Let us—or at least those of you who haven’t already nodded off—begin with Crystal Cable’s Infinity power cords (production currently limited to 200 pieces). Nobody who listens with his ears rather than with an ohm meter in one hand and an ABX box in the other would ever accuse Siltech/Crystal’s genius CEO/CTO Edwin Rynveld of dabbling in the black arts. He is a world-renowned engineer, with unrivaled experience in metallurgy—the first audio designer of note to use high-conductance silver wire in cables. 

Indeed, the Infinity power cords also use solid-core silver conductors made from Rynveld’s latest and purest metal—a single “infinite crystal” variety of the element, devoid of internal boundaries and contaminants—surrounded by two braided layers of infinite silver and silver-gold alloy. (The cost of all this treasure helps explain Infinity’s price.) There are nine of these coaxial conductors per power cord—three each for positive, neutral, and ground—woven into “a perfectly symmetrical matrix that maintains absolute geometrical consistency.” Rynveld claims that this complex construction, which combines the benefits of solid and stranded conductors, and the use of his most advanced silver formulation within it “reduce RF distortion and keep magnetic interference out of the system.” Together, they create an “ultra-low-loss superconductor with almost zero resistance and vanishingly low source impedance”—thus, the increased clarity and depth of background quiet.

I first heard Crystal’s Infinity with Vitus Audio’s sensational Signature Series Class A electronics—the SM-103 Mk.II monoblock amplifiers and SL-103 linestage preamplifier—and the sonic difference a trio of these pcs made took me by surprise. It was immediately apparent that the Infinities were not just offering up a more appealing aural “flavor” (as so many wires do). Everything about what was already a standard-settingly rich, powerful, continuous, three-dimensional presentation was improved, without any loss of the tonal density (this was the polar opposite of a thinned-down sound), unaccented durations (no sharpening of transients at the expense of steady-state tone and decay), effortless dynamics, and remarkable holism (the expansive soundstage and the 3-D sonic images that populated it were, if anything, more expansive, dimensional, and continuous-sounding) that made the Vituses reference-quality components. Plus, thanks to the shocking reduction of pixel-like background noise, previously hard-to-parse musical details were suddenly clarified. With the Infinities in play, the densely intertwined lines of Tobias Tautscher’s double bass and Maximillian Djokic’s cajón on Hans Theessink’s great cover of Tom Waits’ “Down in the Hole” from Jedermann Remixed—The Soundtrack [Blue Groove] were suddenly unraveled, as were the individual lines and ensemble harmonies of Szymon Goldberg’s violin, Nikolai Graudan’s cello, and William Primrose’s viola in the Festival Quartet’s rendition of Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 [RCA].

It was hard to believe that this new depth of clarity and silence could be made even deeper. Which is why, coupled to their high cost and my previous experience with passive “tweaks,” I wasn’t all that eager to try Audio Realignment Technologies’ “electro-magnetic treatments.” But, as you can probably gather, I was wrong.

First, although their looks—relatively flattish placemat-like pads with no apparently active parts or connections to anything else in the system—rather scream “Black Magic,” turns out the A.R.T.s were created by “scientists and engineers.” How the A.R.T.s work is, nonetheless, a bit mysterious. Said to be filled with electromagnetically charged layers of a “proprietary compound of rare earth metals” (I know, I know), the A.R.T. mats are “designed to absorb, control, and minimize the negative audible effects of electronically induced noises (EMF, EMI, and RFI) in sound systems.” 

A.R.T.’s electro-magnetic treatments are available in several sizes and configurations. When laid atop (or placed beneath) both solid-state and tube amps and preamps, their proprietary multi-layer magnetic technology is claimed to produce “tighter, faster, deeper, and more impactful bass with lower distortion, increased detail and resolution, greater clarity and dynamic range, much more natural and cohesive midrange and highs, a warmer tonal character with a darker (quieter) background, highly accurate imaging, and a greater overall sense of the three-dimensional space within the soundstage.”

Short of giving them a listen (which I encourage you to do), you’re just gonna have to take my (and my boss Tom Martin’s—see theabsolutesound.com/ articles/2024-capital-audio-fest-tom-martin-reports/) word for it: The inner workings of these passive tweaks may sound a bit like mumbo-jumbo, but sonically the A.R.T.s do precisely what they claim to do. Even with the highly effective Infinity power cords already in the system, the A.R.T.s deepen background silence (the first products I’ve heard, aside from the Infinities, that actually produce what could reasonably be called a “black” backdrop), allowing everything ahead of it to stand out with higher clarity and contrast, richer color, tighter focus, stronger sock, fuller dimensionality, and more continuous imaging and staging. A.R.T.’s claims about improvements in the bottom end, for example, are easily confirmed. Just give a listen to Ray Brown’s double bass (and the lower octaves of the Duke’s piano) on This One’s For Blanton [Pablo/Acoustic Sounds] with and without the A.R.T.s and tell me which setup makes both instruments sound more complete—more near-visibly there. The A.R.T.s reveal every nuance of Brown’s oh-so-accomplished playing, not simply by clarifying starting transients but also by showing how subtle changes in attack affect steady-state tone and decay. And as for the latter, listen once more to Ellington on Duke’s Big Four [Pablo/Acoustic Sounds] and revel in the way the Infinity/A.R.T. combo tracks the long, sweet decay of his piano and the slow sizzle of Louie Bellson’s cymbals right down to inaudibility. 

While silence may be golden in more ways than one when it comes to these two pricey items, it is still something well worth paying for in a high-end audio system, provided that the products lowering the noise actually work. These do. I promise you will be as pleased as I was to hear how Crystal Cable’s Infinity power cords and Audio Realignment Technologies’ electro-magnetic treatments augment what you were meant to hear by greatly reducing what you weren’t. 

Specs & Pricing

CRYSTAL CABLE
Edisonweg 8, 6662 NW
Elst, The Netherlands
crystalcable.com
Price: $34,000/2m

LUXURY AUDIO GROUP (Global Sales Agent)
(725) 772-4589
aldo@luxuryaudiogroup.com

AUDIO REALIGNMENT TECHNOLOGIES
630 Quintana Road
Suite 260
Morro Bay, CA 93442
(805) 400-4096
aldo@luxuryaudiogrooup.com
audiorealignment.com
Price: $800–$12,500 (depending on configuration)

JV’s Reference System

Loudspeakers: MBL 101 X-Treme MKII, Magico S3 2023, Metaxas & Sins Czar, Magnepan LRS+, 1.7i, and 30.7
Subwoofers: JL Audio Gotham (pair), Magico S Sub (pair)
Linestage preamps: Soulution 727, MBL 6010 D, Siltech SAGA System C1, Vitus Audio SL-103, JMF Audio PRS 1.5
Phonostage preamps: Soulution 757, DS Audio Grand Master EQ
Power amplifiers: Vitus Audio SM-103 Mk.II, JMF Audio HQS 7001, Soulution 711, MBL 9008 A, Siltech SAGA System V1/P1, Odyssey Audio Stratos
Analog source: Clearaudio Master Innovation, Acoustic Signature Invictus Neo/T-9000 Neo, TW Acustic Black Knight/TW Raven 10.5
Tape deck: United Home Audio Ultima Apollo, Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon and Papillon, Analog Audio Design TP-1000
Phono cartridges: DS Audio Grand Master EX, DS Audio Grand Master, DS Audio DS-W3, Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement v2.1, Air Tight Opus 1, Ortofon MC Anna, Ortofon MC A90
Digital source: MSB Reference DAC, Soulution 760, Berkeley Alpha DAC 2, Kalista Dream Play XC
Cable and interconnect: Synergistic Research Galileo SRX (2023), Crystal Cable Art Series da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream
Power cords: Crystal Cable Art Series da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research Galileo SRX 2023
Power conditioner: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 (two), Synergistic Research Galileo SX
Support systems: Critical Mass Systems MAXXUM and QXK equipment racks and amp stands
Room Treatments: Synergistic Research Vibratron SX, Stein Music H2 Harmonizer system, Synergistic Research UEF Acoustic Panels/Atmosphere XL4/UEF Acoustic Dot system, Shakti Hallographs (6), Zanden Acoustic panels, A/V Room Services Metu acoustic panels and traps, ASC Tube Traps
Accessories: Audio Realignment Technologies (A.R.T.) electro-magnetic treatments, DS Audio ES-001, DS Audio ION-001, SteinMusic Pi Carbon Signature record mat, Symposium Isis and Ultra equipment platforms, Symposium Rollerblocks and Fat Padz, Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic record cleaner

