Hi Grant:
Just a note to update you on the HYDRA MODEL-8. I am almost reluctant to tell you my reactions because, to some extent they will sound like a replay of my comments on the ANDROMEDA speaker cable and therefore you might wonder whether I overreact to each upgrade or improvement in my system. Well, I do not. Some are subtle. Some purchases are not upgrades or improvements at all. But the HYDRA MODEL-8 (and the ANDROMEDA) is not subtle, is not negative… is not a close call. It made a substantial improvement in my system — a material leap forward. And the improvement was not just in one area or component but in almost every area audiophiles use to evaluate a product. And the negatives, the drawbacks — none, nada, not yet.
I actually purchased the HYDRA MODEL-8 to provide me with surge protection rather than for an improvement. All my components plugged directly into the wall. My reasoning in buying the unit was that if it provided me with protection against electrical surges and did no harm, the cost would be justified. Additionally, I listen almost exclusively to vinyl and did not think the improvements I had read about would be as noticeable with records as with digital. Finally, another piece of equipment I had added for the turntable had resulted in overall improvements but they were subtle. So I thought my vinyl playback had reached a plateau with my current system. In short, I was neither looking for, nor expecting, dramatic improvements — if any appreciable improvements — from the HYDRA MODEL-8. I just wanted protection without the drawbacks I had read about with other products.
My expectations disappeared by the end of the first piece I played. The improvements in my system were stunning. First, the noise. Wait, there was no noise. A *slight* hum that I had always heard (with 3 different phono sections) with the phono gain turned up and no music playing was gone. The system was quiet. And better yet, the quiet translated into blackness during playback. What I mean by this is that small details were readily distinguishable and sounds and instruments had their own place, both in space and in the recording. The details brought the instruments more to life than I had ever heard. There was a richness and fullness to the sounds that made the instruments sound more like they do in a music hall or club rather than in my listening room. The string and wood of the violins were more there. And the saxophone? Well, sometime ago, I had heard Paul Desmond’s sax in Take Five (Dave Brubeck) on a different system and under conditions that made that sax sound like nothing I had ever heard. It moved me. In setting up my home system, I had always used that cut in making adjustments and as a measure. With the HYDRA MODEL-8, I heard that sax and thought — for the first time — that the sound was what I had heard that day sometime ago and had been looking for ever since.
On a classical piece that I have played over 100 times, there is an organ playing low notes. I was surprised when I heard the opening passage and realized that all this time what I thought was a single note was actually two notes. And the bass is punchier, deeper and tighter.
I could go on. The instruments are more clearly layered and placed on the soundstage, for example. My conclusion: the HYDRA MODEL-8 doesn’t make music but it allows my components to perform closer to their maximum potential than any product I have owned.
Richard
I’ve had the ANACONDA VX and HYDRA in my system for a few weeks, so now is a good time to offer my observations. First, some history. Before this, I had the KING COBRA II feeding a Sony SCD-1 and the BLACK MAMBA on a Bryston 14B ST. Speakers are Harbeth Monitor 40s. All powercords were hooked to a high quality outlet fed by an original KING COBRA. I first tried Shunyata products three years ago. I was utterly smitten by what the KING COBRA did in freeing musical reproduction from congestion; allow musical expression to flow, and allowing instrumental images to leap out in a more solid fashion. In particular, I appreciated the way it took digital playback so much closer to analogue standards (especially SACDs) in the way it deals with digital A/C noise problems. Thus, when the ANACONDA VX was introduced, I could not imagine how much better it could be than the KING COBRA. I supposed that might only be room for subtle changes, since the KING COBRA already effected such a drastic improvement. My dealer offered a home demo I had nothing to lose.
However, I had a great deal to gain. Replacing the KING COBRA II with the ANACONDA VX brought music reproduction to a new level of realism. I could allude to improved dynamics, imaging or detail, but these terms seem irrelevant with the ANACONDA VX, so radical was the enhanced presence of the instruments and the greater revelation of the intentions musicians were expressing. Adding the new HYDRA MODEL-8 to this setup brought performance to even more elevated level of sonic clarity and a reduction of that buffer zone presented by reproductive means between the original event and the listener. The new HYDRA is even more neutral and colouration-free than the older model which I had auditioned in my system.
The musical presentation is so entrancing that one simply wants to enjoy the music without desiring to categorize or quantify the effect. Thoughts of Stardust, certified copper purity, dielectric quality, dyes etc. simply slip away from one’s mind, as they should. These design issues are for Caelin Gabriel to deal with. The Shunyata customers’ job is simply to partake in greater enjoyment of music.
The SCD-1 has recently been upgraded to the magnificently fluid, uncolored, responsive and analogue-sounding Krell SACD Standard (which sets new standard for SACD playback.) Powered by Shunyata, the new generation of SACD players perform at their best to deliver vinyl standards of playback from silver discs, and way beyond that even! I dare say that Shunyata IS the equalizing factor between digital and analogue.
The Shunyata philosophy is 100% in line with my goal of seeking neutral, transparent and colouration-free reproduction. I can’t imagine how these products can get substantially better, but trust Shunyata to relentlessly lead the way in breaking new ground, and to surprise us in days to come with what is yet possible from musical reproduction.
K. Tang, PhD Asst. Prof. in Musicology/Composition
NTU-Singapore
I recently compared a few power-line units, including HYDRA, Richard Grey and Audio Magic. I am very surprised how much difference there is in the sound of each unit. It (HYDRA) is the same kind of difference when I up-graded components, may be more. I definitely prefer the HYDRA. Sometimes I record CDs professionally. My angle is much higher sound quality, which the HYDRA is part of.
I bought the GUARDIAN 4-HT thru hifi at the soundstation and love it. Works great with my headphone amp — it’s a maxed out home reference and it sounds better with a DIAMONDBACK power cable and 4HT.
But when I plugged in my 31″ RCA and Direct TV receiver — a dramatic improvement in picture quality.
WOW! Its less fuzzy and colors more vibrant was using monster hts 2000 before.
