the V3 then with the V1. Like the amp has gone up from 75W to 150W. And when I connected my Typhon the real magic arrived!! WOW!!
My name is David Braun, and i am a freelance concert organizer in Maribor, Slovenia, focusing mainly on contemporary jazz and world music. Music has always held a prominent role in my life, something i cannot imagine being without, perhaps it is even an obsession….
On the other hand, hi-fi systems have never been a real priority, more a necessary means to get to the music, and very often »in the way«…i am not the person who has the need to constantly fumble with its own stereo, buy and sell or let alone spend millions on “sound”. Nevertheless, over the years i have managed – finances permitting – to build up a reasonable system for which i believe that it suits me, that it gets me to the “essence of music.” By that I mean that I find listening to music over a hi-fi system “an illusion”, and am happiest when it reminds me of feelings I have while listening to live (often acoustic or semi-acoustic) music, which I do a lot, being a concert organizer. Still, my friends – your official distributors in Slovenia – have persuaded me that i should use power cables from Shunyata, something i accepted with a fair amount of skepticism.
Now i am a happy user of the Venom power-cable on every component i own, and a very happy owner of a Delta NR power cable and a Venom interconnect on my CD player. I wish I could afford a power distributor, but that is probably not within my reach.
Amazing, truly stunning and astonishing what you have achieved with these products!!! I still find it hard to believe (this is probably due to my lack of technical knowledge) how much influence the power cables have on the music that is being played – and in a way that i feel is »in line« with how i perceive music. Everything is so palpable, present in space, almost speaker-less and on the other hand suddenly sounds completely effortless and spontaneous. It reminds me of how an acoustic instrument, say a violin, would sound in a room. These products seriously help transporting the “magic” that lies in a lot of music.
I would hereby like to congratulate you on your achievements; Shunyata’s products have made me very happy and have further strengthened my love and enthusiasm for music and brought many hours of very enjoyable listening – with many more to come. Also, I would like to mention the fact that I got a very competent advice from your distributors in Slovenia, the Intek company, including technical explanations and recommendations tailor-made for my specific desires and needs.
Great service from everyone and completely overwhelming products from Shunyata! You guys seriously rock!
I just had to tell you how wonderful the Zitron pc is. I’ve been listening to a few tracks I’m familiar with after a day of letting the cable settle in my system. The pc I was using previously sounded hazy in comparison and the notes were scattered and somewhat jumbled in their space, though this wasn’t apparent till I switched to the Zitron. The Zitron is pin-point precise, neutral and lush. The background is dead quiet. I find that I can turn the volume up another 4-5 dbs from my reference volume without any glare or digital harshness. I wouldn’t call it polite because I feel it doesn’t exaggerate or add anything artificial to give it that initial “wow” factor that so many cables do. It just sounds right. I’m sure you’ve heard all this before. I do feel that while the soundstage is somewhat wider and deeper, it’s not as high or tall as what I’m previously used to. I suppose that makes more sense since all the instruments are at ground level. Maybe it’ll open up a bit more after a few days though I’m sure the pc was well broken in by the previous owner.
The only negative is that I will now have to upgrade all my PCs, so I won’t be eating out for a while :). If one cable can improve my system dramatically, I’m excited to hear what more can do. I just have to decide whether to go with the Delta NRs or to try to find Alpha HCs from my outlet to my 2 power strips. I would probably go with the Deltas for my amp and preamp since they are still in production. I would love to try the Alphas but 5 PCs are just way beyond my budget.
Thanks again for making a great product, and I’ll stay in touch to let you know how it all works out.
Just want to give feed back on the Amp-1 Venom conditioner. It’s a great product and really does a phenomenal job filtering and regulating power. It offers a black background of music to my headphones, plugged in series with an amplifier and then the AMP-1 Venom to the wall…. Ultimate clarity for natural sounds as well. It’s very pleasing and gracious to see very high end audio products offered at consumer prices for intimate sessions or smaller studios. Good quality as well.
Now that I have had some time to engage with your components, I have reached a few conclusions. I had expected some very subtle improvements in my system. I was wrong. The changes are far from subtle — especially when playing vinyl. The Venom PS8/Defender combination has been a game changer for me.
As a documentary filmmaker, a visual analogy comes to mind. It’s like switching from an LCD television monitor to an OLED one. On LCD sets, black is achieved by masking white pixels. But there are always light leaks, so the blacks look muddy. On an OLED set, black is truly the absence of light: pixels are actually turned off and hence go black.
Listening to music with the Venom PS8/Defender combination delivers the sonic equivalent of “true black”. The drop in the noise floor and the increased clarity are dramatic — the latter especially at lower listening levels. It’s like someone flipped a magic “loudness” switch — one that truly conveys the music itself rather than crudely boost the bass. By faithfully rendering the spaces in between the notes — the true blacks — I’m feeling a greater emotional connectedness to everything I’m listening to, which right now, is Thundercat’s ethereal, beautiful “A Hard Time”.
