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Shunyata Research
(15-Aug-2017, 13:44)Dan Wrote: Are there any updates on the Shunyata Devialet Chain (SDC) cable? Costs? Availability? Seems like all went quiet....

Hi Dan, I actually received the latest batch of SDC cables yesterday along with the new Alpha SPDIF.

I wasn't that happy with the last batch of SDC prototype cables as I felt my Transparent Ref XL easily outclassed them.

The question then arose of which connection was best, RCA/AES or RCA/RCA?

I know it is conventional wisdom in these parts that the hybrid chain is best however some of my observations seem to challenge this.

I hope to have a better view in the coming days.  Smile

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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(15-Aug-2017, 14:25)GuillaumeB Wrote:
(15-Aug-2017, 13:44)Dan Wrote: Are there any updates on the Shunyata Devialet Chain (SDC) cable? Costs? Availability? Seems like all went quiet....

Hi Dan, I actually received the latest batch of SDC cables yesterday along with the new Alpha SPDIF.

I wasn't that happy with the last batch of SDC prototype cables as I felt my Transparent Ref XL easily outclassed them.

The question then arose of which connection was best, RCA/AES or RCA/RCA?

I know it is conventional wisdom in these parts that the hybrid chain is best however some of my observations seem to challenge this.

I hope to have a better view in the coming days.  Smile

Guillaume

It is indeed conventional wisdom in these parts that the hybrid chain is best.  However, it is not inconceivable that this may have changed in the Pro / V6 ADH era?  (I am sure AIR vs AES input has changed with the Pro) So has anyone tried any direct comparisons between RCA/AES vs RCA/RCA with a Pro or the O'dA?  Personally I have just continued with my Pro connected RCA/AES, assuming the hierarchy is the same for the Expert, but maybe this has changed? 

So a challenge to try this, for anyone who can be bothered with comparisons and configurator hassle that is.

Of course another explanation is that the Transparent Ref XL is doing a very good job!
1000 Pro - KEF Blade - iFi Zen Stream - Mutec REF10 - MC3+USB - Pro-Ject Signature 12
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Hi guys, I am currently coordinating a Shunyata Research event with KJ West One in London. We are still finalising the details but we are thinking the 28 or 29th of September. 

What is really exciting is that Caelin Gabriel is planning to come to the event! So this should be a unique opportunity to meet with the man himself and ask questions and of course see/hear the Shunyata gear for yourselves. We plan to use Devialet on the day.  Smile

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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How flexible is the new Alpha EF?! This is insane for AWG 8 conductors!

   

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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Wow.. that is indeed very flexible for 8 AWG.
Guillaume, I have a quick question. My system sounded so much better with Denali 6000T connected via Alpha HC to the wall. I would consider it to be #1 tweak that delivered in spades. How big of a difference would it make to replace stock AQ cable with Alpha EF(connected between Denali and Devialet)?
Oppo-203 / SonicTransporter i7 Roon Core ->Trinnov Altitute-16->TAD M2500MK-1 -> TAD CR-1
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(02-Sep-2017, 02:12)sam1000 Wrote: Wow.. that is indeed very flexible for 8 AWG.
Guillaume, I have a quick question. My system sounded so much better with Denali 6000T connected via Alpha HC to the wall.  I would consider it to be #1 tweak that delivered in spades. How big of a difference would it make to replace stock AQ cable with Alpha  EF(connected between Denali and Devialet)?

Hi sam

Great news re the Denali. 

My experience with the Alpha EF is pretty limited since I only received my demo units yesterday and I've been a little preoccupied with testing the Wilson-Benesch speaker that I have on home dem at the moment.  Tongue

In my experience based on a few customer demos and a fair bit of experimentation here with the Delta EF (one level below the Alpha EF), I would say that the jump will be considerable. Going from stock cable to Delta EF is a pretty big improvement with or without power conditioning further up the chain.

If you have a chance to evaluate the Alpha EF I'd be very interested in hearing your feedback.

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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Thx Guillaume. Enjoy your audition of WB speakers.
I'll probably get couple of demo cables from a local dealer and will post a feedback here. It might take a few weeks though. Thanks for your feedback about Delta EF.
Oppo-203 / SonicTransporter i7 Roon Core ->Trinnov Altitute-16->TAD M2500MK-1 -> TAD CR-1
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Sigma HC power cord is the "Bomb".

While I was ordering Delta EF for my dual monos, I scored a previous generation Sigma HC cable(dealer demo). It replaced Alpha HC which was powering Denali 6000T. Its a huge upgrade in terms of size of the soundstage, bass quality and HF details retrieval without being harsh. The differences were not subtle. To keep things in perspective, these are too damn expensive for me, but in terms of SQ improvements, I felt like I got brand new speakers and typically speaker upgrade cost a lot more.