The Shunyata HYDRA is a work of art. The looks alone are amazing, and craftsmanship is superb. Sonically, HYDRA is out of this world. After the first HYDRA was set up in my system, WOW, what a improvement, so much so that I am about to order my second HYDRA. The power cords such as the PYTHON will soon be throughout my entire system. Thanks SHUNYATA for making such a GREAT PRODUCT.
For years I had been using two or three so called “Giant Killer” power cables for my Wadia, (read cheap) thinking they should be “good enough”. Recently I bought the Black Mamba CX almost as a lark. Well, Richard, my first adventure in Shunyataland has been a real eye and ear opener! Did not realize just how much I had been missing, or how good the rest of my system really was. No audiophile verbiage needed, this Black Mamba CX just destroyed the Elcheapo power cables in all audible areas. I’m sure this is no surprise to you, but to me it has been a revelation. Thanks to this one power cable I now have an entirely “new” CD library to enjoy.
Today I received a Alpha HC power cord to be used with my Devialet D250 amplifier. I previously house a pair of Anaconda Speaker cables connecting the Devialet with my Magico Q3. This combination sounds fantastic in my opinion! I Listening to a wide selection of music – ZZ Top, Apex Twins, Opera, grand scale symphonic orchestral music, small jazz trios just to mention some – pretty much all kinds of music – and nowadays I am listening with a broad smile on my face. Both amplifier and speakers are very neutral and in combination with the Shunyata cable system, it all result in a convincing musical experience that forces me to play album after album. Thank you for manufacturing such great cables!
It’s now been about three weeks since I got my PS8 bundle. It’s been a great addition to my system. You can now add me to the list of people that believe power cables can, and do make a difference.
The amount of improvement/clarity to my system make this a bargain given how much I paid for this bundle. There’s no doubt that the next thing I buy for my system will be three more venom cables!
I just wanted to thank you for all you have done for those of us who enjoy listening to music.
Over the past year I was introduced to Shunyata Research through Music Direct. I acquired COBRA ΞTRON™ Power Cords to improve power delivery and the VENOM DEFENDER, DARKFIELD CABLE ELEVATOR’s and MINI’s to minimize EMI. I was so impressed by the dramatic effect these additions had in my system. The sound quality was transformed. It now resembles that of a live performance. There is such beauty in the highly resolved music I am hearing.
Thanks to you and your company for developing such advanced technology as “ΞTRON®” and for manufacturing so many value products. I feel privileged to have benefitted from your hard work.
I had replaced the KING COBRA CX that I was using on my Spectral 4000SL CD player. I was initially underwhelmed by the ALPHA’s lack of bottom end weight and majesty. Then I let the cable burn and settle in by putting the player on repeat for a couple hundred hours. Then came the sonic transformation of a level of an improved magnitude that blew me away! Up until now, my experience is that your power conditioning “boxes” offered more “bang for the buck” than your power cables. Not that your cables aren’t most excellent, which they are (I have plenty of em!), but that a $5000 TRITON or TYPHON box offered more value than a $3,000 ANACONDA wire. Not any more! In fact, if I had to (reluctantly) relinquish, say one of my TYPHON’s or my ALPHA DIGITAL cable, the TYPHON would be the one to go!
The ALPHA DIGITAL cable is a game changer. This may be the most important product that you have ever introduced to the market! The improvements, not differences, but improvements that I hear, in the context of my reference audio system are many. I will try my best to describe some of them. The soundstage is now much more clarified with an increased sense of imaging placement. Digital glare is tremendously reduced, and with that reduction of glare comes and increased sense of richness and density of timber of both instruments and voices. The sense of increased richness of harmonics and overtones of the instruments on the soundstage has been vastly improved. A guitar sounds more like a live guitar with the warm woody resonance of the soundboard with the interplay of the vibrating strings and their overtones on the harmonics. On piano recordings, I swoon at the hearing the sound of the individual mallets striking the strings and that instrument’s resonance. The piano’s sound and positioning on the stage is much better focused than ever before. Removing the glare from the human voice makes it sound, well, that much more human! Voices now seem to hang in space better than ever before, with every word more intelligible, particularly the ending of words. For example, lets say the vocalist sings the word “last”. Before the ALPHA, the word would sound closer to “lass” (with some digital “spit”), and now sounds like “lasT” (and that enunciated “T” fades off into space). Vocals are SO much easier to follow! The ALPHA also allows the dynamics (macro and micro) of the recording to come though as never before, as I am now hearing each performer’s individual contribution to the collective performance in the rhythm of the tune much more easy to discern. Combine all that I have mentioned and the increased sense of RPT and overall musicality in the sound of my system have gone WAY UP over the price of the ALPHA cable, which is less that a third of the price of the KING COBRA CX that it replaces! In fact if you had marketed this cable for the same price as that KING COBRA, it would have still been a fantastic value. Yes, it’s that good.
You have embarked on a new frontier with the ALPHA DIGITAL that in one fell swoop, has allowed us to hear the improvements that the designers of digital equipment and the designers of their internal componentry have worked to improve in over the past generation. Using an Alpha Digital cable is like taking digital’s sound ahead of where it currently resides into the future by a decade! It is that big of a deal!
I just received the PYTHON ordered from you by Sound Hounds in Victoria, BC. It is a bit hard to install unless I twist the cable so it will lie in a reasonable position and still hook up from my Oyaide outlet to my PS Audio Premier regenerator. How much can it be twisted to make the connections line up. Sound Hounds say just don’t kink it and twist as needed. I just want be sure as it is far more money than I have ever spent on a cable. I replaced a new VENOM HC with it. The VENOM was a great improvement. My wife and I are still trying to describe the difference the PYTHON has made. We installed it last night. We can feel much greater sound pressure at about 70 db. We have a concrete carpeted floor but the leather couch cushions were vibrating with Jack Johnson at 70 or so db. The Venom HC did not do that but improved the sound immensely. We have only listened for 45 minutes so we will see as burn-in continues. I think the PYTHON will improve the openness, soundstage and add dimensions and detail when compared to the awesome Venom HC. We are planning to use COBRA ΞTRON® for our other power cords and Shunyata speaker wire. I love what you are doing. Bringing great products to the market that a person can justify buying. I have spent most of my life trying to get vinyl and cd’s to sound good without going broke. I can finally say at 61 years old I am almost there.