Arthur C. Clarke famously observed that “[a]ny sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” That’s how I feel about your technology. I have no idea of how it works, but I know that it works!
I didn’t buy two Delta as you and Grant recommended. I figured that if Delta is THAT good I’ll just be dreaming of Alpha for the rest of next year and end up selling Delta with a big loss. So I ordered one Alpha instead!
I found a clever way to persuade myself to buy two cables without selling the old ones; donate 10% of the price of new cables to Amnesty International! So it’s a win-win-win situation. You get your money, Amnesty gets theirs and I, well I don’t get any money, but I get HAPPY!!
And I’m planning to get another one in time for my birthday in February. I think that would be a nice gift to myself from myself! 🙂 (and more money to Amnesty!)
I got the cable last week and it has been playing for about 85 hours now. And I don’t know what to say, I’m stunned again!
I don’t know how you do it, but every generation of cables gets better and better!!! And without the crazy prices that other US companies sell!
I thought my Python was good, but this is ridiculous! It’s ”just a CABLE”!
HOW can I get this much improvement with just a cable from my dac to my pre amp???? I think Caelin is a pure GENIUS! A master mind of cable manufacturing!!
It has revealed layers of music that (I guess) was buried in noise before. It took me max five (5) seconds to hear that it is much better than the old Python! Even my ”strange”, non-audiophile music sounds amazing with this Alpha! It has a bass to die for. And a soundstage that is way bigger then Python!
And again I don’t feel any need to upgrade my speakers (Wilson Duette), they seem to grow bigger and bigger with every cable I buy.
And it is so pure and clear in it’s sound, without sounding harsh or bright. Just sounds CLEAN and beautiful. I actually didn’t think it would be THIS good. (I will send Leif a note later so I can express myself better, I hope he translate it and sends it to you then!)
I live in the north of Sweden, about 1000 km’s north of Stockholm, and up here we are not known to smile, dance or be happy if it’s not necessary. But I sing, dance, laugh and play air guitar in my living room now! Just pure JOY with this cable!! Can’t wait to get the other one….
Please say THANK YOU to Caelin and Grant and everybody else from me!
I believe rotating the cable 45 degrees will do the trick. The area behind my 3 stereo stands will look like the jungle when I have 1 Python and 3 or 4 Cobra’s. I will call the area the snake pit. Feel free to post my comments on your website. The staff at Sound Hounds are very exited about your products as well. I can’t wait to get the Cobra ΞTRON™ power cables and hopefully your speaker cable. I will order one every couple of months. The sound through my Simaudio Moon equipment and B & W 804 S speakers will be even more fantastic. Your work is truly bringing us all into a new age. Just maybe, the sound puzzle we have been working on all our lives is nearing completion.
I am really impressed with the promises of what Typhon can do to quieten the noise and especially the unusually not easy to tame phono amp.
My systems – Power, Pre, Phono, CD player (all hybrids) are now so quiet. Gone are the ear fatigue for high note, bass with the longest frequency waves length just sailed into the sunset. Ella, Billie, Nick Colionne, Dinah, Lightnin’ Hopkins voices sounded so clear as if they are singing live.
To sum up, adding Typhon doesn’t comes cheap, yet it can make a very worthwhile improvement to the overall sound quality!
I don’t mean to sound weird, but I feel like I’ve unlocked the door to another dimension. Nothing could have prepared me for the difference I would hear employing the TRITON and just the one ALPHA HC in my system. Scary real!! Best believe I’ll be buying more cords! Consider me a skeptic turned into a true believer!
I recently purchased your PS8 with Defender power distribution and conditioning system and it has made such a positive difference in my system that I am thinking about upgrading all of my power cords and interconnects to Shunyata products. I have the following products: a Bryston B100 integrated amplifier, a Simaudio NEO 430HA headphone amplifier, a Simaudio NEO 380D DSD DAC. In your experience what will likely make the most difference in my system replacing the stock power cords or replacing the interconnects? In other words, do you have any advice on what I should start with first?
Also, I just want to say that prior to acquiring the PS8 system, you certainly could have described me as a skeptic as far as power conditioning systems are concerned, but I must say that I am a believer now. Also, just so you are aware, I received great service from Andrew Gilbert of Audio Ark in Edmonton, Alberta throughout this purchase. I had indicated to him that I had tried a Torus Power unit in my system and returned it as I did not feel it made a difference. However, Andrew suggested that I try the PS8 system and he said I would not be disappointed and he was definitely correct.
Thank you for making such a great product at a very fair price considering the performance boost it gave to my system.