I'm not sure what Delta EF will bring to the table , but I'll update my impressions when I get them.
Oppo-203 / SonicTransporter i7 Roon Core ->Trinnov Altitute-16->TAD M2500MK-1 -> TAD CR-1
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I’ve just taken delivery of an ex-demo Shunyata Sigma Digital and have it hooked up to my Devialet Expert 120... immediate and huge improvement over my Shunyata Venom 3, bass is more visceral and articulate, mids are clearer and more emotional, but biggest improvement is a hugely increased soundstage. Since this was an ex demo it was largely already broken in, but am noticing subtle improvements in the first few hours already. Very happy with the Shunyata Sigma, highly recommended.
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I have, over the past month or so, been able to arrange the demo of several pairs of Shunyata cables - the Alpha EF, Delta NR and Delta EF. I must, first of all, own up to being a bit of a cable sceptic, especially where Power cables are concerned, and have always worked on the principle that, as long as they are of sufficient gauge, and of reasonable quality to do the job, then they should be OK. I currently power my 1000pros with a pair of Russ Andrews, Kimber wired, Reference cables, which have seen good service over a number of years, with the various Audio systems I have previously owned - let's say that they are well and truly broken in Smile.  

Well, over to the Shunyatas. I started with a pair of Delta EFs, which I had for the best part of a week, and have to admit that the change in SQ was far from subtle. The first thing that I noted was how much more relaxing the music was to listen to. Some differences are very hard to describe, especially when you have been used to a particular sound over a long period of time, and I had always thought that my system, with the 1000pro, fed over Ethernet, by ROCK installed on a NUC6i5SYH, into my Wilson-Benesch ACT speakers, had sounded fine (to my ears anyway, and that is what counts) but the change, with the Delta EF, was very pronounced. My listening session started without the intention of trying to analyse differences too closely - it was in the evening so I was happy to just relax and listen to music without the aggro of listening to snatches of music, and then switching cables, that was for the next day. What I did notice, however, during that initial session was that I was hearing differences (always being aware of expectation bias), there was more "texture" to instruments - more "blat" to brass, more "zizz" to strings, more "twang" to guitars - this sounds awful as I write it, but I can not think of a better way to describe what I was hearing. I do have a set of favourite tracks I use for demos, so I have a fair idea of what I am listening for, and in all cases there was a distinct improvement in what I was hearing. I am also aware of the danger of listening to new kit at a different gain level, but over the years I have a fairly reasonable idea at what level I use to listen to particular pieces of music, so tried to keep to that whilst using the Deltas. Apart from the improvement in texture, as mentioned above, I had an awareness of better, more controlled, bass, and a more 3D presentation to instruments - imaging, spatial depth and width opened up more - in short, they appeared to give a much larger presentation of music. That much hackneyed phrase, more analogue, comes to mind (it may be that these cables deal with that last residue of digital artefact, or are just "quieter"). Anyway my relaxing evening did produce some very positive, useful, pointers to how these cables performed in my system. 

The next day I again listened to the Deltas and re-confirmed what I had heard, using the same test tracks, and then swopped back to my existing cables, and sure enough they sounded a little "flatter" - not so relaxing, not such a large presentation, not the same degree of texture to instruments, a little "grainier" (if there is such a word!). Don't get me wrong, they still sounded good, but not as good Big Grin. A good result for the Delta EF which, of course, could have been designed with Devialet in mind, i.e. you can still use the cable covers which, in my case is a plus. Finally the cables had to go back and I have got to say that I missed them Sad.

Anyway, a couple of weeks later (we had an intervening holiday) I was able to listen to the Delta NR (the noise reduction version of the Delta) and the new Alpha EF. Starting with the Delta NR, I immediately recalled the sound of the Delta EF. I was, personally, not able to say whether it was better than the EF or not - to my aged ears any differences were too subtle to call. Others, with more acute hearing, may be able to tell, but not me - so the Delta NR was "shelved" in preference to the Delta EF. Next up was the Alpha EF. This, I have got to say, was a step up from the Delta EF (and NR). Differences, in my system, were not as night & day as between the Delta EF and my existing Kimber Reference PC cables, but they were there - that very relaxed presentation, 3D sound staging, realistic presentation of Instrument textures, an excellent, but unfortunately, for me, expensive cable Sad.

So where does this leave me in respect to Shunyata Power Cables? Well it was a terrific opportunity to try a range of top quality products - and yes the Shunyata cables are a quality product, well made, from first class materials, with substantial, heavy duty plugs and sockets (of course they should be at the high price that they command!). I would very much have liked the Alpha EF, but at the price, were too much for me, at the moment - the problem with having the Devialet monos, you need two power cables! If I had a 250pro, and only required one PC, I would have gone for it, but for two ....! The difference between the Delta EF and NR was, to my ears, too close to call - both provided a definite hike in SQ over my existing Power Cords, but for me the Delta EF won out, both in terms of cost, and the fact that I could still use the Devialet cable covers. Upshot is that I now have a pair of Shunyata Delta EF cables on order Big Grin. I hope that I wont regret not going for a pair of Alpha EF cables, but I know that SWMBO is more than happy with my lower (but still substantial) cost choice Tongue.

I must also add that I had the opportunity to try the Shunyata UK 6 Power Block, but given that I already had enough "variables", with the differing cables - only change on thing at a time - I decided to leave that demo for another day, once I have the new Delta EF cables bedded in and I become used to their sound signature. 

David
1. NUC6i5SYH running ROON ROCK > ROON/AIR > Ethernet > Devialet 1000pro Core Infinity> Wilson-Benesch ACT Speakers,
or, as alternative, 
2. Wyred4Sound MS-2 Server, Devialet 1000pro Core Infinity, Theta Jade CD Transport, Pure 702ES Tuner, Wilson-Benesch ACT Speakers, misc cables

                                       UK
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