The soothing character of the Siltech was all to the good on “hotter” recordings such as Count Basie’s classic Chairman of the Board, released in 1959. This kick-ass recording was one of the late David Wilson’s favorites–a showstopper, loaded with nifty numbers such as “H.R.H.” and “Segue in C” that are guaranteed to highlight the impressive qualities of a good full-range stereo. One of the fun things about this recording is that the songs often begin with Count Basie plunking away, quietly accompanied by a bass, then the rest of the orchestra joins in, one by one, until the joint truly is jumping. Such is the case on “Segue in C”; the Siltech cables easily handled the tremendous dynamic surge on this number. Also impressive was the panache with which the cables locked down the various sections of the orchestra, ranging from the muted trumpets on the far right to trombones on the left. All nuances and details were fully apparent, including those in the bass line. Indeed, I would be remiss if I didn’t single out the bass performance of the Siltech cables for special commendation.

Put bluntly, they laid down the law right from the moment I inserted them. John Giolas of DAC manufacturer dCS in Great Britain recently visited me to listen to the new Vivaldi Apex CD/SACD gear in my system and introduced me to James Blake’s album Friends That Break Your Heart. Giolas and the album did not. Nor did the playback on “Famous Last Words.” Right from the outset, the Siltech cables almost seemed to plunge into the sonic depths, delivering a kind of deep propulsive character to the synthesized bass. Immediately apparent, as well, was the creamy sound of the treble. Blake’s falsetto sounded ethereal, and female vocals were just a hint more detailed than I am accustomed to via the WAMM.

Adding in the Siltech power cable only intensified these attributes. On the Proprius recording Cantate Domino, I was taken by the deep bass these cables helped to produce on the song “O Helga natt.” The sound became even warmer and more fulsome. The sense of refinement and palpability also went up another notch. They also go deep into the hall—on “Silent Night” on the Proprius recording, the cavernous sound of the church was overwhelming. If I had to describe the cables in plain stereo equipment terms, it would be as a single-ended-triode sound.

The composure and tranquility of the Double Crown cables probably won’t appeal to listeners looking for more razzle-dazzle or sizzle. These cables are in another realm altogether. There is something more than a little spooky about the level of detail coupled to the refinement they offer. On Murray Perahia’s imaginative recording of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata for Deutsche Grammophon, for example, the cables supplied a kind of rhythmic stability that made it even easier to follow his use of the piano pedal. Ditto for a Rolf Smedvig recording for Telarc with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra of Torelli’s Trumpet Concerto. Once again, I heard the uncanny rhythmic solidity of trumpet and orchestra with unprecedented accuracy. There was no sense of slippage. The notes popped out of the piccolo trumpet. The transient attacks, in other words, were dead on. On the Berlin Academy for Ancient Music’s recording of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos for Harmonia Mundi, the precision of the rhythm rendered the accents of the string instruments instantly comprehensible, again to a degree that I’m not sure I’ve hitherto experienced. It gave the much-beloved third concerto, for instance, an urgent character that swept along everything in its path with total musical conviction.

The absence of grain along with the superior bass control and image solidity of the Royal Double Crown ensure that it ranks among the aristocrats of high-end cables. It may not have the same supersonic speed as the Nordost Odin 2 or the heft of the Transparent Magnum Opus, but it brings its own set of virtues to the table. Nothing is brummagem about the performance of the Double Crown. Quite the contrary. These cables deserve every accolade that gets showered upon them. Anyone looking for performance fit for a king would do well to consider them.

Specs & Pricing

Royal Double Crown interconnect: $18,100/1 meter
Royal Double Crown loudspeaker cable: $37,500/2 meter
Royal Double Crown power cord: $15,300/2 meter

MONARCH SYSTEMS LTD. (U.S. Distributor)
16 Inverness Place E, Building B
Englewood, CO 80122
(720) 399-0072
monarch-systems.com

May I cut to the chase? With possibly the coolest names in power cords today, the VooDoo Cable Air Phoenix, Air Dragon V, and Air Tesla jumped into my system like a bull into a China shop. They were there and made damn sure I knew they were there. Yet, they bombastically announced their presence in the most unusual of ways—by astonishingly turning my systems performance up to 11, while hiding behind the bushes giggling at my dumbfounded expression. Boy, were they there! But they also weren’t there at all. Stage wider, bass deeper, timbre more natural, harmonics more complex, dynamics more wow, engagement more “Oh, my.” They did what my previous power cables did, ramping it up to ludicrous. Hyperbole? Absolutely. But well-earned hyperbole.

Fabricated like a fine British tailor would custom make a suit for his royal client, they come in hard-shell cases and are presented to their new owner as if you were being handed the keys to your new Bentley. VooDoo power cords are not the product of mass-production factories and cable mills. They are what Bruce Richardson, owner and designer, perceives as a bespoke solution for those ready to experience all that their system has the capacity to convey.

What did Bruce send me, you ask? A bit of this, a dash of that. Five power cables and a USB cable (to which I will not devote an enormous amount of time other than to say that it outperformed what I had, and what I had was very good. But this is a power cord review, and I have already put too much inside these parentheses). Five power cords to satisfy my system’s needs. Five cords to rule them all. An Air Phoenix, made of what appeared to be Unicorn hair, took on the responsibility of powering my DAC, two Air Tesla power cords with massive rectangular modules in their centers provided electrons to my dual-mono stereo amplifier. And two Air Dragon V cables provided the juice for my music server and preamp.

Bruce explained that “like the acoustic resonance of a finely made stringed instrument, the materials used and the construction of an electrical conductor are the ingredient that attenuate and enhance the resonance of the electrons passing through that conductor. The designs of the Air Dragon V, Air Tesla and Air Phoenix are quite distinct from each other yet are based upon similar design principles. Each power cord is a composite of conductors made of select high-purity silver, copper, and proprietary alloys that are cryogenically treated in our deep-immersion cryo process. We employ various levels of line-capacitance- and velocity-matched dielectric strength in the induction field to create the signature resonance for each power cord. But the results of each design are not achieved by bench measurements. Trial-and-error listening and testing with various audio components are equally if not more important to the development of our power cords.”

So how about some tech specs? Cryogenically treated, Air Phoenix, designed for analog or digital sources, uses pure-silver, single-crystal, continuous-cast, Ohno eight-gauge conductors and rhodium-plated-over-tellurium copper connectors, individually insulated with velocity-matched Teflon dielectrics and heavily braided silver-plated copper shielding, covered with woven static-resistant Nomex mesh. Also cryogenically treated, Air Tesla, designed for high-current power amps and conditioners, uses six-gauge alloy conductors that are individually insulated with velocity-matched Teflon dielectrics, and a rigid buss-bar “reservoir” that “holds current in the form of line capacitance.” It is covered with woven static-resistant Nylon mesh and has rhodium-plated-over-tellurium copper connectors. Once again cryogenically treated, Air Dragon V, designed to extract the most from any component, uses six-gauge silver and single-crystal copper conductors covered with individually insulated, velocity-matched Teflon dielectrics covered by woven static-resistant Teflon mesh. Connectors are, once again, made from rhodium-plated-over-tellurium copper.