I love the improvement the VENOM DEFENDER has made to my system. With high end audio price rising into the stratosphere it’s great to find cost effective products that perform.
My impressions of my newly upgraded TRITON V2 as of this writing are as follows: Newly upgraded, out of the box and now early on into the burn-in process (if any): Overall, what differences I hear is a greater amount of “truth” than that of “beauty”; there may be somewhat less warmth heard now heard from the minimalist system this TRITON (for 3 years as a V1 version and now a V2 version) is in – Simaudio 600i solid state integrated amp. and CD/SACD player with Maggies (modified MG1.6qr speakers) and all cables Shunyata CX or ΞTRON™, and with Stillpoints Ultra SS under all equipment and rack. Music now sounds more accurate – that much closer to the real thing and not so much a reproduction as with the V1 (which was so obviously better than the Talos it replaced). It is clear from even a far field listen that music (of all sorts – combo jazz, solo harp, choral, alt. rock) is more palpable; in the listening position it is very obvious.
Notes are heard as having a longer decay, and at the same time in a more airy and open 3 dimensional sense, as if some background noise has left the system, but without detracting from the actual music, and instead exposing more. Notes also stand out more in the soundstage as if emanating from a more defined place (space) now. This has given a greater height and depth to the soundstage. Even mono recordings and studio recordings have more musical information heard; I hear more separated layers of the instruments played. Dynamics are somewhat greater, although I do not listen to large massed orchestral pieces much. Sense of perspective is the same as V1 – upfront in a venue.
The change heard from V1 to V2 is such that it reminds me when I went from using all 3 power cords (to the system) – the older Shunyata Alpha Helix – to the newer (then) CX series; it is on the order of upgrading all the power cords at the same time.
In a few weeks I may have more insights as the new TRITON V2 burns in. In the meantime I am enjoying what I hear and am not feeling the need to obsess over the “newness” heard. Thanks again for helping me get the upgrade taken care of as we did.
This is all very informative and I’m pleased to know that I’m getting the best you folks have to offer.
As I think I may have mentioned previously, I’m using the KING COBRA AC cords with my power amp and the V-RAY II (and now the TRITON), AURORA balanced interconnects for both my amplifier and CD/SACD player, STRATOS IC interconnects for a McIntosh headphone amp I purchased recently and Stratos SP speaker cables for my speakers.
I don’t think I have to tell you that utilizing these products has made a huge and truly pleasurable difference within my Hi-Fi system.
I’ve been working in the Consumer Electronics industry and have been an “audiophile” for over 45 years, but Shunyata products are by far, the finest I’ve ever encountered, period!
Thanks again for your time and your help in answering my questions.
I just LOVE the sound that the Triton/Typhon combo makes now!! Really can’t believe how I could listen to my stereo before! I didn’t think my equipment could produce this kind of sonic quality. I was convinced that I had to change speakers or buy a newer cd player to achieve this sound. But my Duette HAVE grown musically now! I don’t have any plans to move up the Wilson ladder, although I know a pair of Sasha would give me better sound, but at a HIGH price. Not really worth it, cos I would still feel the urge to get better cables anyway. Better to focus on cables now!! 🙂
Very happy with the Shunyata TYPHON addition for the TRITON…..
It is great to be able to say without hesitation that the addition of the Shunyata TYPHON to my TRITON is one of the most magical moments in my four decades as a music loving soul. It’s real charmer: the TYPHON is one push forward towards audio bliss that frankly I did not see coming. For my system & taste it is a mayor step into a new level of music reproduction. All being said from a person who treasures music far above the hobby of collecting esoteric & $$$ gear.
Perhaps everyone may not feel this way because what the TYPHON does is hard to quantify w/ words, simple narrative bites & typical audiophile catchphrases.
The synergy is a real shocker: Music is in all regards simply more emotional, nuanced, clear, articulate and spatial in spades. Lush & at the same time powerful. Every recording sounds more interesting in some way & most are frankly more pleasurable to listen to. Space is the name of the game. Timing, tonalities, nuance, expression, emotion & engagement…. on & on.
If I were to remove the TYPHON from the system (which I have done for my wife) it is like viewing/hearing the musical event from behind a scrim or sheet of glass: It is for lack of a better word FLAT (er), pale, less organic & less emotionally engaging. A bit like watching someone on film take a walk on a beautiful day instead of walking & experiencing it yourself.
What the TYPHON/TRITON does:
– A picture window expands floor to ceiling and the glass is pristine….
– The air just got cleaner & cooler like a gentle passing spring front
– A stone dropped in a placid pond sending ripples to the banks
– Someone whispered from across a room but each word was clear & distinct
– The back wall of my listening room grew much deeper & the room magically expanded in all directions
– My emotional core was touched by a passage that I have known for decades but never w/ such resonance….