I recently purchased a new HYDRA 6 with the VENOM HC power cord. It replaced a APC H10 power conditioner. I was expecting an improvement. I was shocked at how big of an improvement this device has made. It is not broken in yet but already there are great improvements being experienced. The bass is tighter, clearer, fuller and more detailed. Of course the soundstage is wider and deeper. There were some cds I could not play properly especially with low bass. Now they play fine and can be enjoyed. Even the volume level has increased. More music is being heard at all levels. Keep up the good work.
I would like to let you know how things are working out with the new TRITON, TYPHON, and the ΞTRON™ powersnakes.
In one word: remarkable!!
The TRITON/TYPHON combination is simply amazing. The noise floor in my system is now vanishingly low. I am an Electrical Engineer and I have been an audiophile for more than thirty years, and to say the noise floor is vanishingly low is something I never thought I would say about any system.
Please give my warmest regards to Caelin Gabriel and everybody else at Shunyata!
The near field high frequency noise issue is, in my experience, the key to getting things right. I installed the TRITON/TYPHON and the new ΞTRON™ cables where a V-RAY and some lesser quality cables had previously been installed. Prior to installing the TRITON/TYPHON, I had heard some peculiar low level intermittent noises, but I could not determine what was causing of these noises. At first, I thought I had some tubes going bad in my Audio Research Ref 40 linestage or in my Audio Research PH3SE Phono Stage. Replacing the tubes did not help. I tried other things, but I could not get rid of that noise. After upgrading the V-RAY to the TRITON/TYPHON, the noise floor of the system dropped enough that I could clearly tell what the intermittent problem was: it was RF interference from the local AM radio station. By turning the Gain all the way up, and putting my ear to the speaker, I could hear the radio station. I traced the problem down to some grounding and shielding issues in the phono cables. The problem went away, and the system sounds remarkably better. The key issue here is that until after installing the TRITON/TYPHON, I could not trace down the problem.
I have very good, “clean” AC power coming into my listening room. I live out in the country. I have my own step-down “pole pig” transformer at my ranch. I do not have to share the output of this transformer with anybody else. The main power panel for the entire Ranch is next to the listening room, and I have four dedicated AC lines, two on each side of the incoming power.
I have degrees in Electrical Engineering and a career of experience working in the Aerospace industry. I spent most of my career working on major spacecraft and related systems. Getting the noise floor of the system to an acceptably low level is of fundamental importance in satellite communications. The stereo rig I have assembled here is one of the quietest systems I have ever created. Your products have really made a difference! I wish your products had been available to us when we were testing spacecraft. You could have helped us a lot!
I had been burning in the HYDRA HC and HYDRA-α MODEL-4 for a few days as you suggested and did a lot of careful listening yesterday. The sound was good right out of the box but really did get better over the next couple days. I am very happy with the sound! I didn’t need to go back and forth with the old stuff to be able to tell if there was an improvement. The improvement in transient attack was most immediately obvious and makes everything sound way more lifelike. I was a little startled a few times by the realism. Also, the system just sounds bigger and more powerful overall. I can’t quite explain it, maybe more dynamic, but again much more like real life. I also compared it to a PS Audio Power Plant Premier and I couldn’t believe how much smaller and less involving everything sounded through the power plant. I guess it makes sense that running the AC through all that extra circuitry could do more harm than good.
The only small complaint I have is that the HYDRA HC cord is really stiff to be connected to a light component like the HYDRA-α MODEL-4. I was able to eventually get the cord to conform to the shape it needed to and now everything is staying in place.
Thanks for trickling down your technology to make such high quality products at a more affordable level.
My name is Thomas Cicatelli, but my “Stage Name” is Tommie Chick. First, let me say to Caelin that I wish I could speak to you to personally say “thanks” for what you and your research team have done for me. I am a musician within a three piece band who writes, sings and plays the guitar. My bass player and drummer complete my band. We play Blues standards and originals of mine. I have been playing guitar for 45 years and have settled on a tone that I consider to be the “Holy Grail”.
With the help of your many hours of toil and sweat and assistance from Mark at Music Direct I was able to be put in contact with Richard at Shunyata. Let me explain what is happening. I play guitar as an extension of my voice and I am very cognizant of the fact that the tone I achieve on my instrument is also an expression of myself. Through many years and hundreds of hours, I have strained at this search for my tone. As a result, my equipment has gone through several changes over the years. But, during the summer of 2011, my search led me in a new direction.
In the beginning I made a decision to change all my equipment. I sold all my guitars, amps and effects. The only thing I kept the same were my custom made Van den haul cables, picks and strings. I decided on a Heritage H150 as my main guitar and an amp made in Italy as my only go to instrument. Both the guitar and the amp had things change on them before they were ready. But I noticed a problem when playing my tube amp that was plugged into a Furman Power Factor Pro. I spoke to Mark at Music Direct and I started to think about what needed to be changed.
After reading the information on your website, I started to understand what was wrong with my sound. It was then that I spoke to Richard. At first I told him that I wanted to speak to Caelin. Let me say that I know now why that was not going to take place. I made the decision to purchase the COPPERHEAD power cable and here is what has happened to my sound and guitartone:
A MAJOR MIRACLE HAS TAKEN PLACE!
In an even more dramatic way then when I switched guitar cords. The COPPERHEAD is the best piece of equipment I have. My tone is phenomenal. I am able to say because of three things: 1. My Bass player, a friend for 40 years, told me after our 2 hours of rehearsing that my tone was the best he had ever heard. 2. My recording engineer and fellow musician(guitar,harp and violin are his instruments) looked at everything I was using and could not believe the sound, sustain and harmonics I was able to achieve. 3. My WIFE! she said that my sound was very pleasant and a lot more musical then before. Here is what the COPPERHEAD has done for my sound/tone: I can take the black 10ft. power cable and make a dog leash out of it. I am positve that it changed my tone dramatically because I a/b both cables and the COPPERHEAD destroyed the other one totally. My amp after more than 2 hours of use was NOT even the least bit warm. It was cool to my touch.
