Shunyata Venom 14 power cord - ongoing review
Comments
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We own our house, but it is my parents house, so I don’t get any say in electrical work, before it comes out of the wall.
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mlistens03 wrote: »We own our house, but it is my parents house, so I don’t get any say in electrical work, before it comes out of the wall.
It would provide surge protection to the entire house, and are fairly cheap and easy to install.
Might be able to get them to be ok with getting one installed (since it surge protects the entire house)...... which includes their stuff too
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I think mine ran like 150 or less, and again, its installed at the panel, protects everything on the panel (AC, washer, dryer, fridge, range) many of which would be pricey to replace.
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »mlistens03 wrote: »We own our house, but it is my parents house, so I don’t get any say in electrical work, before it comes out of the wall.
It would provide surge protection to the entire house, and are fairly cheap and easy to install.
Might be able to get them to be ok with getting one installed (since it surge protects the entire house)...... which includes their stuff too.
I think mine ran like 150 or less, and again, its installed at the panel, protects everything on the panel (AC, washer, dryer, fridge, range) many of which would be pricey to replace.
My dad thinks that it most likely won't happen, and he's right, it probably won't. But for me, I don't want to take a chance. I'll ask him later tonight, but I think he'll say no. -
I've been doing some listening this week and specifically focusing on the smooth and polite presentation I noted earlier, as well as the perceived "lack of bass".
I played several CDs I was familiar with, ones that previously didn't have this "smooth and luxurious" quality. I confirmed what I heard initially, that everything is still sounding extremely smooth and pleasant, but at the same time presenting several detailed layers of sound to get lost in and enjoy.
I started thinking more about what exactly is happening to give me this association with a "polite" sound signature. My only conclusion must be that there was a semi-drastic reduction in grit, grain, and hash. With the mitigation of those things, the music is coming through much more organically, and has a lush and inviting quality to it. In my head I think of this as "polite", since there are no longer any "harsh edges".
Again, despite the overall sound presenting itself as polite, I'm still able to hear plenty of detail, especially with vocals and other elements in the midrange. It's quite an interesting sensation and change in my system, and I hope I'm doing an adequate job of describing it.
In terms of the "lack of bass" I noticed, I again played some CDs I've listened to 50+ times and paid attention to the low end. One of the things I clued in on, is that when I wasn't in my listening room, I could still hear the same amount of bass coming from it. But when I entered the room and sat in the sweet spot, the bass was not as "audible" as it was previously before I swapped in this last Venom 14.
Instead of being able to hear the bass, and at times it's boominess, it's now much more integrated with the rest of the musical information. I don't actively "notice" it as much now, but it's still very present. So, instead of playing a track and specifically "hearing" the bassline, it's now just "simply there" and more cohesive with the rest of the song. It doesn't jump out at you, but if you shift your attention/focus to it, you can easily say to yourself "yep, it's definitely there". Again, I hope I'm adequately describing this, and if anyone has any insight into what actually changed to cause this I'd be eager to hear about it.
In summary, I can say without a doubt that my system is currently performing at the highest level it's ever been at. I played Steely Dan's Aja album earlier and when "Home at Last" came on, it grabbed me and didn't let go! I was moving and grooving - more musically engaged than I've been in months. When I listened to the closing song "Josie", I was blown away by the spectacular clarity and dynamic punch that I was hearing. It sounded amazing!
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OK.. now, I have to go home and drop in the Steely Dan CD and see how it sounds. Thanks for the update and it's good to see you've achieved an integration of your system that allows for the overall presentation of the music so much more enjoyable.
It's really the opposite of what you would think, that better music cohesiveness would some from one unit instead of a bunch of separate components with, in the end, even the power cables making a difference.
It's no wonder people don't believe in cables as it goes against logic. But hearing is believing. Congrats on taking the chance and finding this new level of enjoyment.Music: Oppo103 - Parasound JC2 - Parasound A21- SDA 3.1
Theater: Denon 3808 - B&K 7500/Emotiva XPA-3- RTi12, CSi5, RTiA7x4, PSW505
Sleeping: Marantz 70005 - Harman Kardon 2400 - SDA 2
2 Channel: Cary 306 SACD - Canary Audio 906 - Pass Labs x250 - PS Audio Perfectwave DAC, Polk LSiM705, SVS SB13 Ultra
Office: Dell Optiplex, Emotiva XDA-2, Adcom 5500, LSiM 703
Spares: Yamaha CA-810; LSi 15; Kenwood Basic M2a, Yamaha M60/M80, Polk Monitor 7, SVS SB13 Ultra -
I've been doing some listening this week and specifically focusing on the smooth and polite presentation I noted earlier, as well as the perceived "lack of bass".
I played several CDs I was familiar with, ones that previously didn't have this "smooth and luxurious" quality. I confirmed what I heard initially, that everything is still sounding extremely smooth and pleasant, but at the same time presenting several detailed layers of sound to get lost in and enjoy.