– Never heard that door slam before or that train pass in the distant background…..or the last, faintest, deepest rumble of thunder miles away…
– A drink of the purest cool water
– Oh… I remember what a nylon string guitar sound like in a small intimate room.
Every small detail….. The list can grow: It becomes a litany of little metaphors that hint at something that is poetic at its core. Poetic and therefore harder to describe. And poetic the TYPHON/TRITON combo is. In spades!!!
The point I want to make is that the overall effect of adding the TYPHON is something I intellectually understood but did not actually expect to be so deeply, dare I say, soulful & rewarding. This is the nicest thing I have done for my passions & myself as an audiophile/music lover in decades. Please if you can find a dealer who can let you take one of these home do so. It may turn out to be an expensive early birthday gift but ……it’s just magical.
So the DEFENDER went into my Maestros outlet in my office system ‘just for the burn in period.’ I listened and it sounded good. I removed a Furman power conditioner from the chain and plugged my amp directly into the Maestros outlet with the DEFENDER and I was amazed how great it sounded. Everything got better!!!
After eight days of burn-in, the sound became even more refined. So I will try the DEFENDER in my main system to evaluate; however, I will have to buy another DEFENDER if I like the results. My first DEFENDER stays in my office system forever.
Shunyata really stands behind their products. They went above and beyond to make sure the customer is satisfied. I moved into a new home in a different part of the country. There were some electrical issues and wasn’t sure if my V-RAY was damaged. The unit was sent back for inspection. Then turnaround time for their feedback, recommendations and repair was incredibly fast. Richard also provided me with literature that was easy to understand and explain to the electrician what was required in my sound room. I would highly recommend this manufacturer not only for their products but for the high level of customer service their staff provided. Richard, I really appreciate all the time and effort you put forth in helping me correct the electrical issues that I had. You spent a lot of time with me on the phone. The quality of service you provided is rare in today’s world.
I just installed one of your SR-Z1 outlets. All I can say is WOW! This is without a doubt the best Audio upgrade I have ever done. I definitely hear and see a difference, with my Audio equipment and my TV. Truly an excellent product! I highly recommend the SR-Z1 to anyone who wants to improve the performance of their electronics equipment.
Denali 6000/T, Sigma & Alpha NR etc.
Venom Phono Cables
Hi! Richard, I pray this email finds you well. I’ve been wanting to write and brag on the Venom phono cables for several months. I am 61 years old and have never written to a manufacturer in my life. I research what I buy and I expect it to meet or exceed my expectations. I’ve listened to, played and recorded music all my life and consider myself to have very discerning ears. I’m not big into “gear”. I’m into music. I added a dedicated listening room to the house and am very pleased with its acoustics. My system consists of a VPI Classic and Soundsmith Zephyr feeding a Sutherland 20/20 which in turn feeds a low-wattage SET pushing a pair of high-efficiency drivers and a pair of REL subwoofers. My last component upgrade was the Sutherland which I added about 4 years ago. At the same time I bought a pair of $1000 phono cables which sounded exquisite, but were accompanied by a low-level 60 hz hum. After quite a bit a tweaking and experimenting, I determined that my system requires a fully shielded phono cable and that the phono cable must be grounded to the RCA plugs at both ends. Otherwise it will hum. I paid several hundred dollars and bought the only phono cables I could find in my price range that met the criteria. The hum was gone, but the cables lacked the detail and transparency of the $1000 cables. They weren’t bad, and I learned to live with them, but I knew they were the limiting component in my system. Fast forward 4 years. I had surgery in March and knew I was going to be down for a few weeks and would be listening to music a lot. I decided to treat myself to a system upgrade and the obvious target was the phono cables. After a couple weeks of research I concluded that the Shunyata Venoms were my best bet. You were good enough to confirm that the Venoms were fully shielded and that the shielding was designed as a conductor between the RCAs. I ordered them and they arrived a week before the surgery. My hope was that they would have some of the transparency of the $1000 cables. I was not prepared for what I heard. Right out of the box they were an incremental improvement over the old cables, but within the span of 2 or 3 LPs they were in another league. By the time they had 20 or 30 hours on them they were just as transparent as I remembered the $1000 cables to be. On excellent recordings, complex orchestral passages are fully sorted out. A dozen violins is no longer a mass of sound, but 12 violins. But there’s more. The Venoms are quiet. As quiet as I thought my system was, the silences in music were now startling. Microdynamics and macrodynamics are noticeably more dynamic. And because of the lower noise floor and improved resolution, imaging is noticeably more holistic. I am not generally a big fan of superlatives, but the Venoms, at $400, have proven to be one of the great bargains in my system, and I consider all my components to be high-value components. They represent an upgrade at least on a par with the turntable and the cartridge and the phono pre-amp at many times the price. They really are that good. I can hardly say enough about them. I just wanted to thank you for the outstanding customer service I received from you and for the remarkable Venom phono cables.