This means that the tubes will last longer because they will not have to be pushed harder. Internal components like filter caps etc. will not have to be changed as quickly. Lastly, the speaker will sound better as it ages because it does not have to be over worked all the time.
My guitar sound was now MUCH better. Chords were full, single notes were clear as a bell, my sustain was more pronounced, string harmonics and tube overtones and gain was smooth. My effects worked better and changes to the controls made a big difference. By this I mean it did not matter if I changed the controls on the amp, the guitar or my overdrive effect. All of these changes were heard and made an impact on my sound. Well, this is my review of what the Shunyata Research COPPERHEAD power cable did for me. I am a big fan and an endorser of this great piece of equipment.
Now, when I leave, I take: my guitar, my amp, my overdrive pedal, my cables, picks and last but really first, I make sure that my amp has the COPPERHEAD attached.
My name is Tom and I am a user of Shunyata Products. I use the SR-Z1 hi-end outlet and the COPPERHEAD power cable. Here is the result of my many years of trying to achieve the best possible tone that I can from my musicial equipment. As a guitarist, my main concern is noise from my tube amp and good and bad tone variations from this amp when plugging in to play through it from day to day. In the past, some days things sound status-quo and then other days there are noises and other tones that make playing, practicing and recording very difficult for me.
Then I discovered the power cable and the outlet made by the tech guys at Shunyata Research. From the first time I plugged the amp into the outlet using the COPPERHEAD there was a direct improvement to the sound of my equipment.
First, my amp was quiet. After playing for a few hours I noticed that the amp remained cool to my touch.
Second, my tone was phenomenal sounding. Every note was true and rich. There was no extra distortion coming through the amp. No unwanted noise of any type, just pure true tone. When I added over-drive from the amp or one of my pedals, I was able to achieve pure overtones and richer harmonics than I ever had before this time.
Third, when I did some rehearsing and sound testing at my friends studio, he could not believe how this new set up recorded. I am now able to just set my guitar, amp and any pedal the way I want. This will save me a lot of time by not having to set controls each time. If I want a certain sound, all that I have to do is set all the controls. The next time, if I want the same sound, I just set the controls the same as before.
Now I am no longer just killing studio time trying to get that sound I got yesterday. Now when I am playing, all I have to do is concentrate on the music without any worrying about the tone. I now have complete confidence in my sound, the tone and how other peoples ears will hear what I am playing. Finally, the two guys that record me had nothing but the highest praise for the SR-Z1 outlet and the COPPERHEAD power cable. My friend Tim has a spot on his second floor that I love to record from. He told me that after he heard my set up, he would have no trouble recording me either playing quiet or over the top. Tim said it will be easy now and there will be no restrictions recording my sound. He went so far as to say that the Shunyata gear has made it easy and less complicated to record my sound at its best.
Another friend John did some recording in his studio of me. He said that my new equipment made the sound that was coming from my amp better. The tone, the sound of the over-tones, the harmonic structure of the notes and the purity and transparency coming from the speaker resulted in a great recording sound that will playback well on CD time after time.
I hope that this can fully explain my deep and sincere gratitude to Richard and all the people at Shunyata Research. I, and my tone, are forever in your debt.
Tommie Chick, aka Thomas Cicatelli
Around the beginning of 2011, the new Shunyata VENOM-3 entered the market, and given my experiences with the DIAMONDBACK PLATINUM, and given the VENOM-3’s incredible price, I was quite interested to try one out, and ordered one for use on my phono stage. Again, I was simply astonished at the improvement and performance that this “entry-level” power cord brings to the customer. For the price, I simply could not believe the level of performance. While both cords exhibited the same set of improvements described in Part 1, what was really intriguing that the VENOM-3 imparted a different quality to the the musical presentation than the DIAMONDBACK PLATINUM. Where the DIAMONDBACK PLATINUM was crisp, clean, and neutral, the VENOM-3 was rich, slightly warm, layered, and textured. I absolutely LOVED it, and it stayed as the power cord for my phono stage, as it’s qualities blended beautifully with an analogue turntable source. I recently bought a used power cord from a friend from another manufacturer, figuring one can never have enough good power cords around. This particular cord is made by a justifiably well-respected manufacturer who makes fine products, and sells new for about $500. I recently did a comparison between this $500 cord and the VENOM-3 when my audio friend was over. We started the demo with the $500 cord, and then put in the VENOM-3. My friend immediately commented, “Wow! The VENOM-3 is more transparent and WAY better than the first cord. I don’t even want to listen to that other cord anymore.” We were both in agreement, and what was really astonishing was that, on the whole, the VENOM-3 absolutely slaughtered this $500 power cord. My friend has been so impressed with the VENOM-3 that just last week he installed four Shunyata VENOM-3 throughout his system and to say he is very, very pleased with the improvements it has brought to his system would be an understatement. Or, as he put it, “I cannot overstate the improvements the VENOM-3’s have made to my system.
In my experience, the VENOM-3 represents an absolutely astonishing level of performance for it’s price, and has to be one of the best value propositions in all of audio. It clearly deserved the awards it won from the professional magazines in 2011, and in my opinion, was one of the outstanding audio products of 2011. It outperforms aftermarket power cords costing 4-5 times as much, and one has to move up to the Shunyata BLACK MAMBA CX/HC CX level of premium cords to actually obtain a notable improvement in performance. I’ll be commenting on my experiences with the BLACK MAMBA CX, HC, CX and HYDRA series of power distributors in Part 3 of my “Journey with Shunyata”. Stay tuned.
You probably already know how good your products are, but just in case…
I just put a TAIPAN HELIX ALPHA power cord onto my CJ CT-5 preamp and wow. It replaced a Custom Power Company Eleven which I always figured was ok. I already had a 20 amp TAIPAN HELIX ALPHA and HYDRA 8 as well as HYDRA 2 with a Shunyata COPPERHEAD for my CJ Premier 12’s. Linn LP12 / Ekos/Lingo/Akiva cartridge. Naim UnitiServe / Enightened Audio DSP-7000 (I know – ancient). Meadowlark Blue Heron speakers.