The VooDoo power cords were stiffer than the Shunyata Z-Tron Sigma NR V1 loom they replaced, but not by a lot. I was easily able to connect them securely to my equipment and the wall. My system has a dedicated circuit panel fed directly from the street, a dedicated grounding rod, and 10-gauge braided-copper wiring from the panel to my wall outlets (Furutech GTX-D-NCF Rhodium, cryo-treated outlets with carbon-fiber plates). I utilize Environmental Protections’ EP-2750 ground filters on each dedicated circuit (one breaker for each outlet) and a single EP-2050 surge-protection/waveform-correction unit on the panel. My power is clean and clear, and when I progressed to a certain level of power cord, I found that adding conditioning had diminishing returns. So, I run all my equipment directly into my Furutech outlets. That said, I’d still love to try out a Stromtank battery system, if given the opportunity.

Bruce was kind enough to send me pre-broken-in power cords, and I was able to start listening after a 2–3 day settling period. I began my sessions intensely in the mood for Natalie Merchant’s “Peppery Man,” challenging the new power cables with a taste of those wonderful deep Fairfield Four vocals and Ms. Merchant’s sultry singing, combined with a twangy guitar, Shawshank harmonica, and baritone sax and tuba oompah. There was immediately more breath in the vocals and more textural complexity to the brass. An overall naturalness seemed to be there that was not there before. A quick flip of the finger, and “The Blind Man and The Elephant” replaced Mr. Peppery Man. If you have never heard this track, hit your streamer of choice up and take a listen. It’s a great song and a cute anecdote. It starts out with this great, low-note baritone sax and then treats the listener to just the right combination of clarinet, steel guitar, percussion, and storytelling. The clarinet gets quite Klezmer-like with a touch of Bavarian and blues. The result is a song of the highest degree—and a newly experienced expression of the greatest style. These power cords washed away a proton-thick layer of “you can’t have that” and freed my system to project a performance with the “I am there”-knob turned up 15-20%.

Let us try Mussorgsky’s Dance of the Persian Slaves. The resolution and separation of instruments were instantly apparent. As I listened longer, I began to equate the improvements, in part, to a lowered noise floor and improved conveyance of speed and articulation. In addition, my electronics seemed to get a boost in channel separation. Take your hands and hold them together in front of you, arms fully extended. Now spread them apart quickly as wide as you can while saying out loud, “Fwuahhhh.” That’s what happened to my soundstage.

“Down in the Hole” by John Campell is a great track with a combination of rhythmic bass guitar, haunting reverb, and John’s deep, phlegmy voice. That expansive stage was almost intoxicating. The improved sense of resonance and timbre in the bottom end clearly comes from that lowered noise floor in conjunction with what I detected to be an improvement in phase coherence—which I can neither understand nor explain but swear was there to be heard. At no time did I detect the music was playing louder, but it unquestionably had more dynamics and authority. The air between instruments seemed more present, and the overall aura of the stage was just more present.

I consider it true serendipity that I was asked to review this loom, as I was quite happy with what I had and considered that portion of my system done and done. Clearly, it was not. This experience leaves me wondering what the astronomically expensive power cables can offer. I don’t think I want to know.

In the end, I was so impressed with the build-quality and performance of the VooDoo power cords, and the changes they produced in my system, that I told Bruce to send me an invoice rather than return shipping labels. I am not willing to give up what these bring to the table. To say that the VooDoo power cables resulted in a profound improvement in almost every aspect of my system is flat fact—incontrovertible and astounding—even though what they replaced had bettered anything I had heard in my room to that point. The VooDoo cables are more expensive and utilize more expensive materials than the Shunyata NR Sigma I had been using, which were the older V1 versions. I think the Omega series of power cords would be a fairer comparison. I work with and enjoy what I am offered to review, and I pay for what I keep. (I put my money where my reviewing mouth is.) All I can say is, give the VooDoos a try. In my opinion they are a no-brainer step forward on our path to the absolute sound. Is “no-brainer recommended” higher than “highly recommended”? I think it is.

Now I need to figure out why I have an intense desire to go sock shopping.

Specs & Pricing

Air Phoenix: $4700
Air Dragon V: $3250
Air Tesla: $2900 (all prices 6′ length)

VooDoo Cable LLC
2020 Dennison Street, Suite 113
Oakland CA 94606-5242
(510) 535-9464
voodoocable.net

The only item in the SRX lineup that superficially resembles products from other manufacturers’ cable lines is the power cord, though even here looks are deceiving. Though it does not make use of “air strings,” each cord comprises a nine-gauge composite of silver conductors for hot and neutral runs, including a long, flat, silver-ribbon EM (electromagnetic) cell and two folded EM cells for what SR claims amounts to a “pure-silver line conditioner in an AC cable format.” Like the cable and interconnect, the power cords can be voiced via Synergistic’s tuning “bullets,” and like the interconnect it can be connected to an SX Ground Block for lower noise and better shielding.

A few months ago, I reviewed Crystal Cable’s very pricey, top-of-the-line Art Series Da Vinci cable, interconnect, and power cords, which for me set new standards of fidelity. Since then, I’ve been able to audition a complete loom of SRX in my upstairs MBL reference system, and while the Crystal and the Synergistic aren’t sonically identical, they do sound an awful lot alike, clearly sharing a property that is key to their excellence. To wit, they are both extremely low in noise (and high in resolution).

As Robert and I have said in print (and Alan Taffel talks about in his Metronome DSC review in this issue), the lowering of noise is, across the board, the chief improvement in today’s high-end offerings. For examples, the elimination of RF in DS Audio’s optical cartridges, the lowering of jitter, phase, and quantization errors in DACs from Wadax, MSB, Soulution, Berkeley Audio, etc., the reduction of EMI, IM, TIM, and THD in high-bandwidth solid-state electronics from Soulution, CH Precision, darTZeel, etc., the use of aluminum, carbon-fiber, stone, acrylics, and other non-resonant materials in speaker cabinets from companies like Magico, Stenheim, Estelon, Rockport, YG, etc., and the application of carbon fiber, synthetic diamond, ceramic, and other low-resonance/high-stiffness substances in dynamic-driver diaphragms have, independently and together, reduced distortions and colorations that we simply took for granted in the old days, elevating what I’ve called “completeness” and “neutrality” to new heights.

This does not mean that pieces of high-end gear are without sonic “characters” of their own—i.e., that all of today’s components sound alike. What it does mean is that the differences in sonics among the best high-end products are, for the most part, less marked than they once were and that rather than reflecting unique distortion profiles they are the results of deliberate decisions about parts, materials, layout, manufacture, and voicing. As similar in sound as they are in many ways, the presentations of amps from Soulution, CH Precision, and Constellation are still easily distinguishable from each other, but that is not because one or the other of the trio has more (or less) THD.