Sincerely, Ted in Texas
Hydra Triton v3 & Alpha SP
Hi again Richard,
I haven’t bought me a second Alpha IC yet. Sometimes things don’t go as planned… 😉
Recently I was ”forced” to buy me a pair of Alpha SP, and my GOD what a great cable this is. Way better then the (great) old Anaconda SP. Rock hard bass and magical 3D. Just love it!!
I ended up selling my Triton V1 and then I was without a Triton, and what does a Snakehead do?? Start looking for a used Triton V2, of course. But I couldn’t find anyone here in Europe, so I had to buy a V3!! 🙂
The V1 was really, really good. But the V3 is in another league. I actually didn’t think it could get much better then the V1 (feels like we have pretty good electricity here) but I was wrong. Direct out of the box I was disappointed. Bright and harsh sounding. But after a few hours in the garage with fans and lamps it sounds fantastic! This is just pure magic! Almost eerie quiet between the tracks now.
It actually sounds like my ARC REF 75 is more powerful with the V3 then with the V1. Like the amp has gone up from 75W to 150W. And when I connected my Typhon the real magic arrived!! WOW!!
Thanks to all of you!
Best Regards,
Stefan
Shunyata rocks!
Dear everyone at Shunyata research,
My name is David Braun, and i am a freelance concert organizer in Maribor, Slovenia, focusing mainly on contemporary jazz and world music. Music has always held a prominent role in my life, something i cannot imagine being without, perhaps it is even an obsession….
On the other hand, hi-fi systems have never been a real priority, more a necessary means to get to the music, and very often »in the way«…i am not the person who has the need to constantly fumble with its own stereo, buy and sell or let alone spend millions on “sound”. Nevertheless, over the years i have managed – finances permitting – to build up a reasonable system for which i believe that it suits me, that it gets me to the “essence of music.” By that I mean that I find listening to music over a hi-fi system “an illusion”, and am happiest when it reminds me of feelings I have while listening to live (often acoustic or semi-acoustic) music, which I do a lot, being a concert organizer. Still, my friends – your official distributors in Slovenia – have persuaded me that i should use power cables from Shunyata, something i accepted with a fair amount of skepticism.
Now i am a happy user of the Venom power-cable on every component i own, and a very happy owner of a Delta NR power cable and a Venom interconnect on my CD player. I wish I could afford a power distributor, but that is probably not within my reach.
Amazing, truly stunning and astonishing what you have achieved with these products!!! I still find it hard to believe (this is probably due to my lack of technical knowledge) how much influence the power cables have on the music that is being played – and in a way that i feel is »in line« with how i perceive music. Everything is so palpable, present in space, almost speaker-less and on the other hand suddenly sounds completely effortless and spontaneous. It reminds me of how an acoustic instrument, say a violin, would sound in a room. These products seriously help transporting the “magic” that lies in a lot of music.
I would hereby like to congratulate you on your achievements; Shunyata’s products have made me very happy and have further strengthened my love and enthusiasm for music and brought many hours of very enjoyable listening – with many more to come. Also, I would like to mention the fact that I got a very competent advice from your distributors in Slovenia, the Intek company, including technical explanations and recommendations tailor-made for my specific desires and needs.
Great service from everyone and completely overwhelming products from Shunyata! You guys seriously rock!
Best regards,
David B.
I just had to tell you how wonderful the Zitron pc is
Hi Richard,
I just had to tell you how wonderful the Zitron pc is. I’ve been listening to a few tracks I’m familiar with after a day of letting the cable settle in my system. The pc I was using previously sounded hazy in comparison and the notes were scattered and somewhat jumbled in their space, though this wasn’t apparent till I switched to the Zitron. The Zitron is pin-point precise, neutral and lush. The background is dead quiet. I find that I can turn the volume up another 4-5 dbs from my reference volume without any glare or digital harshness. I wouldn’t call it polite because I feel it doesn’t exaggerate or add anything artificial to give it that initial “wow” factor that so many cables do. It just sounds right. I’m sure you’ve heard all this before. I do feel that while the soundstage is somewhat wider and deeper, it’s not as high or tall as what I’m previously used to. I suppose that makes more sense since all the instruments are at ground level. Maybe it’ll open up a bit more after a few days though I’m sure the pc was well broken in by the previous owner.
The only negative is that I will now have to upgrade all my PCs, so I won’t be eating out for a while :). If one cable can improve my system dramatically, I’m excited to hear what more can do. I just have to decide whether to go with the Delta NRs or to try to find Alpha HCs from my outlet to my 2 power strips. I would probably go with the Deltas for my amp and preamp since they are still in production. I would love to try the Alphas but 5 PCs are just way beyond my budget.