The TAIPAN on the CT-5 has been remarkable. These things are hard to describe, so I’ll do my best: The music is suddenly much more palpable. The soundstage had always been behind the speakers and now it’s at the plane of the speakers. Everything is clearer making all the instruments sound better. Records that were always a bit dull sounding on my system suddenly sound alive (eg… Allman’s Eat a Peach). No negatives to top end, bass or rhythm/ pacing.
It’s hard to believe that a power cord could make such a difference in a system, but it has. Best upgrade ever!
It made a substantial improvement in my system
The musical presentation is so entrancing…
Hi Grant,
I’ve had the ANACONDA VX and HYDRA in my system for a few weeks, so now is a good time to offer my observations. First, some history. Before this, I had the KING COBRA II feeding a Sony SCD-1 and the BLACK MAMBA on a Bryston 14B ST. Speakers are Harbeth Monitor 40s. All powercords were hooked to a high quality outlet fed by an original KING COBRA. I first tried Shunyata products three years ago. I was utterly smitten by what the KING COBRA did in freeing musical reproduction from congestion; allow musical expression to flow, and allowing instrumental images to leap out in a more solid fashion. In particular, I appreciated the way it took digital playback so much closer to analogue standards (especially SACDs) in the way it deals with digital A/C noise problems. Thus, when the ANACONDA VX was introduced, I could not imagine how much better it could be than the KING COBRA. I supposed that might only be room for subtle changes, since the KING COBRA already effected such a drastic improvement. My dealer offered a home demo I had nothing to lose.
However, I had a great deal to gain. Replacing the KING COBRA II with the ANACONDA VX brought music reproduction to a new level of realism. I could allude to improved dynamics, imaging or detail, but these terms seem irrelevant with the ANACONDA VX, so radical was the enhanced presence of the instruments and the greater revelation of the intentions musicians were expressing. Adding the new HYDRA MODEL-8 to this setup brought performance to even more elevated level of sonic clarity and a reduction of that buffer zone presented by reproductive means between the original event and the listener. The new HYDRA is even more neutral and colouration-free than the older model which I had auditioned in my system.
The musical presentation is so entrancing that one simply wants to enjoy the music without desiring to categorize or quantify the effect. Thoughts of Stardust, certified copper purity, dielectric quality, dyes etc. simply slip away from one’s mind, as they should. These design issues are for Caelin Gabriel to deal with. The Shunyata customers’ job is simply to partake in greater enjoyment of music.
The SCD-1 has recently been upgraded to the magnificently fluid, uncolored, responsive and analogue-sounding Krell SACD Standard (which sets new standard for SACD playback.) Powered by Shunyata, the new generation of SACD players perform at their best to deliver vinyl standards of playback from silver discs, and way beyond that even! I dare say that Shunyata IS the equalizing factor between digital and analogue.
The Shunyata philosophy is 100% in line with my goal of seeking neutral, transparent and colouration-free reproduction. I can’t imagine how these products can get substantially better, but trust Shunyata to relentlessly lead the way in breaking new ground, and to surprise us in days to come with what is yet possible from musical reproduction.
K. Tang, PhD Asst. Prof. in Musicology/Composition
NTU-Singapore
I definitely prefer the HYDRA
I recently compared a few power-line units, including HYDRA, Richard Grey and Audio Magic. I am very surprised how much difference there is in the sound of each unit. It (HYDRA) is the same kind of difference when I up-graded components, may be more. I definitely prefer the HYDRA. Sometimes I record CDs professionally. My angle is much higher sound quality, which the HYDRA is part of.
Bill M.
I bought the GUARDIAN 4-HT… and love it
I bought the GUARDIAN 4-HT thru hifi at the soundstation and love it. Works great with my headphone amp — it’s a maxed out home reference and it sounds better with a DIAMONDBACK power cable and 4HT.
But when I plugged in my 31″ RCA and Direct TV receiver — a dramatic improvement in picture quality.
WOW! Its less fuzzy and colors more vibrant was using monster hts 2000 before.
R. Chambers
The Shunyata HYDRA is a work of art
The Shunyata HYDRA is a work of art. The looks alone are amazing, and craftsmanship is superb. Sonically, HYDRA is out of this world. After the first HYDRA was set up in my system, WOW, what a improvement, so much so that I am about to order my second HYDRA. The power cords such as the PYTHON will soon be throughout my entire system. Thanks SHUNYATA for making such a GREAT PRODUCT.
Al W.
I am, well, astounded…
Just competed Burn-In Week.
All I can tell you, Richard, is that I am, well, astounded.
The system is transformed.
You probably have […]’s order for two more Sigmas (HC) for my amps
Although I can’t imagine what more these cords will do?
Thank you and everyone you work with for such wonderful (but expensive) gifts.
Jon F.
Greenwich, NY
Recently I bought the Black Mamba CX almost as a lark…
For years I had been using two or three so called “Giant Killer” power cables for my Wadia, (read cheap) thinking they should be “good enough”. Recently I bought the Black Mamba CX almost as a lark. Well, Richard, my first adventure in Shunyataland has been a real eye and ear opener! Did not realize just how much I had been missing, or how good the rest of my system really was. No audiophile verbiage needed, this Black Mamba CX just destroyed the Elcheapo power cables in all audible areas. I’m sure this is no surprise to you, but to me it has been a revelation. Thanks to this one power cable I now have an entirely “new” CD library to enjoy.
Thanks again,
Jim O.
USA
I received a Alpha HC power cord to be used with my Devialet
Today I received a Alpha HC power cord to be used with my Devialet D250 amplifier. I previously house a pair of Anaconda Speaker cables connecting the Devialet with my Magico Q3. This combination sounds fantastic in my opinion! I Listening to a wide selection of music – ZZ Top, Apex Twins, Opera, grand scale symphonic orchestral music, small jazz trios just to mention some – pretty much all kinds of music – and nowadays I am listening with a broad smile on my face. Both amplifier and speakers are very neutral and in combination with the Shunyata cable system, it all result in a convincing musical experience that forces me to play album after album. Thank you for manufacturing such great cables!