This same paradigm holds true for Da Vinci and SRX cabling. Where Crystal’s top-of-the-line achieved its astonishing vanishing act primarily through metallurgical advances, Synergistic SRX earns its laurels primarily through the unique geometries I’ve discussed above. This is not to say that either cable shortchanges the other’s areas of strengths, just that their designers’ foci are slightly different, including their respective ideas about what best constitutes a replica of the absolute sound. Crystal’s Edwin Rynveld has what I would call a “fidelity to sources” (or accuracy-first) mindset. For him, the object is to lower noises that alter and obscure the original signal, and measurable differences are his primary standards of comparison. Synergistic’s Ted Denney has more of an “as you like it” (or “musicality-first”) slant. As his provisions for markedly different voicings show, his intent is to provide the listener with a sound that can accommodate individual tastes, rooms, and ancillary gear. Ironically, perhaps, both approaches end up in the same sonic ballpark, which, to reiterate, means that Da Vinci and SRX sound more alike than different—especially on an initial audition. Over time, however, each reveals its own character. Which of them you’ll prefer may be more a matter of taste (and pocketbook) than across-the-board sonic superiority.

For example, Da Vinci has a density of tone, particularly through the low end, midbass, and power range, that I simply   haven’t heard to the same lifelike extent from any other wire. Like Soulution amplification, there is a timbral richness and three-dimensional solidity to its bottom octaves that is quite natural and appealing. I should note, however, that (as with Soulution electronics) this exceptional low-end color and weight tend to give Da Vinci a slightly “bottom-up” tonal balance, a bit of a “darker” overall character (though, as you will see, nothing is scanted in the midband or on top).

Though voicing with gold bullets can bring the SRX quite a bit closer to Crystal’s darker, more granitic presentation, the Synergistic wire is fundamentally less bottom-up in character than the Crystal Cable offering. This is not to say that SRX is anything like “thin” sounding; it is not. Indeed, its bass and power-range timbre are downright gorgeous; its focus and grip in the bottom octaves may even be very slightly higher than that of the Crystal Cable. As a result, details about Fender guitar performance-technique—picking, fingering, plucking, and slapping—are (sometimes) a bit clearer.

There is an irony to this, actually, because up until Denney’s last generation of Galileo from several years back, Synergistic cable, too, had a “bottom-up” tonal balance, a slightly “dark” overall character. Not anymore. Indeed, “unvoiced” (without bullets) it is the most neutral wire that Denney has yet produced—and certainly, as noted, the lowest in noise and coloration and highest in resolution. I’m not going to claim that it outdoes Da Vinci in this last regard, but it is, as I’ve said, a bit more tightly focused, which (minus the somewhat fuller power-range/bass weight of Da Vinci) tends to clarify transient detail.

In the midband there is little to choose between these two remarkable wires. They are both exceedingly realistic sounding, capable (with the best sources) of fooling you into thinking you are in the presence of actual musicians. Not only do they reproduce timbre with lifelike density; they also reproduce the dynamic/harmonic envelope (from starting transient through steady-state tone to decay) with lifelike duration, without adding, for instance, “zip” or ringing to hard transients, sibilance to frictatives of higher pitch or amplitude, or smearing to decays. This is the very essence of “completeness”—and the reason why you can not just readily visualize singers like Sinatra on Sinatra at the Sands through both wires; you can also tell the way he is using his mic (like that geisha fan he compared it to) to shape, punctuate, and convey the emotional power of his delivery.

On top, the Synergistic and the Crystal Cable are, once again, very similar. With the best sources, both are extremely finely nuanced. When two things come this close to identity, it’s hard to distinguish one from the other. Having said this, I would guess that Da Vinci (or Crystal’s also superior Ultimate Dream) is just a smidgeon softer and sweeter at the very top, and that Synergistic’s SRX is just a bit airier and more extended.

Both are superb imagers and soundstagers; both reproduce the dynamic range of recordings with high accuracy; both are astonishingly realistic sounding with great tapes, LPs, and streams; and both lower noises and colorations to unprecedented levels.

So…where does that leave you?

Well, to begin with you’ve got to be rich to afford either one of these extraordinary looms of wire. However, for what it is worth, SRX is a good deal less expensive than Da Vinci (e.g., an eight-foot pair of SRX speaker cable costs $29,995; a two-meter pair of Da Vinci speaker cable is a staggering $46,500). If a $16.5k difference means anything to you (and if it doesn’t, my congratulations), then I’d certainly opt for the SRX. If, on the other hand, you’re rolling in dough and have a near-psychotic lack of self-control when it comes to spending it, well…Da Vinci is a hair richer in the bass and power range.

One difference that isn’t a matter of taste or guesswork is convenience. Because of its simpler geometry and lighter weight, Da Vinci is easier to set up and use (and less space-consuming) than SRX. There are no voicing bullets on Da Vinci, no grounding plugs, no multiple strands, no perforated carbon-fiber discs. It is what it is, with no provisions to adjust its sound.

Which brings us to a crux. As I’ve already noted, Edwin Rynveld perfects his products by measurement. The lower the calculable noise floor, the more he feels he’s succeeded. Though he also tests his creations extensively (see the interview to the left), Ted Denney makes his products for real-world users, whose varied systems and musical tastes he attempts to accommodate with voicing options. It’s kind of like the difference between a Soulution amplifier and an amplifier from CH Precision. The former comes with no provision for changing its sound; the latter can be “tuned” to taste via adjustments in feedback, gain, and other variables. Depending on your room, gear, and musical preferences, SRX’s tuneability (which, ideally, requires the assistance of a knowledgeable dealer for setup) may be a real plus.

Assuming you’ve got the moolah (and a spouse without a power of attorney), I can’t tell you which of these sonically similar but physically and functionally different cables to buy. Both Synergistic Research SRX and Crystal Cable Da Vinci are honest-to-God great—along with Crystal’s Ultimate Dream (which the Da Vincis replaced), the best wires I’ve heard. What I can say is this: Denney has long claimed to be able to build cables, interconnects, and power cords that will equal or exceed those of the competition for half the money. In this instance, he has proven his point. Co-winner of TAS’ Cable of the Year Award in 2022, Synergistic Research’s SRX is one of my references—and a worthy successor to Denney’s original, standard-setting Galileo.

Specs & Pricing

Synergistic SRX
Speaker Cable: $29,995 per 8′ pair
Interconnect: $12,995 per meter pair
Power cable: $10,000 per 6′

SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH
synergisticresearch.com

JV’s Reference System
Loudspeakers: MBL 101 X-treme, Stenheim Alumine Five SE, Estelon X Diamond Mk II, Magico M3, Voxativ 9.87, Avantgarde Zero 1, Magnepan LRS+, MG 1.7, and MG 30.7
Subwoofers: JL Audio Gotham (pair)
Linestage preamps: Soulution 725, MBL 6010 D, Siltech SAGA System C1, Air Tight ATE-2001 Reference
Phonostage preamps: Soulution 755, Constellation Audio Perseus, DS Audio Grand Master
Power amplifiers: Soulution 711, MBL 9008 A, Aavik P-580, Air Tight 3211, Air Tight ATM-2001, Zanden Audio Systems Model 9600, Siltech SAGA System V1/P1, Odyssey Audio Stratos, Voxativ Integrated 805
Analog source: Clearaudio Master Innovation, Acoustic Signature Invictus Jr./T-9000, Walker Audio Proscenium Black Diamond Mk V, TW Acustic Black Knight/TW Raven 10.5, AMG Viella 12
Tape deck: Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon T-RX, United Home Audio Ultimate 4 OPS
Phono cartridges: DS Audio Grandmaster, DS Audio Master1, DS Audio DS-003 Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement, Air Tight Opus 1, Ortofon MC Anna, Ortofon MC A90
Digital source: MSB Reference DAC, Soulution 760, Berkeley Alpha DAC 2
Cable and interconnect: CrystalConnect Art Series Da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research SRX, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond
Power cords: CrystalConnect Art Series Da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research SRX, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond
Power conditioner: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 (two), Synergistic Research Galileo UEF, Ansuz Acoustics DTC, Technical Brain
Support systems: Critical Mass Systems MAXXUM and QXK equipment racks and amp stands and CenterStage2M footers
Room treatments: Stein Music H2 Harmonizer system, Synergistic Research UEF Acoustic Panels/Atmosphere XL4/UEF Acoustic Dot system, Synergistic Research ART system, Shakti Hallographs (6), Zanden Acoustic panels, A/V Room Services Metu acoustic panels and traps, ASC Tube Traps
Accessories: DS Audio ION-001, SteinMusic Pi Carbon Signature record mat, Symposium Isis and Ultra equipment platforms, Symposium Rollerblocks and Fat Padz, Walker Prologue Reference equipment and amp stands, Walker Valid Points and Resonance Control discs, Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic record cleaner, Synergistic Research RED Quantum fuses, HiFi-Tuning silver/gold fuses

A Short Interview with Synergistic Research’s Ted Denney

JV: Your use of different metals in “air strings” is a Galileo trademark. You’ve done a good deal of experimentation with metallurgy, have you not?