I started thinking more about what exactly is happening to give me this association with a "polite" sound signature. My only conclusion must be that there was a semi-drastic reduction in grit, grain, and hash. With the mitigation of those things, the music is coming through much more organically, and has a lush and inviting quality to it. In my head I think of this as "polite", since there are no longer any "harsh edges".
Again, despite the overall sound presenting itself as polite, I'm still able to hear plenty of detail, especially with vocals and other elements in the midrange. It's quite an interesting sensation and change in my system, and I hope I'm doing an adequate job of describing it.
In terms of the "lack of bass" I noticed, I again played some CDs I've listened to 50+ times and paid attention to the low end. One of the things I clued in on, is that when I wasn't in my listening room, I could still hear the same amount of bass coming from it. But when I entered the room and sat in the sweet spot, the bass was not as "audible" as it was previously before I swapped in this last Venom 14.
Instead of being able to hear the bass, and at times it's boominess, it's now much more integrated with the rest of the musical information. I don't actively "notice" it as much now, but it's still very present. So, instead of playing a track and specifically "hearing" the bassline, it's now just "simply there" and more cohesive with the rest of the song. It doesn't jump out at you, but if you shift your attention/focus to it, you can easily say to yourself "yep, it's definitely there". Again, I hope I'm adequately describing this, and if anyone has any insight into what actually changed to cause this I'd be eager to hear about it.
In summary, I can say without a doubt that my system is currently performing at the highest level it's ever been at. I played Steely Dan's Aja album earlier and when "Home at Last" came on, it grabbed me and didn't let go! I was moving and grooving - more musically engaged than I've been in months. When I listened to the closing song "Josie", I was blown away by the spectacular clarity and dynamic punch that I was hearing. It sounded amazing!
Phase 1 complete. Time for Phase 2. New gear, and new cables.
Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Sure, I'll gladly take your hand-me-downs!
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My god am I happy to have found this thread! So it’s true then, that myth that power cords and power conditioners make a difference both in video and audio?
Oh wow, you sure got my attention... about the power conditioners at least because power cables and adapters especially are kind of not replaceable...
I think I’ll go shopping for power conditioners!!! Thank you so much for your dedication and testing... -
I was thinking about the Furman PST-8D Clipdat, what do you think???
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I was thinking about the Furman PST-8D Clipdat, what do you think???
I don't have any experience with the Furman PST-8D but it appears to be a high quality product. Price is reasonable as well.
I also don't have any experience in regards to power conditioner products and improved video performance, but other members have had positive experiences in this regard. -
Oh god, I saw some other Furman products and ouch, they’re expensive...
Is it worth the price you think? If you compare the aforementioned and this one for example;
https://www.electronicsforless.ca/furman-it-ref-15i-reference-discrete-symmetrical-ac-power-source-4245.html
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With products like that, I think you have to consider the value of the rest of the gear that you're hooking up to it. Do you have $5k speakers, $2-5k in your preamp &, a $2k source, etc?
For high end systems, you'd want a high end power conditioner like that. For the type of gear that you're running I think the first Furman you linked would be more appropriate.
Just my opinion.
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I've owned power conditioners from 2k and below and all of them have one thing in common. They suck the life out of everything.
Hard bargain there- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
Haven't noticed any life being sucked out of my music with the PS Audio Dectet.
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What I did notice though is money being sucked from my wallet hahah
God those are expensive but worth it
(Well I bought the cheaper one...after reading that, from another user, there was no noticeable difference!?!?)
Wow... how can this be, still? No difference for 1700$ difference?!
Post edited by laelle on -
What are your thoughts on whole house surge protection? Do you feel that they have any negative effects in regards to a/v equipment? Or does the surge protection have no negative restrictive aspects?I've owned power conditioners from 2k and below and all of them have one thing in common. They suck the life out of everything.
Hard bargain there -
That's on my list of something to try.no timeline on that yet
But I have ran the full MIT shotgun power cable suite with their top conditioner and I immediately sold it.
Sucked the dynamics from everything. The super towers though were extremely revealing.- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
I have spent time reading about voltage regulators... how power line companies like to boost voltage for higher mmm... profits, you know? And apparently this is bad for music...
Any thoughts on this?
Plus the Furman PST 8D I just bought probably doesn’t modulate voltage so... yeh -
@laelle, I think getting a nice 2 channel system will go farther than a power conditioner with your sound bar. It’s obviously your choice, but that would be my suggestion.
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What I did notice though is money being sucked from my wallet hahah
God those are expensive but worth it
(Well I bought the cheaper one...after reading that, from another user, there was no noticeable difference!?!?)
Wow... how can this be, still? No difference for 1700$ difference?!