Thanks again for making a great product, and I’ll stay in touch to let you know how it all works out.
Best,
-Jose S.
Venom AMP-1
Hello,
Just want to give feed back on the Amp-1 Venom conditioner. It’s a great product and really does a phenomenal job filtering and regulating power. It offers a black background of music to my headphones, plugged in series with an amplifier and then the AMP-1 Venom to the wall…. Ultimate clarity for natural sounds as well. It’s very pleasing and gracious to see very high end audio products offered at consumer prices for intimate sessions or smaller studios. Good quality as well.
Good work!
Jacoub S.
The Venom PS8/Defender combination has been a game changer for me
Now that I have had some time to engage with your components, I have reached a few conclusions. I had expected some very subtle improvements in my system. I was wrong. The changes are far from subtle — especially when playing vinyl. The Venom PS8/Defender combination has been a game changer for me.
As a documentary filmmaker, a visual analogy comes to mind. It’s like switching from an LCD television monitor to an OLED one. On LCD sets, black is achieved by masking white pixels. But there are always light leaks, so the blacks look muddy. On an OLED set, black is truly the absence of light: pixels are actually turned off and hence go black.
Listening to music with the Venom PS8/Defender combination delivers the sonic equivalent of “true black”. The drop in the noise floor and the increased clarity are dramatic — the latter especially at lower listening levels. It’s like someone flipped a magic “loudness” switch — one that truly conveys the music itself rather than crudely boost the bass. By faithfully rendering the spaces in between the notes — the true blacks — I’m feeling a greater emotional connectedness to everything I’m listening to, which right now, is Thundercat’s ethereal, beautiful “A Hard Time”.
Arthur C. Clarke famously observed that “[a]ny sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” That’s how I feel about your technology. I have no idea of how it works, but I know that it works!
E Halpern.
ALPHA IC
Hi again Richard,
I didn’t buy two Delta as you and Grant recommended. I figured that if Delta is THAT good I’ll just be dreaming of Alpha for the rest of next year and end up selling Delta with a big loss. So I ordered one Alpha instead!
I found a clever way to persuade myself to buy two cables without selling the old ones; donate 10% of the price of new cables to Amnesty International! So it’s a win-win-win situation. You get your money, Amnesty gets theirs and I, well I don’t get any money, but I get HAPPY!!
And I’m planning to get another one in time for my birthday in February. I think that would be a nice gift to myself from myself! 🙂 (and more money to Amnesty!)
I got the cable last week and it has been playing for about 85 hours now. And I don’t know what to say, I’m stunned again!
I don’t know how you do it, but every generation of cables gets better and better!!! And without the crazy prices that other US companies sell!
I thought my Python was good, but this is ridiculous! It’s ”just a CABLE”!
HOW can I get this much improvement with just a cable from my dac to my pre amp???? I think Caelin is a pure GENIUS! A master mind of cable manufacturing!!
It has revealed layers of music that (I guess) was buried in noise before. It took me max five (5) seconds to hear that it is much better than the old Python! Even my ”strange”, non-audiophile music sounds amazing with this Alpha! It has a bass to die for. And a soundstage that is way bigger then Python!
And again I don’t feel any need to upgrade my speakers (Wilson Duette), they seem to grow bigger and bigger with every cable I buy.
And it is so pure and clear in it’s sound, without sounding harsh or bright. Just sounds CLEAN and beautiful. I actually didn’t think it would be THIS good. (I will send Leif a note later so I can express myself better, I hope he translate it and sends it to you then!)
I live in the north of Sweden, about 1000 km’s north of Stockholm, and up here we are not known to smile, dance or be happy if it’s not necessary. But I sing, dance, laugh and play air guitar in my living room now! Just pure JOY with this cable!! Can’t wait to get the other one….
Please say THANK YOU to Caelin and Grant and everybody else from me!
Best wishes to all of you, and Merry Christmas,
Stefan in Sweden
Bringing us all into a new age
Hi Richard,
I believe rotating the cable 45 degrees will do the trick. The area behind my 3 stereo stands will look like the jungle when I have 1 Python and 3 or 4 Cobra’s. I will call the area the snake pit. Feel free to post my comments on your website. The staff at Sound Hounds are very exited about your products as well. I can’t wait to get the Cobra ΞTRON™ power cables and hopefully your speaker cable. I will order one every couple of months. The sound through my Simaudio Moon equipment and B & W 804 S speakers will be even more fantastic. Your work is truly bringing us all into a new age. Just maybe, the sound puzzle we have been working on all our lives is nearing completion.
Mike M.
Victoria, BC
Typhon is a Very Worthwhile Improvement
Hello Richard,
I am really impressed with the promises of what Typhon can do to quieten the noise and especially the unusually not easy to tame phono amp.