Ted Denney: To my knowledge no other manufacturer has experimented more with different material options than Synergistic Research. Gold, platinum, aluminum, silver, copper, and alloys have all been tested exhaustively and are currently in use in our other offerings. We even discovered tungsten in our last active-shielded loom of 2010, The Element Series, where it was found to exhibit unique soundstaging characteristics when paired with parallel runs of silver or copper for greater conductivity. We did not, however, use tungsten in SRX because of advancements in our patented UEF (Uniform Energy Field) technology that allow for even greater soundstaging when UEF is used in conjunction with 99.9999% pure mono-crystal silver conductors in an air dielectric. SRX’s greater transparency, speed, dynamics, and soundstaging are owed to UEF technology and the most sophisticated geometry in the industry.

Your use of tuning bullets is very nearly unique.

And they aren’t even in the signal path! Instead, they work on the fields “around” the conductors, so there is no loss of transmission speed or information. In your system, for example, the tuning bullets made the highs sweeter, more extended, and as true to the source as possible, without any losses of detail or extension or any darkening of the tonal balance. In the past, I intentionally dialed back high-frequencies through the selection of darker, softer-sounding (but similarly measuring) materials, because to do otherwise would result in cables that would sound too bright for many systems. It was not until the now-decade-long refinement of my patented UEF technology, which works, as I’ve noted, outside the signal path, that I have been able to achieve the non-destructive voicing adjustability and fundamental neutrality that you have remarked on. We offer a bespoke cable loom custom-voiced to the user’s system and personal taste—something no other cable manufacturer in the world can do.

Though considerably less expensive than Crystal’s Da Vinci, SRX is still mighty pricey. Who buys these cables?

The customers for SRX are CEOs, surgeons, lawyers, business owners, “A-list” celebrities, and professional athletes. They are Grammy Award-winning producers and recording artists including Michael Beinhorn, Rick Rubin, Bernie Becker, Craig White, Chas Sandford, and Seay. Recording studios, including Curb Records (RCA Victor/Sony) Sonic Ranch—the largest single-point studio in the world—make extensive use for our various technologies when making their recordings or optimizing their personal stereos. These men buy performance first, second, and third. That SRX costs less is merely a plus.

Most of you already know who Edwin and his gifted wife Gabi Rijnveld are. The former is a world-class electrical engineer with a talent for metallurgy; the latter is a world-class concert pianist with a taste for beauty and a gift for design. Together, they bring a unique mix of science and art to hi-fi. 

One of the most respected hands in the cable business, Edwin and his original company Siltech were among the first to champion the use of silver (by far, the most conductive metal on earth) in cables and interconnects. On the technical side, the story of his products is also the story of the progressive metallurgical improvements he has made in the silver and silver-gold alloy used in his wires. 

Today, Crystal employs “Infinite Crystal Silver” and “G9” (ninth-generation) silver/gold alloys in the shields and core layers of its new Art Series offerings. What are “Infinite Crystal Silver” and G9, and why do they make better materials for cables, interconnects, and power cords? I’ll let Edwin explain: “Looked at under a microscope, metal is a lattice or matrix imperfectly constructed from multiple large crystals, all locked together. Between those crystals are boundaries and voids—barriers often caused by impurities in the metal [e.g., iron oxides and other materials] that delay, distort, and outright short-circuit the signals passing through them. Using sophisticated annealing processes, adjusting both the temperature and rate at which conductors are drawn and how long they take to cool, Siltech and Crystal are able to produce larger and more consistent crystal structures, reducing the barriers and discontinuities in the signal path.” 

Once most of the impurities and gaps in the silver have been eliminated, the voids that remain are filled with Edwin’s G9 silver-gold alloy, which rust corrupteth not. The consequent conductivity of Edwin’s Infinite Crystal Silver infused with silver-gold is so high that it permits him to lower the number and size of the signal-bearing conductors in his Art Series cables and interconnects, and that, in turn, measurably lowers distortion, inductance, impedance, and capacitance (as well as conferring advantages in appearance and useability).

In addition to developing higher-conductivity metals, Edwin has made substantial changes to the topology of Crystal’s Art Series products. Along with the Infinite Crystal Silver signal-bearing wires (positive and negative), Crystal’s Art Series includes multiple independent sets of Infinite Crystal Silver ground wires bundled in “asymmetric” groups—each shielded by a layer of G9 silver-gold screens and a second layer of Infinite Crystal Silver screens. The new grounding technology provides greater immunity to EMI and (as already noted) much lower ground impedance, current distortion, induction, and capacitance, further improving impulse response and resolution. 

Everything about the Art Series Da Vincis is intended to prevent signals from being blocked, altered, or delayed by material, mechanical, or electrical interactions; everything about their design and construction is intended to improve fidelity to the source. How well does this material and topological science work, and how much do the better test results that result from their application—the two-to-three times lower noise, the twice as low impedance, the much more faithfully tracked impulse speed and shape—contribute to higher fidelity? The answer is “a lot.”

As I said in my Golden Ear Awards in Issue 319 (and as Robert Harley reiterated in his From The Editor, “Noise, The Final Frontier,” in Issue 323), thanks to improved technology the way noise floors have been steadily lowered in high-end-audio products is perhaps the chief difference between today’s finest offerings and classics from the past. Cabling is no exception. 

What noise does to recorded music is an interesting subject. Certain kinds of noises—hum, for instance—result from the antenna-like qualities of longish runs of wire, regardless of type. Better shielding and grounding will reduce a cable’s susceptibility to EMI, but (unless you live in a Faraday cage) they will not eliminate it. Anyone with a phono source that uses a conventional magnetic transducer (moving-coil, moving-magnet, or moving-iron) can attest to this. A certain amount of background hum, increasingly audible with increases in volume, is simply part of the package. 

It’s not until you hear an analog source that doesn’t have hum—one of DS Audio’s optical cartridges, for example—that you realize how profoundly EMI and the distortions it induces have been affecting what you’re listening to. Cables are not just picking up hum; they’re also conducting that noise into active circuits, where it intermodulates with the recorded signal (and with whatever other noises the circuits themselves are adding to the mix). Sonically, the effect of that intermodulation distortion amounts to a reduction of what I’ve called neutrality (the faithful, unaccented, accurately timed reproduction of the dynamic/harmonic envelope) and completeness (the recovery and reproduction of all recorded information, including information about the instruments, the performance style, the venue, and the recording process itself). Since neutrality and completeness are the keys to the gestalt shift that lets the ear/mind hear/“see” what is recorded as a simulacrum of the real thing, anything that detracts from them moves you a step away from the illusion of being in the presence of actual musicians performing in an actual space (be it a hall, club, or studio).