Best regards
Björn W. Gothenburg
Sweden
PS8 Bundle
Hi Richard,
It’s now been about three weeks since I got my PS8 bundle. It’s been a great addition to my system. You can now add me to the list of people that believe power cables can, and do make a difference.
The amount of improvement/clarity to my system make this a bargain given how much I paid for this bundle. There’s no doubt that the next thing I buy for my system will be three more venom cables!
Regards,
Patrick
Littleton, CO
Like A Live Performance
Dear Caelin,
I just wanted to thank you for all you have done for those of us who enjoy listening to music.
Over the past year I was introduced to Shunyata Research through Music Direct. I acquired COBRA ΞTRON™ Power Cords to improve power delivery and the VENOM DEFENDER, DARKFIELD CABLE ELEVATOR’s and MINI’s to minimize EMI. I was so impressed by the dramatic effect these additions had in my system. The sound quality was transformed. It now resembles that of a live performance. There is such beauty in the highly resolved music I am hearing.
Thanks to you and your company for developing such advanced technology as “ΞTRON®” and for manufacturing so many value products. I feel privileged to have benefitted from your hard work.
Harlon M.
You have embarked on a new frontier…
Dear Caelin, Grant, and Richard,
I had replaced the KING COBRA CX that I was using on my Spectral 4000SL CD player. I was initially underwhelmed by the ALPHA’s lack of bottom end weight and majesty. Then I let the cable burn and settle in by putting the player on repeat for a couple hundred hours. Then came the sonic transformation of a level of an improved magnitude that blew me away! Up until now, my experience is that your power conditioning “boxes” offered more “bang for the buck” than your power cables. Not that your cables aren’t most excellent, which they are (I have plenty of em!), but that a $5000 TRITON or TYPHON box offered more value than a $3,000 ANACONDA wire. Not any more! In fact, if I had to (reluctantly) relinquish, say one of my TYPHON’s or my ALPHA DIGITAL cable, the TYPHON would be the one to go!
The ALPHA DIGITAL cable is a game changer. This may be the most important product that you have ever introduced to the market! The improvements, not differences, but improvements that I hear, in the context of my reference audio system are many. I will try my best to describe some of them. The soundstage is now much more clarified with an increased sense of imaging placement. Digital glare is tremendously reduced, and with that reduction of glare comes and increased sense of richness and density of timber of both instruments and voices. The sense of increased richness of harmonics and overtones of the instruments on the soundstage has been vastly improved. A guitar sounds more like a live guitar with the warm woody resonance of the soundboard with the interplay of the vibrating strings and their overtones on the harmonics. On piano recordings, I swoon at the hearing the sound of the individual mallets striking the strings and that instrument’s resonance. The piano’s sound and positioning on the stage is much better focused than ever before. Removing the glare from the human voice makes it sound, well, that much more human! Voices now seem to hang in space better than ever before, with every word more intelligible, particularly the ending of words. For example, lets say the vocalist sings the word “last”. Before the ALPHA, the word would sound closer to “lass” (with some digital “spit”), and now sounds like “lasT” (and that enunciated “T” fades off into space). Vocals are SO much easier to follow! The ALPHA also allows the dynamics (macro and micro) of the recording to come though as never before, as I am now hearing each performer’s individual contribution to the collective performance in the rhythm of the tune much more easy to discern. Combine all that I have mentioned and the increased sense of RPT and overall musicality in the sound of my system have gone WAY UP over the price of the ALPHA cable, which is less that a third of the price of the KING COBRA CX that it replaces! In fact if you had marketed this cable for the same price as that KING COBRA, it would have still been a fantastic value. Yes, it’s that good.
You have embarked on a new frontier with the ALPHA DIGITAL that in one fell swoop, has allowed us to hear the improvements that the designers of digital equipment and the designers of their internal componentry have worked to improve in over the past generation. Using an Alpha Digital cable is like taking digital’s sound ahead of where it currently resides into the future by a decade! It is that big of a deal!
With awe and appreciation for what you do…
RAC
I highly recommend the SR-Z1 to anyone…
Hi,
I just received the PYTHON ordered from you by Sound Hounds in Victoria, BC. It is a bit hard to install unless I twist the cable so it will lie in a reasonable position and still hook up from my Oyaide outlet to my PS Audio Premier regenerator. How much can it be twisted to make the connections line up. Sound Hounds say just don’t kink it and twist as needed. I just want be sure as it is far more money than I have ever spent on a cable. I replaced a new VENOM HC with it. The VENOM was a great improvement. My wife and I are still trying to describe the difference the PYTHON has made. We installed it last night. We can feel much greater sound pressure at about 70 db. We have a concrete carpeted floor but the leather couch cushions were vibrating with Jack Johnson at 70 or so db. The Venom HC did not do that but improved the sound immensely. We have only listened for 45 minutes so we will see as burn-in continues. I think the PYTHON will improve the openness, soundstage and add dimensions and detail when compared to the awesome Venom HC. We are planning to use COBRA ΞTRON® for our other power cords and Shunyata speaker wire. I love what you are doing. Bringing great products to the market that a person can justify buying. I have spent most of my life trying to get vinyl and cd’s to sound good without going broke. I can finally say at 61 years old I am almost there.
Mike M.
Victoria, BC
More music is being heard at all levels
Ladies & Gents:
I recently purchased a new HYDRA 6 with the VENOM HC power cord. It replaced a APC H10 power conditioner. I was expecting an improvement. I was shocked at how big of an improvement this device has made. It is not broken in yet but already there are great improvements being experienced. The bass is tighter, clearer, fuller and more detailed. Of course the soundstage is wider and deeper. There were some cds I could not play properly especially with low bass. Now they play fine and can be enjoyed. Even the volume level has increased. More music is being heard at all levels. Keep up the good work.
David R.
In one word: remarkable!!
Hi Richard:
I would like to let you know how things are working out with the new TRITON, TYPHON, and the ΞTRON™ powersnakes.
In one word: remarkable!!
The TRITON/TYPHON combination is simply amazing. The noise floor in my system is now vanishingly low. I am an Electrical Engineer and I have been an audiophile for more than thirty years, and to say the noise floor is vanishingly low is something I never thought I would say about any system.