My systems – Power, Pre, Phono, CD player (all hybrids) are now so quiet. Gone are the ear fatigue for high note, bass with the longest frequency waves length just sailed into the sunset. Ella, Billie, Nick Colionne, Dinah, Lightnin’ Hopkins voices sounded so clear as if they are singing live.
To sum up, adding Typhon doesn’t comes cheap, yet it can make a very worthwhile improvement to the overall sound quality!
Regards,
Clarence
Nothing could have prepared me…
Hi Richard,
I don’t mean to sound weird, but I feel like I’ve unlocked the door to another dimension. Nothing could have prepared me for the difference I would hear employing the TRITON and just the one ALPHA HC in my system. Scary real!! Best believe I’ll be buying more cords! Consider me a skeptic turned into a true believer!
Thanks oh so much for doing what you guys do!
All the best,
Eric
USA
PS8: I am a Believer Now
I recently purchased your PS8 with Defender power distribution and conditioning system and it has made such a positive difference in my system that I am thinking about upgrading all of my power cords and interconnects to Shunyata products. I have the following products: a Bryston B100 integrated amplifier, a Simaudio NEO 430HA headphone amplifier, a Simaudio NEO 380D DSD DAC. In your experience what will likely make the most difference in my system replacing the stock power cords or replacing the interconnects? In other words, do you have any advice on what I should start with first?
Also, I just want to say that prior to acquiring the PS8 system, you certainly could have described me as a skeptic as far as power conditioning systems are concerned, but I must say that I am a believer now. Also, just so you are aware, I received great service from Andrew Gilbert of Audio Ark in Edmonton, Alberta throughout this purchase. I had indicated to him that I had tried a Torus Power unit in my system and returned it as I did not feel it made a difference. However, Andrew suggested that I try the PS8 system and he said I would not be disappointed and he was definitely correct.
Thank you for making such a great product at a very fair price considering the performance boost it gave to my system.
Thanks,
Chad O
USA
VENOM DEFENDER Mahalo!
Aloha Richard,
I love the improvement the VENOM DEFENDER has made to my system. With high end audio price rising into the stratosphere it’s great to find cost effective products that perform.
Mahalo!
John
Hawaii
TRITON v2
Hi Richard,
My impressions of my newly upgraded TRITON V2 as of this writing are as follows: Newly upgraded, out of the box and now early on into the burn-in process (if any): Overall, what differences I hear is a greater amount of “truth” than that of “beauty”; there may be somewhat less warmth heard now heard from the minimalist system this TRITON (for 3 years as a V1 version and now a V2 version) is in – Simaudio 600i solid state integrated amp. and CD/SACD player with Maggies (modified MG1.6qr speakers) and all cables Shunyata CX or ΞTRON™, and with Stillpoints Ultra SS under all equipment and rack. Music now sounds more accurate – that much closer to the real thing and not so much a reproduction as with the V1 (which was so obviously better than the Talos it replaced). It is clear from even a far field listen that music (of all sorts – combo jazz, solo harp, choral, alt. rock) is more palpable; in the listening position it is very obvious.
Notes are heard as having a longer decay, and at the same time in a more airy and open 3 dimensional sense, as if some background noise has left the system, but without detracting from the actual music, and instead exposing more. Notes also stand out more in the soundstage as if emanating from a more defined place (space) now. This has given a greater height and depth to the soundstage. Even mono recordings and studio recordings have more musical information heard; I hear more separated layers of the instruments played. Dynamics are somewhat greater, although I do not listen to large massed orchestral pieces much. Sense of perspective is the same as V1 – upfront in a venue.
The change heard from V1 to V2 is such that it reminds me when I went from using all 3 power cords (to the system) – the older Shunyata Alpha Helix – to the newer (then) CX series; it is on the order of upgrading all the power cords at the same time.
In a few weeks I may have more insights as the new TRITON V2 burns in. In the meantime I am enjoying what I hear and am not feeling the need to obsess over the “newness” heard. Thanks again for helping me get the upgrade taken care of as we did.
Bob Specht
Tacoma, WA
TRITON v2 Upgrade
Thanks Richard,
This is all very informative and I’m pleased to know that I’m getting the best you folks have to offer.
As I think I may have mentioned previously, I’m using the KING COBRA AC cords with my power amp and the V-RAY II (and now the TRITON), AURORA balanced interconnects for both my amplifier and CD/SACD player, STRATOS IC interconnects for a McIntosh headphone amp I purchased recently and Stratos SP speaker cables for my speakers.
I don’t think I have to tell you that utilizing these products has made a huge and truly pleasurable difference within my Hi-Fi system.
I’ve been working in the Consumer Electronics industry and have been an “audiophile” for over 45 years, but Shunyata products are by far, the finest I’ve ever encountered, period!