A more neutral and complete reproduction of music (and the increase in realism that comes with it) is the first—and most prominent—thing you will notice with Crystal’s Da Vinci cables, interconnects, and power cord. And the difference isn’t subtle. Indeed, save in overall coherence, going from top-notch conventional wire to Da Vinci is like going from a superb two-way loudspeaker to a world-class multiway—there is just a lot more “there” there.

The substantial lowering of noise and consequent increase in musical information are most obvious in the mid-to-lower octaves (though, as you will see, they are audible on top, too). Just put on any recording with a well-mic’d rhythm section—say Count Basie’s orchestra in Sinatra at the Sands [Reprise/MoFi/Puget Sound Studios]—and settle down for an ear-opener. Everything from Al Grey, Henderson Chambers, Grover Mitchell, and Bill Hughes’ trombones to Marshall Royal, Bobby Platter, and Charlie Fowlkes’ baritone and alto saxes (so droll on the Gershwins’ “I’ve Got A Crush On You”) to Eric Dixon and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’ tenor saxes to Al Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau, and Harry “Sweets” Edison’s trumpets to Basie’s (sometimes Quincy Jones’) piano, Norman Keenan’s double bass, and  Sonny Payne’s drum kit gains lifelike density of color, body, definition, and presence. 

This is a big band that, when playing ensemble in the 365-seat Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino, moves a whole lot of air. It should have concentrated, “wall-of-sound” color, power, focus, and impact on tuttis (such as the thrilling instrumentals in the entr’acte, “Street of Dreams,” or “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”—where Sinatra, quite appropriately, forewarns the audience to “run for cover”), and it does have these things on LP (particularly on MoFi’s marvelous reissue, no longer available, alas). But, as I noted in previous reviews, what it typically doesn’t have (or have to the extent that you would hear from a big band in life) is a full sense of the many individual parts contributing to the hurricane-force whole. With the superaddition of hum and intermodulation distortion from other cables, the Basie band tuttis hit you like a gloved fist; with the reduction of hum and IM afforded by the Da Vincis, they hit you with bare knuckles—you can feel/see/count each balled-up finger, without any diminution of massive, stinging impact. 

Sinatra was very picky about the mics he used. He is on record saying that a mic is a singer’s instruments: “Instead of playing a saxophone, he’s playing a microphone.” At the Sands concert, he used a hand-holdable Shure Model 546 Unidyne III moving-coil mic, which he manipulated expertly (“like a geisha girl using her fan”), so that the audience would never hear a “popping p” or an intake of breath through nose or mouth. (For the exact opposite approach to the mic, listen to Louis Armstrong on Louis and Ella [Verve/Analogue Productions/Puget Sound Studios], where Pops’ plosives, stops, and fricatives—his “p’s,” “t’s,” and “s’s”—go off like a string of fireworks.) 

The 546 was a dynamic microphone intended for theater-stage use because it was sturdy and hand-holdable, and because its uni-directional cardioid pickup pattern eliminated feedback in reverberant locations (such as the Copa Room) via the stage monitors. Through it, Sinatra’s baritone should sound smooth, full, rich, and distinct—spot-lit amid the big band surrounding him, without any diminishment of the sense that he is singing in the same acoustic that the group is playing in. With my reference Crystal Ultimate Dreams, Sinatra’s voice is smooth and distinct, all right, but it is also a bit thinner in body, leaner in tone, and very slightly grainier in texture than it is with the Da Vincis, which make Sinatra sound almost exactly the way I heard him sound (one of the highlights of my life) in Music Hall in Cincinnati, with another big band (conducted by his son) backing him up.

Beyond reducing noise, the Da Vinci also seems to be delivering signals in better “time alignment.” From top to bottom, sounds are conveyed to your ears with consistently lifelike duration, rather than with the unnatural emphases and delays that generate accents on the transient, steady-state, and decay phases of the dynamic/harmonic envelope. The result is a realistic smoothness, solidity, dimensionality, richness of color, pace, and interconnectedness (with venue and accompaniment) that make other cables—even very good ones—sound just a bit, thin, flat, coarse, vaporous, and isolate.

The Da Vincis don’t just do these lifelike tricks in the midband and the bass. I don’t think I’ve ever heard cymbals, which tend to sound (even with the best cabling and ancillaries) disembodied and purely transient-like, more fully connected to the solid and robust instrument producing their colors than they do through the Da Vincis, which restore three-dimensional body and bright or mellow tone to their softly brushed or tapped or crashlike attacks and their undamped or damped decays. Whether it’s Sonny Payne on the Sinatra recording or Shadow Wilson and Art Blakey on Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane [Jazzland/Puget Sound Studios] or, well, you name it, I’ve not heard more neutral and complete and, ergo, more realistic reproduction of cymbals (and drumkit) through any other cables. (This holds true for all instruments that play or have substantial overtones in the upper registers.)

The third thing that the Da Vincis offer to a greater extent than other wires I’ve used and recommended is transparency to sources. This may seem odd given all my talk about richer tone color and three-dimensional body, but the Da Vincis only reproduce these qualities in full on recordings that have them in full. While they never make less-than-stellar LPs, files, or tapes unlistenable (or less listenable), Gabi and Edwin’s cables will leave you in no doubt about the sonic quality of the sources being fed through them. The difference, for instance, between the 1955 Christmas Eve recording of The Weavers at Carnegie Hall [Vanguard/Puget Sound Studios] and the 1963 recording of The Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall [Vanguard/Analogue Productions/Puget Sound Studios] isn’t just a matter of the former being monophonic and the latter stereo. Nor is it strictly speaking a matter of personnel, although the stereo recording does have a bigger ensemble on certain numbers. The difference between the two is in the recording and mastering, with the earlier one being far less ambient (Vanguard was just learning the ropes of live recording in Car- negie), drier and leaner on vocals and instrumentals, and less dynamic overall (Ronnie Gilbert’s stentorian contralto sounds oddly subdued, as do the sounds of the audience and the hall). This doesn’t make the mono recording undesirable (the musicianship and program are superb—arguably superior to Reunion), but it does make its sound less lively, immediate, spacious, and realistic, and greatly reduces the sense of the venue and the occasion. The Da Vincis will tell you these things without you’re having to look them up on Wikipedia.

There is a price that you pay for the Da Vinci’s extraordinary virtues of lower noise, better time alignment, and higher transparency to sources, and it is precisely the same price you pay when going from a two-way to a multiway. The size, speed, and lighter tonal balance of a mini tends to make things sound airier, more minutely resolved, and more free-floating—less weighted down by the mass of multiple large drivers and less constrained by the confines of a big box. You hear a bit of the same effect with superior cabling, including Da Vinci. Because it does not accent starting transients, because it integrates them into the dynamic/harmonic envelope with the proper duration, transient information (and the detail associated with it) does not stand out as nakedly as it does with a leaner, less neutral cable (where transients are virtually all you get). I’m not saying transients and transient-related detail are short changed. On the contrary, they are substantially more powerfully, completely, and correctly resolved. What I am saying is that they aren’t accentuated (as in a mini or a smaller ’stat or planar). With the Da Vinci, you get the whole note rather than just the leading edge.  

I could go on (and on) with musical examples of Da Vinci’s excellence, but the bottom line would remain the same. Edwin and Gabi’s new cables, interconnects, and power cords are simply better than other wires I’ve heard—closer to the sound of the real thing, when the source permits. They are also ergonomic delights that do not burden you, your components’ connectors, or your wall or conditioner sockets with unnecessary weight or added grounding/voicing wires and connections. No heavier than Crystal’s Dreams—and just as flexible—they are easy to use and install, and trouble-free once plugged in.  They’re only downside—and it is a big one—is cost. These cables are expensive. 

