Shunyata Venom 3 Power Cable...Pretty good!

[Jon_Logan]

It's the trump card that is pulled out because that's the reality of it. It doesn't even mean that if you have really resolving gear, you'd hear it. Just that many subtle things only become apparent when the gear is of a certain level. .

And there you have it. But nobody wants to do the test without knowledge of what is connected. I am fully ready to listen and tell you if I think I hear a difference, but I know that prior knowledge to what is connected will (whether I know it or not) will change the outcome.

 

[Bigerik]

And there you have it. But nobody wants to do the test without knowledge of what is connected. I am fully ready to listen and tell you if I think I hear a difference, but I know that prior knowledge to what is connected will (whether I know it or not) will change the outcome.

So, why not just listen and tell us what you hear? It's your system. You should know how it sounds better than anyone else?

 

[sebrof]

The OP gets a new cord and says he likes it.
People chime in and tell him he's wrong.
Weird.

 

[JohnVF]

And there you have it. But nobody wants to do the test without knowledge of what is connected. I am fully ready to listen and tell you if I think I hear a difference, but I know that prior knowledge to what is connected will (whether I know it or not) will change the outcome.

Nobody wants to because nobody cares to. It's important to you, but not them- they're perfectly happy with their own method of judgement, you're not. But its not your gear- so ultimately, its not your business to tell them they need to blindly test in order to talk about it among people who also don't demand that of the original poster.

All of these calls for blind tests are made by people demanding proof from others, in regards to questions they have themselves. If you feel so strongly about it, then do it . I bet you don't...

 

[Bigerik]

The OP gets a new cord and says he likes it.
People chime in and tell him he's wrong.
Weird.

And that about sums it up.

 

[olson_jr]

I think we need a new Forum for these types of discussions.

Maybe call it The Endless AK Argument Corner, or maybe How many more times...? or possibly 'This argument can not be won but I am gonna die trying' or something?

We could put all the same old tired fights in one place and let those who wish to constantly argue their opinion have at it.

Maybe the rest of us could block it or something.

I'm gonna go listen to some music. (with my good power cords)

 

[Jon_Logan]

I think we need a new Forum for these types of discussions.

Maybe call it The Endless AK Argument Corner, or maybe How many more times...? or possibly 'This argument can not be won but I am gonna die trying' or something?

We could put all the same old tired fights in one place and let those who wish to constantly argue their opinion have at it.

Maybe the rest of us could block it or something.

I'm gonna go listen to some music. (with my good power cords)

I agree. There should be a forum that finds fully repeatable results. Something traceable and based in science. That would be a welcomed forum.

 

[Bigerik]

I agree. There should be a forum that finds fully repeatable results. Something traceable and based in science. That would be a welcomed forum.

We already have that. In a number of places. Actually, TOL would welcome it. It is important to you, so go do it.

 

[Art K.]

The OP gets a new cord and says he likes it.
People chime in and tell him he's wrong.
Weird.

And that about sums it up.

Nice summary indeed.

 

[MWalt]

OK. I have been watching the debate go back and forth all day. I was actually thinking that maybe I was an idiot and perceived a difference that was all in my mind. So when I got home from work, I put the old power cord back on and played Bonnie Raitt, "Have a Heart." I went .flac to Squeezebox to DAC to pre to amp to speakers. I listened very carefully. Then, I tried the Shunyata. Same process. The Shunyata was better. I then put an album (Art Pepper) on my Basis TT. Same process. Same result. On my system, I could hear a discernable difference in sound quality.

I thought I was losing my mind for a hot second

 

[JohnVF]

OK. I have been watching the debate go back and forth all day. I was actually thinking that maybe I was an idiot and perceived a difference that was all in my mind. So when I got home from work, I put the old power cord back on and played Bonnie Raitt, "Have a Heart." I went .flac to Squeezebox to DAC to pre to amp to speakers. I listened very carefully. Then, I tried the Shunyata. Same process. The Shunyata was better. I then put an album (Art Pepper) on my Basis TT. Same process. Same result. On my system, I could hear a discernable difference in sound quality.

