Trying something new - Snake River Audio

GlennDog

GlennDog wrote: »

your comments would suggest you trust Skipper's ear . . .

PM inbound

Hey Glenn. If you were sending me a PM I have not seen anything. [/quote]

I've been juggling 17 things . .. . my pm was going to @treitz3 . . .

NOT Tom ....

signed tom tom . . . a drum major

and for the record, F1 . . . just root beer!

marvda1

I hear the Boomslang is a great cable.
I got this wonderful sounding cable for a steal of $150.
https://www.mcssl.com/store/silnoteaudio/poseidon-signature-digital-rca-cable

treitz3

tratliff wrote: »

Tom you do know that once AQ brought on Garth Powell that many changes were made. Correct? His mods and enhancements were more related to the upper end and have been trickling down the lines since.

No, sir. Not at all. I don't even know who he is, to be honest. He's been mentioned a couple of times here and there but I am not familiar with him at all. If you happen to know, when (about) did he start doing things at AQ?

Thank you for not taking my comments the wrong way. I love discussing audio and I don't like to beat around the bush (but I try to be as cordial as I can). Whether it's good or bad, I don't like beating around the bush or walking on eggshells. Audio is what it is.....and it's different for different people.

BTW, Skip and I enjoyed some very serious conversations into the wee hours of the night this past LSAF. I took him up on some of his suggestions, FWIW. I upgraded the RG5 to a hefty RG8 once it entered the house and I also purchased some rather expensive speaker placement tools to complement what I already have. Some of which will only save time but time is money!

There is a two week lead time on my last component and then I can really get down to dialing the speakers in even more than I have before. Much of our conversations (along with our mutual friend, Todd) related to the subject of speaker placement. The three of us are as an*l as the other when it comes to proper speaker placement and those conversations were enjoyable for all. We are three folks who walk this big, blue marble that definitely think alike when it comes to speaker placement!

Tom

cstmar01

treitz3 wrote: »

tratliff wrote: »

Tom you do know that once AQ brought on Garth Powell that many changes were made. Correct? His mods and enhancements were more related to the upper end and have been trickling down the lines since.

No, sir. Not at all. I don't even know who he is, to be honest. He's been mentioned a couple of times here and there but I am not familiar with him at all. If you happen to know, when (about) did he start doing things at AQ?

Thank you for not taking my comments the wrong way. I love discussing audio and I don't like to beat around the bush (but I try to be as cordial as I can). Whether it's good or bad, I don't like beating around the bush or walking on eggshells. Audio is what it is.....and it's different for different people.

BTW, Skip and I enjoyed some very serious conversations into the wee hours of the night this past LSAF. I took him up on some of his suggestions, FWIW. I upgraded the RG5 to a hefty RG8 once it entered the house and I also purchased some rather expensive speaker placement tools to complement what I already have. Some of which will only save time but time is money!

There is a two week lead time on my last component and then I can really get down to dialing the speakers in even more than I have before. Much of our conversations (along with our mutual friend, Todd) related to the subject of speaker placement. The three of us are as an*l as the other when it comes to proper speaker placement and those conversations were enjoyable for all. We are three folks who walk this big, blue marble that definitely think alike when it comes to speaker placement!

Tom

Garth came from Furman. From what I know he basically loved coming over to AQ as they let him have “freedom” to design and build what he wanted without certain pricing limitations that he ran into often at Furman.

treitz3

So, I did a littlle.change up last night. Swapped out the PC from the DAC to the Lumin.

This is definitely a component. I have had many PC's over the years but this one? Man, this one is just different. Whatever it does, it does it right. The music is so organic, it's simply refreshing. The holographic imaging is spooky real.

In all my journey, I have never been impressed with a PC. Yeah, I may prefer one over another for certain locations but I have never had one stand so far out from the crowd that it becomes an actual component within the system. This one not only impresses me, it shocks me at what it actually does.

In layman's terms....introducing this PC to the system was no different from swapping out a DAC. No smearing of the truth, no exaggeration, no BS.

Those that know me know full well that I do not like boom at the bottom at all. I am experiencing such a clean signal that the lower registers are coming across like I haven't heard in any stereo system. No boom but with complete visceral impact, palpability and authority with texture and a differentiation of he subtleties that you just have to hear to believe.

While I cannot attest that it is this power cord alone that has gotten me to achieve this, it most definitely is one of the major contributing factors. The sense of being "there", in the music, at the performance and sheer enjoyment of listening is, simply put, bliss.

Tom

treitz3

FWIW, after listening for a large portion of the day, I have decided that I want to get one of the Amp Series - Signature Series Hybrid power cords for the Musical Fidelity KW-750 amplifier. Yes, I am that impressed.

So, I go to their website to order one and low and behold? They are having a yearly sale I had no clue they did. Use coupon code "LABORDAY23" to get 23% off your order. This is valid until midnight on Sept. 5th.