While an argument can be made for their high price (they are made of silver and gold, after all), Da Vincis will still and only be for the lucky few. If you’re one of them, I urge you to give Edwin and Gabi’s new wires a listen in your system. If you aren’t…well, don’t hold Da Vincis’ price (or this review) against them (or me). There are other options for the rest of us—one extraordinary example of which, from Ted Denney and Synergistic Research, I will be reviewing soon. 

There is this, as well: Da Vinci is the top of the Crystal line. Edwin and Gabi offer other cabling in their Art Series that incorporates the same technical and material advances found in the Da Vincis, albeit on a progressively scaled-down level, at more affordable prices. That said, if you will only settle for the best—and in this case a best that can be verified by measurement as well as by ear—then welcome to Crystal Cable’s Art Series Da Vinci. Whether it is a genuine step-change or “just” a substantial audible improvement in the fidelity of the wiring we all must live with, I’ll leave to you. For me, it is a new reference standard. 

Specs & Pricing

Prices: CrystalConnect by Crystal Cable Art Series Da Vinci interconnect: $23,900/1m pr. (RCA or XLR); speaker cable: $48,000/2m pr.; power cords: $15,000/1m pr.

CRYSTALCONNECT by crystal cable
Edisonweg 8
6662 NW Elst
The Netherlands
(+31) 481 374 783
info@crystalcable.com

WYNN AUDIO (North American Distributor)
Unit 31, 20 Wertheim Court
Richmond Hill, ON
L4B3A8 Canada
(212) 826-1111
wynnaudio.com
info@wynnaudio.com

For this review, Elite AV supplied a pair of DPS-4.1 power cords, which I auditioned in different ways—first, with my active tri-amplified ATCSCM50s; then, with the ATCs partnered with my REL S/812 subwoofers; and finally, on a Pass Labs preamp and dCS Bartók DAC. 

I’m often asked, what is the first thing I listen for? Actually, the answer is “nothing.” Or, more precisely, freedom from background noise. Power cords, like all cables, are subject to incoming noise from radio frequencies, electro-magnetic disturbances from within the house, even problems from the outside electric-utility transformers. And noise, at any amplitude or frequency, is anathema to resolution and transparency. We’ve all noticed how an audio system sounds perkier on evenings when the power grid is less burdened by industrial machinery that puts noise back onto the grid. Isolation from these extraneous sources of noise means cleaner, smoother sound across the frequency spectrum. While power cords are not conditioners per se, the good ones play a role in rejecting some of these noise factors.

As I listened to the DPS-4.1, I found myself leaning into the moments of stillness and calm from a symphony orchestra, the measured pauses, the breaks between movements, the low-level passages, the sustain and decay of soloists, the shimmer and resonances from piano soundboards (a personal favorite), and the delicacy of a concert harp during Vaughn-Williams’ The Wasps Overture. The Furutechs added a sense of acoustic openness to all these things. They firmed up the bass and plumped up the body of the midrange, adding gravitas to the resonances of stand-up acoustic bass, imparting a bigger, wider image of the bell of a trombone. 

Generally speaking, high-end power cords like the Furutech do not address specific frequency ranges, and true enough, the DPS-4.1 was a neutral arbiter in that respect. Its sonic effects were more globally presentational and were heard and sometimes felt throughout the system. They didn’t disrupt my system’s balance; rather, they removed veiling and in so doing enhanced the recovery of micro-information. The Furutech’s stock in trade was expressing the dimensional boundaries of an acoustic venue. A good example was the vast Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, the site of singer Laurel Massé’s spare a capella tracks from Feather And Bone. As with an infusion of warm moist air, the Troy soundstage seemingly filled out, exhibiting a wider, deeper, more authentic sense of spatial bloom and dimensionality. Such dimensionality is key to evoking a sense of real players making music in real space. Along those same lines, I was reminded of Joni Mitchell’s rendition of “Woodstock” from her 1970 Ladies of the Canyon album. Unlike the heavier CSN rock version, JM’s is acoustic simplicity on a heavenly scale. Accompanied by soft analog tape hiss, the soundstage appears bifurcated, Joni’s voice in one space and the tremolo-effects wafting from the electric piano in another. Your ear can trace the outlines of both acoustic spaces, where one begins and the other ends, and sense the isolation of the sound booth. 

When I introduced the REL subs and the DPS-4.1, I felt the power cords tightened the low-end spine of the system—not by an order of magnitude, mind you, but in a musically noteworthy way. There was a newly exposed, seat-of-the-pants energy from the Hans Zimmer soundtrack to The Thin Red Line, specifically on the brain-rattling Kodo drumming of “Air,” which added greater harmonic complexity and texture than before. 

I acknowledge that the home-assembly approach of the DPS-4.1 is not for everyone, but for those who possess some DIY chops, Furutech just might have the power cord for you. All it takes is a little elbow grease, and you’ll be rewarded with a cord that performs on a par with some of the top contenders, at a considerable cost savings. Unreservedly recommended. 

Specs & Pricing

FURUTECH CO., LTD
ELITE AUDIO VIDEO DISTRIBUTION (U.S. Distributor)
PO Box 93896
Los Angeles, CA 90093
eliteavdist.com
(323) 466-9694 x 22

Price: DPS-4.1, $1680/2m (as assembled, cable, $481 per meter; connector model FI-50/50M R NCF, $368 per connector)

The Everest features Shunyata’s Ground-Plane Noise-Reduction (GP-NR) system, which consists of four grounding posts on the rear of the unit. The idea is that you run a wire from each of your components to the Everest’s grounding posts so that all your equipment is grounded to the same electrical potential. Although most components (preamps, DACs, servers, etc.) lack a grounding post, you can connect the ground wire to a chassis screw and achieve the same effect. Shunyata offers grounding cables made from flexible stranded wire that’s easy to work with. Ground posts are common on professional and telecommunications gear for good reason: If some of your components’ grounds are at a different electrical potential (voltage) than other components, and those components are connected through interconnects, a small amount of electrical current will flow along the ground path provided by the interconnect. We hear this current flow as noise and hum. Preventing these noise-inducing “ground loops” is why I specified that each run of 10AWG to the five dedicated AC lines to my listening room be of the same length. With identical-length runs, the ground potential will be the same in each line. It’s common in professional gear for every component in a metal rack to be grounded with a braided wire to the rack.

The Everest’s technology is based on that of the Hydra Triton and Typhon conditioners, but with some new twists in technologies, construction, and materials. Before describing the Everest’s design, we should review the goal of a power conditioner. In addition to distributing power to multiple components, an AC conditioner should block noise on the AC line from getting into your audio components. Most people think that this is a conditioner’s primary function. But a conditioner’s most important job is preventing noise from traveling from one component to another. Think of a digital component, filled with chips that switch high-speed digital signals on and off. This switching creates noise that gets on the component’s ground plane. The AC cords in your system are the conduits for that noise, conducting it from one component to all your other components, degrading performance. A good conditioner blocks and dissipates this noise, isolating the components from each other.

Each of the Everest’s eight outlets features Shunyata’s CCI (Component-to-Component Interface) filters—a series of multi-stage filters that removes noise. Noise is further reduced by Shunyata’s patented NIC (Noise Isolation Chamber), a device that contains a ferroelectric material that absorbs high-frequency noise. The NIC was originally developed for the Hydra Triton. A different type of noise filter, called “CMode,” reportedly reduces common-mode noise.