I thought I was losing my mind for a hot second

I did the same thing two days ago with a pair of Nordost Blue Heaven interconnect cables, and cheap Tributaries. In the context of the system I was using, the cheaper cable won both times. Which also puts a wrench in how $$ is supposed to bias my thoughts on something. It wasn't subtle. I like those Nordost cables in another system, though. I guess I could add that I only tried them in the other system because I'm trying to load one system with all my good stuff, and I had assumed they'd be better because they cost more. But that assumption didn't translate to sound quality. It was easy as heck to tell the difference.

 

[MWalt]

I did the same thing two days ago with a pair of Nordost Blue Heaven interconnect cables, and cheap Tributaries. In the context of the system I was using, the cheaper cable won both times. Which also puts a wrench in how $$ is supposed to bias my thoughts on something. It wasn't subtle. I like those Nordost cables in another system, though. I guess I could add that I only tried them in the other system because I'm trying to load one system with all my good stuff, and I had assumed they'd be better because they cost more. But that assumption didn't translate to sound quality. It was easy as heck to tell the difference.

I am not surprised by that exercise in synergy. I don't think you have to spend tons of money to get first rate results. That is the thing with my gear; it is all decent equipment that I have cobbled together to get the best result I can. I have nowhere near as nice of gear as you and many others here have. (You have some VERY nice stuff, which I can appreciate) But I have tried to optimize what I do have. My Dared preamp which is an underrated gem, was upgraded with great tubes. My Basis 1400 was upgraded with carbon fiber feet and the arm got the Incognito wiring and the Expressimo end stub and counterweight. My CA 640P phono pre was gutted by Hypnotoad and replaced with quality internals and I added a Pangea power supply. My speakers are vastly underrated and relatively unknown Snell Type EII's. I use Signal Cable interconnects and Pangea power cords. Nothing elite or high end. All I have is "bang for the buck" stuff. People that hear the system are amazed by the sound.

I believe that is why I can add a power cable and hear a difference.

 

[JohnVF]

I am not surprised by that exercise in synergy. I don't think you have to spend tons of money to get first rate results. That is the thing with my gear; it is all decent equipment that I have cobbled together to get the best result I can. I have nowhere near as nice of gear as you and many others here have. (You have some VERY nice stuff, which I can appreciate) But I have tried to optimize what I do have. My Dared preamp which is an underrated gem, was upgraded with great tubes. My Basis 1400 was upgraded with carbon fiber feet and the arm got the Incognito wiring and the Expressimo end stub and counterweight. My CA 640P phono pre was gutted by Hypnotoad and replaced with quality internals and I added a Pangea power supply. My speakers are vastly underrated and relatively unknown Snell Type EII's. I use Signal Cable interconnects and Pangea power cords. Nothing elite or high end. All I have is "bang for the buck" stuff. People that hear the system are amazed by the sound.

I believe that is why I can add a power cable and hear a difference.

Exactly right. When I mentioned needing a 'system of a certain quality' earlier, or whatever I mentioned- I very purposefully didn't say "system of a certain cost". This stuff doesn't have to cost a fortune. It just takes a certain level of gear, unrelated to price.

 

[Art K.]

OK. I have been watching the debate go back and forth all day. I was actually thinking that maybe I was an idiot and perceived a difference that was all in my mind. So when I got home from work, I put the old power cord back on and played Bonnie Raitt, "Have a Heart." I went .flac to Squeezebox to DAC to pre to amp to speakers. I listened very carefully. Then, I tried the Shunyata. Same process. The Shunyata was better. I then put an album (Art Pepper) on my Basis TT. Same process. Same result. On my system, I could hear a discernable difference in sound quality.