Please give my warmest regards to Caelin Gabriel and everybody else at Shunyata!
Robert O.
Your products have really made a difference!
The near field high frequency noise issue is, in my experience, the key to getting things right. I installed the TRITON/TYPHON and the new ΞTRON™ cables where a V-RAY and some lesser quality cables had previously been installed. Prior to installing the TRITON/TYPHON, I had heard some peculiar low level intermittent noises, but I could not determine what was causing of these noises. At first, I thought I had some tubes going bad in my Audio Research Ref 40 linestage or in my Audio Research PH3SE Phono Stage. Replacing the tubes did not help. I tried other things, but I could not get rid of that noise. After upgrading the V-RAY to the TRITON/TYPHON, the noise floor of the system dropped enough that I could clearly tell what the intermittent problem was: it was RF interference from the local AM radio station. By turning the Gain all the way up, and putting my ear to the speaker, I could hear the radio station. I traced the problem down to some grounding and shielding issues in the phono cables. The problem went away, and the system sounds remarkably better. The key issue here is that until after installing the TRITON/TYPHON, I could not trace down the problem.
I have very good, “clean” AC power coming into my listening room. I live out in the country. I have my own step-down “pole pig” transformer at my ranch. I do not have to share the output of this transformer with anybody else. The main power panel for the entire Ranch is next to the listening room, and I have four dedicated AC lines, two on each side of the incoming power.
I have degrees in Electrical Engineering and a career of experience working in the Aerospace industry. I spent most of my career working on major spacecraft and related systems. Getting the noise floor of the system to an acceptably low level is of fundamental importance in satellite communications. The stereo rig I have assembled here is one of the quietest systems I have ever created. Your products have really made a difference! I wish your products had been available to us when we were testing spacecraft. You could have helped us a lot!
Robert O.
Sound was good right out of the box…
Richard,
I had been burning in the HYDRA HC and HYDRA-α MODEL-4 for a few days as you suggested and did a lot of careful listening yesterday. The sound was good right out of the box but really did get better over the next couple days. I am very happy with the sound! I didn’t need to go back and forth with the old stuff to be able to tell if there was an improvement. The improvement in transient attack was most immediately obvious and makes everything sound way more lifelike. I was a little startled a few times by the realism. Also, the system just sounds bigger and more powerful overall. I can’t quite explain it, maybe more dynamic, but again much more like real life. I also compared it to a PS Audio Power Plant Premier and I couldn’t believe how much smaller and less involving everything sounded through the power plant. I guess it makes sense that running the AC through all that extra circuitry could do more harm than good.
The only small complaint I have is that the HYDRA HC cord is really stiff to be connected to a light component like the HYDRA-α MODEL-4. I was able to eventually get the cord to conform to the shape it needed to and now everything is staying in place.
Thanks for trickling down your technology to make such high quality products at a more affordable level.
Donald H.
Chicago, IL
A major miracle has taken place!
Greetings to Caelin and Richard,
My name is Thomas Cicatelli, but my “Stage Name” is Tommie Chick. First, let me say to Caelin that I wish I could speak to you to personally say “thanks” for what you and your research team have done for me. I am a musician within a three piece band who writes, sings and plays the guitar. My bass player and drummer complete my band. We play Blues standards and originals of mine. I have been playing guitar for 45 years and have settled on a tone that I consider to be the “Holy Grail”.
With the help of your many hours of toil and sweat and assistance from Mark at Music Direct I was able to be put in contact with Richard at Shunyata. Let me explain what is happening. I play guitar as an extension of my voice and I am very cognizant of the fact that the tone I achieve on my instrument is also an expression of myself. Through many years and hundreds of hours, I have strained at this search for my tone. As a result, my equipment has gone through several changes over the years. But, during the summer of 2011, my search led me in a new direction.
In the beginning I made a decision to change all my equipment. I sold all my guitars, amps and effects. The only thing I kept the same were my custom made Van den haul cables, picks and strings. I decided on a Heritage H150 as my main guitar and an amp made in Italy as my only go to instrument. Both the guitar and the amp had things change on them before they were ready. But I noticed a problem when playing my tube amp that was plugged into a Furman Power Factor Pro. I spoke to Mark at Music Direct and I started to think about what needed to be changed.
After reading the information on your website, I started to understand what was wrong with my sound. It was then that I spoke to Richard. At first I told him that I wanted to speak to Caelin. Let me say that I know now why that was not going to take place. I made the decision to purchase the COPPERHEAD power cable and here is what has happened to my sound and guitartone:
A MAJOR MIRACLE HAS TAKEN PLACE!
In an even more dramatic way then when I switched guitar cords. The COPPERHEAD is the best piece of equipment I have. My tone is phenomenal. I am able to say because of three things: 1. My Bass player, a friend for 40 years, told me after our 2 hours of rehearsing that my tone was the best he had ever heard. 2. My recording engineer and fellow musician(guitar,harp and violin are his instruments) looked at everything I was using and could not believe the sound, sustain and harmonics I was able to achieve. 3. My WIFE! she said that my sound was very pleasant and a lot more musical then before. Here is what the COPPERHEAD has done for my sound/tone: I can take the black 10ft. power cable and make a dog leash out of it. I am positve that it changed my tone dramatically because I a/b both cables and the COPPERHEAD destroyed the other one totally. My amp after more than 2 hours of use was NOT even the least bit warm. It was cool to my touch.
This means that the tubes will last longer because they will not have to be pushed harder. Internal components like filter caps etc. will not have to be changed as quickly. Lastly, the speaker will sound better as it ages because it does not have to be over worked all the time.
My guitar sound was now MUCH better. Chords were full, single notes were clear as a bell, my sustain was more pronounced, string harmonics and tube overtones and gain was smooth. My effects worked better and changes to the controls made a big difference. By this I mean it did not matter if I changed the controls on the amp, the guitar or my overdrive effect. All of these changes were heard and made an impact on my sound. Well, this is my review of what the Shunyata Research COPPERHEAD power cable did for me. I am a big fan and an endorser of this great piece of equipment.
Now, when I leave, I take: my guitar, my amp, my overdrive pedal, my cables, picks and last but really first, I make sure that my amp has the COPPERHEAD attached.