Another technology from the Triton/Typhon products is QR/BB, a circuit that delivers additional instantaneous current for brief transients, reducing dynamic compression. Unlike many conditioners that diminish the ability to deliver high-current pulses, QR/BB is claimed to increase impulse-current delivery via a circuit that lowers the inductive reactance. The Everest’s QR/BB device is three times the size of that in the Denali, Shunyata’s previous flagship conditioner. This feature is useful when power amplifiers or integrated amplifiers get their power through the Everest. Unlike a preamp or a DAC that draws a small amount of current continuously, a power amplifier pulls current from the wall in very short bursts (at the tops and bottoms of the 60Hz AC sinewave). If the conditioner restricts these instantaneous current surges, the amplifier will be starved for power, compromising musical dynamics. In designing the Everest, Shunyata relied on its proprietary test instrument, called the Dynamic Transient Current Delivery (DTCD) analyzer, to measure instantaneous current flow through low-impedance conductors and contacts.

The outlets are Shunyata’s CopperCONN, with contacts and conductors made from thick pieces of solid high-purity oxygen-free copper. They also provide better grip on the blades of an AC cord plugged into them than conventional AC outlets. I installed these outlets in each of the five dedicated AC lines that run to my listening room when I built the room. The Everest’s internal wiring is Shunyata’s ArNi conductors, made from certified OFE C10100 copper, and fashioned into hollow tubes to reduce skin effect. The conductors are treated with Shunyata’s KPIP (Kinetic Phase-Inversion Process), which reportedly eliminates the need for break-in, and improves the sound. Many of the components are cryogenically treated in Shunyata’s own cryo lab. Finally, the chassis and internal structures are treated with vibration-damping panels, and the outlets are physically de-coupled from the chassis for further vibration isolation.

I know that’s a mouthful of alphabet soup, but illustrates that the Everest is packed with technologies that Shunyata has developed over the past 25 years, many of them patented.

The Omega XC power cord features Shunyata’s VTX-Ag conductors that are made from an outer tube of purified copper surrounding a silver conductor. The cord has CopperCONN connectors encased in a carbon-fiber housing at both ends. Once assembled, the Omega XC is treated with the KIPP processing described earlier. Note that the step-up power cord, the Omega QR, incorporates noise-reduction technologies within the cable. Nonetheless, Shunyata recommends the Omega XC with the Everest. Both Omega Series cords are available in a range of carbon-fiber colors.

I replaced the Hydra Triton and Typhon combination that I’d been using for a few years with the Everest to power my front-end equipment. My equipment racks are at the back of the room behind the listening seat, and the power amplifiers are at the other end between the speakers. The power amps were plugged straight into the wall sockets.

When I’ve upgraded Shunyata’s conditioners in the past, I’ve usually heard an incremental improvement in dynamics, soundstaging, and the rendering of instrumental timbres. But the Everest/Omega XC combination realized, by far, the most significant improvement in my system. The change in sound quality was more of a step function than an incremental advance. It’s worth noting that my current system is extremely revealing of every change, good or bad.

Swapping in the Everest and Omega XC brought out the best in my system, heightening those qualities I value. The most immediate improvement was in the way the soundstage expanded in all dimensions, particularly in depth. Interestingly, the entire stage became slightly less forward and immediate, like moving from Row C to Row M. But at the same time, the spatial presentation became more three-dimensional, with instruments toward the back of the stage sounding much farther away. The apparent distance between instruments in the front and back of the orchestra expanded. A few minutes into The Rite of Spring (Eiji Oue, Minnesota, Reference Recordings, MQA at 176.4kHz) a contrabassoon plays a short, virtually unaccompanied passage. The Everest presented the instrument as way back in the orchestra, with very fine resolution of the reflections and reverberation that supply the brain with distance cues. Despite the slightly less immediate spatial perspective, the sense of vividness and tangibility increased.

But that’s not what make the Everest/Omega XC so compelling. Rather, it was the way this new conditioner resolved the air and space between instruments, giving the sound a greater dimensionality that was closer to what one hears from live music. I could hear a more tangible sense of the cushion of air around each instrument, particularly on dynamic passages. The feeling of sound expanding from the instrument was more realistic. This impression was heightened by the tighter focus of the image itself, along with the greater delineation between the image and the air around it. This may sound like an esoteric analysis of a not-that-important perception, but this more realistic portrayal of instrumental images, the immediate space around them, and the greater space of the hall went a long way toward making me forget I was listening to a recreation of music. It was just more organic and lifelike. In addition, the finer spatial resolution and more vivid presentation of individual instruments made it easier to follow each instrument’s musical line within the whole. The track “The Cowboys Overture” from John Williams at The Movies (176.4/24 downloaded from Reference Recordings) took on much more sonic and musical clarity, with each instrument, section, and musical line more clearly resolved.

I’ve noticed that my colleague Andrew Quint mentions in his reviews a track that I also happen to like, and also use in evaluating equipment. “Back Row Politics” from Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band Act Your Age features three virtuoso trumpet players trading off extended, high-energy solos. After adding the Everest to my system, the trumpets had less glare, along with more richness, warmth, and body.

Finally, I heard an increase in dynamic impact, particularly in the bass. This is one of my system’s strong suits, but the Everest took transient fidelity and visceral impact to another level of realism.

The Everest 8000 AC conditioner and Omega XC power cord are, in my view, the best components to come out of Shunyata Research, a company with a long history of developing great products. The Everest allowed the outstanding components in my system to perform at their highest level by providing them with an ultra-quiet and clean power source. The Everest 8000 and Omega XC have become essential parts of my reference system.

Specs & Pricing

Everest 8000
Type: Eight-outlet AC conditioner
Maximum continuous current: 30A (US version)
Maximum continuous current per outlet: 15A (US version)
Isolation zones: Six
Noise suppression: Input to output (100kHz–30MHz): >50dB reduction; zone-to-zone (100kHz–30MHz): >60dB reduction
Over-current protection: Hydraulic electromagnetic breaker
Wiring: 8 -gauge ArNi^® VTX Buss system; 10 gauge ArNi^® VTX wiring
Dimensions: 8″ x 20.75″ x 14.75″
Weight: 34 lbs.
Price: $8000

Omega XC Power Cord
Technology: VTX-Ag conductors
Price: $7000

SHUNYATA RESEARCH
26273 Twelve Trees Lane, Ste D
Poulsbo, WA 98370
(360) 598-9935
shunyata.com

Associated Equipment
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX, Wilson Subsonic subwoofers (x2), Wilson ActivXO crossover
Analog source: Basis Audio A.J. Conti Transcendence turntable with SuperArm 12.5 tonearm; Air Tight Opus cartridge; Moon 810LP phonostage; DS Audio ST-50 stylus cleaner
Digital source: Aurender W20SE and Wadax Atlantis servers, Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Reference Series 3 and Wadax Reference DACs; Berkeley Alpha USB USB-to-AES/EBU converter; Shunyata Sigma USB cable; AudioQuest Wild Digital AES/EBU cable
Amplification: Constellation Altair 2 preamplifier; Constellation Hercules 2 monoblock power amplifiers, Constellation Centaur 2 stereo (driving subwoofers)
AC Power: Five dedicated 20A lines terminated with Shunyata AC outlets
Support: Critical Mass Systems Olympus equipment racks and Olympus amplifier stands; CenterStage² isolation
Cables: Shunyata Sigma interconnects; AudioQuest WEL Signature interconnects; AudioQuest Dragon Zero and Dragon Bass loudspeaker cables
Acoustics: Acoustic Geometry Pro Room Pack 12
Room: Purpose-built; Acoustic Sciences Corporation Iso-Wall System
LP cleaning: Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200, Levin Design record brush