I thought I was losing my mind for a hot second

Last weekend I listened to 3 different power cords in the same component and each sounded different from the other. There are differences and once you hear them there is no turning back.

Only one thing to guard for and that is the "differences are better syndrome"...yeah I just named it, lol! Once you start hearing the differences that cables make it becomes easy to perceive every difference as an improvment and that is simply not the case. I love my $639 Van den Hul Mainstream power cords and in some systems they are awesome. My wife has one connected to her Cambridge 650C CD player and it really fleshes out the mids and tames the highs giving it a very rich sound when paired with her NAD C326BEE (with the more neutral Venom 3 connected to it). The same Van den Hul on my Teac Reference CD player sounded just a hair too recessed and slow. I preferred the Shunyata on it. Just to add to the skeptics reasons for hanging me, just wait until the Venom 3 has some hrs on it. Two or three weeks from now it will be even better yet.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Common sense tells me that a bad/poorly implemented power cord can cause a degrade in sound. It also tells me that the best you can hope for from a properly designed and well executed power cord is no degradation. I'm still pretty open minded and would be happy to participate in a blind or A-B-X test. I'm not about to tell anybody what they did or did not hear.

Beyond that, if it makes you happy for whatever reason its still a good thing :thmbsp:

 

[sebrof]

Common sense tells me that a bad/poorly implemented power cord can cause a degrade in sound. It also tells me that the best you can hope for from a properly designed and well executed power cord is no degradation. I'm still pretty open minded and would be happy to participate in a blind or A-B-X test. I'm not about to tell anybody what they did or did not hear.

Beyond that, if it makes you happy for whatever reason its still a good thing :thmbsp:

I try to be open minded as well, and although I've never heard the difference in a cord I never really took the effort to find the difference. Outside of some DIY cords I made.
My buddy just eMailed me that he got 2 Viper 3 cords for his monoblocks. I don't know where they fall in the Shunyata range (above or below the Venoms), but I'll ask him to bring them over for our monthly get together tomorrow night. There will be 4 of us here, let's see how it plays out.
Blind test it will not be, though.

btw: He said "WOW, what a difference."

 

[Art K.]

I try to be open minded as well, and although I've never heard the difference in a cord I never really took the effort to find the difference. Outside of some DIY cords I made.
My buddy just eMailed me that he got 2 Viper 3 cords for his monoblocks. I don't know where they fall in the Shunyata range (above or below the Venoms), but I'll ask him to bring them over for our monthly get together tomorrow night. There will be 4 of us here, let's see how it plays out.
Blind test it will not be, though.

btw: He said "WOW, what a difference."

The Venom 3 is the bottom of the line so I'm guessing that the Viper is either higher up or older.

 

[MWalt]

The Venom 3 is the bottom of the line so I'm guessing that the Viper is either higher up or older.

I can only imagine the difference, but as JohnVF and I both agree on, higher price does not necessarily equate to better.

I am still mighty tempted by the Rega Brio-R, although I don't think it would top my current amp and preamp. But, as a foundation for a second system, it would be great.

 

[dtb300]

The Venom 3 is the bottom of the line so I'm guessing that the Viper is either higher up or older.

If I remember correctly: The older Viper used to look like the Copperhead that is sold now. The newer Viper was a CX model, but was replaced with the Black Mamba CX models.

Personally in the lower priced models, I liked the Venom and Copperhead. Then for the higher models I am a fan of the Python's when considering price vs performance.

 

[sebrof]

My buddy just eMailed me that he got 2 Viper 3 cords for his monoblocks. I don't know where they fall in the Shunyata range (above or below the Venoms), but I'll ask him to bring them over for our monthly get together tomorrow night. There will be 4 of us here, let's see how it plays out.
Blind test it will not be, though.

btw: He said "WOW, what a difference."

He agreed to bring them over tomorrow night, I'll ask him the specifics about cost and where they fall in the Shunyata lineup.
I'll try to post Saturday morning on the results.