Tommie Chick, aka Thomas Cicatelli
I, and my tone, are forever in your debt
Hi Richard,
My name is Tom and I am a user of Shunyata Products. I use the SR-Z1 hi-end outlet and the COPPERHEAD power cable. Here is the result of my many years of trying to achieve the best possible tone that I can from my musicial equipment. As a guitarist, my main concern is noise from my tube amp and good and bad tone variations from this amp when plugging in to play through it from day to day. In the past, some days things sound status-quo and then other days there are noises and other tones that make playing, practicing and recording very difficult for me.
Then I discovered the power cable and the outlet made by the tech guys at Shunyata Research. From the first time I plugged the amp into the outlet using the COPPERHEAD there was a direct improvement to the sound of my equipment.
First, my amp was quiet. After playing for a few hours I noticed that the amp remained cool to my touch.
Second, my tone was phenomenal sounding. Every note was true and rich. There was no extra distortion coming through the amp. No unwanted noise of any type, just pure true tone. When I added over-drive from the amp or one of my pedals, I was able to achieve pure overtones and richer harmonics than I ever had before this time.
Third, when I did some rehearsing and sound testing at my friends studio, he could not believe how this new set up recorded. I am now able to just set my guitar, amp and any pedal the way I want. This will save me a lot of time by not having to set controls each time. If I want a certain sound, all that I have to do is set all the controls. The next time, if I want the same sound, I just set the controls the same as before.
Now I am no longer just killing studio time trying to get that sound I got yesterday. Now when I am playing, all I have to do is concentrate on the music without any worrying about the tone. I now have complete confidence in my sound, the tone and how other peoples ears will hear what I am playing. Finally, the two guys that record me had nothing but the highest praise for the SR-Z1 outlet and the COPPERHEAD power cable. My friend Tim has a spot on his second floor that I love to record from. He told me that after he heard my set up, he would have no trouble recording me either playing quiet or over the top. Tim said it will be easy now and there will be no restrictions recording my sound. He went so far as to say that the Shunyata gear has made it easy and less complicated to record my sound at its best.
Another friend John did some recording in his studio of me. He said that my new equipment made the sound that was coming from my amp better. The tone, the sound of the over-tones, the harmonic structure of the notes and the purity and transparency coming from the speaker resulted in a great recording sound that will playback well on CD time after time.
I hope that this can fully explain my deep and sincere gratitude to Richard and all the people at Shunyata Research. I, and my tone, are forever in your debt.
Tommie Chick, aka Thomas Cicatelli
Simply astonished at the improvement and performance
My Journey with Shunyata, Part 2
Around the beginning of 2011, the new Shunyata VENOM-3 entered the market, and given my experiences with the DIAMONDBACK PLATINUM, and given the VENOM-3’s incredible price, I was quite interested to try one out, and ordered one for use on my phono stage. Again, I was simply astonished at the improvement and performance that this “entry-level” power cord brings to the customer. For the price, I simply could not believe the level of performance. While both cords exhibited the same set of improvements described in Part 1, what was really intriguing that the VENOM-3 imparted a different quality to the the musical presentation than the DIAMONDBACK PLATINUM. Where the DIAMONDBACK PLATINUM was crisp, clean, and neutral, the VENOM-3 was rich, slightly warm, layered, and textured. I absolutely LOVED it, and it stayed as the power cord for my phono stage, as it’s qualities blended beautifully with an analogue turntable source. I recently bought a used power cord from a friend from another manufacturer, figuring one can never have enough good power cords around. This particular cord is made by a justifiably well-respected manufacturer who makes fine products, and sells new for about $500. I recently did a comparison between this $500 cord and the VENOM-3 when my audio friend was over. We started the demo with the $500 cord, and then put in the VENOM-3. My friend immediately commented, “Wow! The VENOM-3 is more transparent and WAY better than the first cord. I don’t even want to listen to that other cord anymore.” We were both in agreement, and what was really astonishing was that, on the whole, the VENOM-3 absolutely slaughtered this $500 power cord. My friend has been so impressed with the VENOM-3 that just last week he installed four Shunyata VENOM-3 throughout his system and to say he is very, very pleased with the improvements it has brought to his system would be an understatement. Or, as he put it, “I cannot overstate the improvements the VENOM-3’s have made to my system.
In my experience, the VENOM-3 represents an absolutely astonishing level of performance for it’s price, and has to be one of the best value propositions in all of audio. It clearly deserved the awards it won from the professional magazines in 2011, and in my opinion, was one of the outstanding audio products of 2011. It outperforms aftermarket power cords costing 4-5 times as much, and one has to move up to the Shunyata BLACK MAMBA CX/HC CX level of premium cords to actually obtain a notable improvement in performance. I’ll be commenting on my experiences with the BLACK MAMBA CX, HC, CX and HYDRA series of power distributors in Part 3 of my “Journey with Shunyata”. Stay tuned.
Stephen Scharf
Everything is clearer making all the instruments sound better
Hello,
You probably already know how good your products are, but just in case…
I just put a TAIPAN HELIX ALPHA power cord onto my CJ CT-5 preamp and wow. It replaced a Custom Power Company Eleven which I always figured was ok. I already had a 20 amp TAIPAN HELIX ALPHA and HYDRA 8 as well as HYDRA 2 with a Shunyata COPPERHEAD for my CJ Premier 12’s. Linn LP12 / Ekos/Lingo/Akiva cartridge. Naim UnitiServe / Enightened Audio DSP-7000 (I know – ancient). Meadowlark Blue Heron speakers.
The TAIPAN on the CT-5 has been remarkable. These things are hard to describe, so I’ll do my best: The music is suddenly much more palpable. The soundstage had always been behind the speakers and now it’s at the plane of the speakers. Everything is clearer making all the instruments sound better. Records that were always a bit dull sounding on my system suddenly sound alive (eg… Allman’s Eat a Peach). No negatives to top end, bass or rhythm/ pacing.
It’s hard to believe that a power cord could make such a difference in a system, but it has. Best upgrade ever!
Thanks for reading.
David S.