Some people seem to be unable to hear the difference, others say they can. I assign to the side that they probably make a difference, but I’ve never knowingly heard one myself. -
mlistens03 wrote: »@laelle, I think getting a nice 2 channel system will go farther than a power conditioner with your sound bar. It’s obviously your choice, but that would be my suggestion.
A 2 channel system? Like... HD 800s? Or like speakers?
And yeah, I haven’t received the power conditioner yet so I can’t make a statement about it yet...
Also the truth about my “sudden” interest in power conditioners is that I used to own my little studio 10 years back... and I read back then that it made improvements to the sound but I hardly believed it back then, but now, I am interested to try it and see for my own since I had incredible results with cable changes on a preamp and speaker and guitar cables... yea so that’s basically it -
Anyway Clipdat, thank you for this thread talk about power conditioners! I am an audiophile on a budget but clearly an audio enthusiast searching for better sound!!!
I can’t wait to try out that PC!!! ... No not a computer lol... xD -
Best bet is to have your own supply of electricity.
Saw this beauty at AXPONA 2016:
Audio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
do you have your amp connected to the power conditioner ? have you tried listening with the amp plugged directly into the wall socket?Haven't noticed any life being sucked out of my music with the PS Audio Dectet.
my ayre power amp has conditioning built in and ayre says do not hook the amp to a power conditioner.
Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
Speaker Cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
Interconnects: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
Puritan PSM156 -
do you have your amp connected to the power conditioner ? have you tried listening with the amp plugged directly into the wall socket?Haven't noticed any life being sucked out of my music with the PS Audio Dectet.
my ayre power amp has conditioning built in and ayre says do not hook the amp to a power conditioner.
My monoblocks are plugged into the sockets designated "HC" on the Dectet.
I've never tried them plugged directly into the wall socket, but I'm not able to anyway since there's only two outlets total. -
Hello again... I have cancelled my order of the Furman PST 8D and will buy a CyberPower Pure Sine Wave UPS instead...
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Not a fan of UPS products for audio applications, personally. Right tool for the job and all that.
But do let us know how you get on with it, would be curious to know. -
Laelle, I mean something like a set of speakers and a integrated amplifier. I’ve got a pretty epic system (all used gear) which I’ve spent a total of around $175 on. Not using most of that stuff anymore, but it sounded great, especially for the price of Polk T15’s and a Lepai 2020, plus cables and stuff.
So basically, if your on a big time budget, you can still get great sound, because audio gear depreciates quick, meaning value for people who buy used gear. My Mission 770’s sound like a $1000 speaker, but I’ve put $75 into them. They are worth a little over double that, but still, $150 for that kind of sound? Yes please.
If you decide to do this, just ask us for suggestions and we’d be happy to help spend your money.
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mlistens03 wrote: »Laelle, I mean something like a set of speakers and a integrated amplifier. I’ve got a pretty epic system (all used gear) which I’ve spent a total of around $175 on. Not using most of that stuff anymore, but it sounded great, especially for the price of Polk T15’s and a Lepai 2020, plus cables and stuff.
So basically, if your on a big time budget, you can still get great sound, because audio gear depreciates quick, meaning value for people who buy used gear. My Mission 770’s sound like a $1000 speaker, but I’ve put $75 into them. They are worth a little over double that, but still, $150 for that kind of sound? Yes please.
If you decide to do this, just ask us for suggestions and we’d be happy to help spend your money.
Thank you! I’ll see what I can do... I heard one tube preamp off of a big tower speaker and I was bummed by that class b tube sound, I expected much better sound... I pretty much then gave up on preamps and systems... but maybe it’s just because the power was not clean and it came out harsh?? Hmm... I can’t wait to try the pc or ups...!
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mlistens03 wrote: »Laelle, I mean something like a set of speakers and a integrated amplifier. I’ve got a pretty epic system (all used gear) which I’ve spent a total of around $175 on. Not using most of that stuff anymore, but it sounded great, especially for the price of Polk T15’s and a Lepai 2020, plus cables and stuff.
So basically, if your on a big time budget, you can still get great sound, because audio gear depreciates quick, meaning value for people who buy used gear. My Mission 770’s sound like a $1000 speaker, but I’ve put $75 into them. They are worth a little over double that, but still, $150 for that kind of sound? Yes please.
If you decide to do this, just ask us for suggestions and we’d be happy to help spend your money.
Thank you! I’ll see what I can do... I heard one tube preamp off of a big tower speaker and I was bummed by that class b tube sound, I expected much better sound... I pretty much then gave up on preamps and systems... but maybe it’s just because the power was not clean and it came out harsh?? Hmm... I can’t wait to try the pc or ups...!
Class B?
Class B amps (I think) are very, VERY efficient, but have lots of distortion, and poor dynamics. They are popular in places where efficiency counts, like a watch, or a phone, or a microwave, etc.
What area are you in? I’d be happy to look on your local Craigslist, and give you some ideas of what to look for, and I’m sure others here would as well.