Thanks again for your time and your help in answering my questions.
Stephen L. Ramsey
NJ
TYPHON/TRITON Combo
I just LOVE the sound that the Triton/Typhon combo makes now!! Really can’t believe how I could listen to my stereo before! I didn’t think my equipment could produce this kind of sonic quality. I was convinced that I had to change speakers or buy a newer cd player to achieve this sound. But my Duette HAVE grown musically now! I don’t have any plans to move up the Wilson ladder, although I know a pair of Sasha would give me better sound, but at a HIGH price. Not really worth it, cos I would still feel the urge to get better cables anyway. Better to focus on cables now!! 🙂
Kind Regards,
Stefan
Sweden
It’s a real charmer…
Very happy with the Shunyata TYPHON addition for the TRITON…..
It is great to be able to say without hesitation that the addition of the Shunyata TYPHON to my TRITON is one of the most magical moments in my four decades as a music loving soul. It’s real charmer: the TYPHON is one push forward towards audio bliss that frankly I did not see coming. For my system & taste it is a mayor step into a new level of music reproduction. All being said from a person who treasures music far above the hobby of collecting esoteric & $$$ gear.
Perhaps everyone may not feel this way because what the TYPHON does is hard to quantify w/ words, simple narrative bites & typical audiophile catchphrases.
The synergy is a real shocker: Music is in all regards simply more emotional, nuanced, clear, articulate and spatial in spades. Lush & at the same time powerful. Every recording sounds more interesting in some way & most are frankly more pleasurable to listen to. Space is the name of the game. Timing, tonalities, nuance, expression, emotion & engagement…. on & on.
If I were to remove the TYPHON from the system (which I have done for my wife) it is like viewing/hearing the musical event from behind a scrim or sheet of glass: It is for lack of a better word FLAT (er), pale, less organic & less emotionally engaging. A bit like watching someone on film take a walk on a beautiful day instead of walking & experiencing it yourself.
What the TYPHON/TRITON does:
– A picture window expands floor to ceiling and the glass is pristine….
– The air just got cleaner & cooler like a gentle passing spring front
– A stone dropped in a placid pond sending ripples to the banks
– Someone whispered from across a room but each word was clear & distinct
– The back wall of my listening room grew much deeper & the room magically expanded in all directions
– My emotional core was touched by a passage that I have known for decades but never w/ such resonance….
– Never heard that door slam before or that train pass in the distant background…..or the last, faintest, deepest rumble of thunder miles away…
– A drink of the purest cool water
– Oh… I remember what a nylon string guitar sound like in a small intimate room.
Every small detail….. The list can grow: It becomes a litany of little metaphors that hint at something that is poetic at its core. Poetic and therefore harder to describe. And poetic the TYPHON/TRITON combo is. In spades!!!
The point I want to make is that the overall effect of adding the TYPHON is something I intellectually understood but did not actually expect to be so deeply, dare I say, soulful & rewarding. This is the nicest thing I have done for my passions & myself as an audiophile/music lover in decades. Please if you can find a dealer who can let you take one of these home do so. It may turn out to be an expensive early birthday gift but ……it’s just magical.
Mark S. Smith
USA
Everything got better!
Hello Richard Rogers,
So the DEFENDER went into my Maestros outlet in my office system ‘just for the burn in period.’ I listened and it sounded good. I removed a Furman power conditioner from the chain and plugged my amp directly into the Maestros outlet with the DEFENDER and I was amazed how great it sounded. Everything got better!!!
After eight days of burn-in, the sound became even more refined. So I will try the DEFENDER in my main system to evaluate; however, I will have to buy another DEFENDER if I like the results. My first DEFENDER stays in my office system forever.
You folks have great customer service.
John W.
USA
Shunyata really stands behind their products
Shunyata really stands behind their products. They went above and beyond to make sure the customer is satisfied. I moved into a new home in a different part of the country. There were some electrical issues and wasn’t sure if my V-RAY was damaged. The unit was sent back for inspection. Then turnaround time for their feedback, recommendations and repair was incredibly fast. Richard also provided me with literature that was easy to understand and explain to the electrician what was required in my sound room. I would highly recommend this manufacturer not only for their products but for the high level of customer service their staff provided. Richard, I really appreciate all the time and effort you put forth in helping me correct the electrical issues that I had. You spent a lot of time with me on the phone. The quality of service you provided is rare in today’s world.
Marty L.
New Brunswick, Canada
WOW!
Hello,
I just installed one of your SR-Z1 outlets. All I can say is WOW! This is without a doubt the best Audio upgrade I have ever done. I definitely hear and see a difference, with my Audio equipment and my TV. Truly an excellent product! I highly recommend the SR-Z1 to anyone who wants to improve the performance of their electronics equipment.
Peter L.
USA