Tom

treitz3

Tom

Nightfall

I had a feeling I'd be scared to look at their website and I was correct. 😂

treitz3

Update -

I have two PC's that have been built to order, went through the curing process and have been shipped. They are slated to arrive this Friday. The first one is a Signature AMP Series cable with a C19 connector (20 amp). The second one is a a Cottonmouth Gold AMP Series PC with a C19 connector (20 amp).

Jonny Wilson (he's the owner of Snake River Audio) is truly a class act and a joy to work with. I do not say that because of "just" my experience either. He was kind enough to send me both PC's so that I could determine which one I preferred in my system and so that I could audition both and offer my observations to you (for those who are interested).

I will be going from a very stout OEM stock cord for the MF KW-750 amplifier to one of these two cords. I can also place the other PC into the Richard Gray 400Pro power supply (which powers most of the components leading into the streaming portion of the rig, with the exception of the Lumin UX1).

The PC that is currently in the RG 400Pro PS is the Dueland dca12, which is a very nice PC in and of itself. I believe this particular PC has upgraded connectors as well. It will be interesting to see if either PC changes anything, since it only powers the LPS, clock and EtherREGEN. I might even switch things up, if the difference is not subtle and try the Lumin into the RG PS, instead of directly into the wall.

I am most interested in hearing what changes will happen for the KW-750. Just going off of the changes it made in the Lumin UX1 streamer? Oh, boy. I should be floored if it does the same thing. I was not kidding AT ALL when I made the comment that this PC was a component. That was with the Signature Series regular PC. Unlike the Signature PC I currently have, the AMP Series utilizes heavier gauge conductors (67% more precious metal per inch).

The ones that are coming are the AMP Series PC's. The Signature and the Cottonmouth.

Next weekend should be fun! In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying the performances of the current system. I swear.....that tone......I just cannot emphasize about how nice that tone is now. It just draws you in. I can't tell you how many times I have sat back and listened for 4 or 6 straight hours or how many times I have fallen asleep in the listening position, only to wake up at 2:00 in the AM, only to listen for an hour more. It's so addicting!

Tom

treitz3

I just put in the Signature PC from the wall to the amplifier power supply. To sum up the initial observations in 4 words?

Holy Mother of God.

This should be a wonderful weekend! All I can say is that this journey has been a flat out wonderful one and that I am appreciative that Snake River and their products have been such a nice and prominent part of that journey.

I am listening to my dream, that I always thought would never come into fruition, and it sure is enjoyable. Admittedly, I have been very lucky lately with my choices. Very lucky.

Tom

treitz3

2 and a half hours in? I am clearly hearing completely new sounds, instruments, claps, noises, singers and echos where there was none before. Obviously, this information was always there because it is on the recording but I am amazed at the new sounds.

It makes something you have heard hundreds of times throughout your life sound new because there is so much more information that has been unmasked. This information has (in all my travels in listening to various systems) has never been heard before by these ears. Not by any system I have ever heard.

I was honestly not expecting much but in this case? I am perfectly happy to be completely wrong.

Please note that everything that I am listening to tonight is via the streaming setup. There is much more to my observations but I will continue to observe and will comment on the many other aspects later.

I still need to try the other cord and then both and do some swapping around. So far? This is freakin' wonderful. Bliss, if you ask me. Extremely musical!

Another side note is that I also recently aquired a QSR Red/Black fuse for the amplifier and that has been in the system for about 3 or 4 weeks now, so I wouldn't really consider this amplifier as "stock". FWIW.

Tom

treitz3

Well, I never fell.asleep last night. I am actually still listening. I put the Coppperhead into the RG Pro400 and the focus (amongst many other things) got incredibly focused.

From the 3D to the tone (to F'n DIE for), to the air to the visceral impact to that focus? As mentioned before?

Holy Mother of God.

Did I mention the focus? Crystal clear imaging that I have not experienced before. Yes, I have had glimpses of it from time to time on my system and others but damn. Not anywhere even close to this.

Tom

VR3

Sounding like they were rocking all of the boxes, good stuff

treitz3

More boxes than you you have ever heard. You need to make the time to hear this! Holy crap Batman!

Getting the speakers to disappear used to be a challenge. Now? They are gone and have been for a while. This is another dimension of sonic bliss.

Tom

treitz3

Many sounds behind the sounds....Many.

Tom

TEAforONE

Congratulations on the new purchase Tom. It’s always nice when a plan comes together!

treitz3

I love this hobby!

Tom

treitz3

There are things in life that please you. There are things in life that surprises you. Then, there are things that simply astonish you.

More to come...

Give it about two weeks and we shall see what the end result is. All I will say right now, is that this is bliss. There is so much more to the music, to the engagement of what you "experience"...like a slice of heaven on Earth...

More to come. Stay tuned...

Tom

mantis

treitz3 wrote: »

There are things in life that please you. There are things in life that surprises you. Then, there are things that simply astonish you.

More to come...

Give it about two weeks and we shall see what the end result is. All I will say right now, is that this is bliss. There is so much more to the music, to the engagement of what you "experience"...like a slice of heaven on Earth...

More to come. Stay tuned...

Tom

No matter the brand no matter the cost, this is what it's all about.
Well said sir.

treitz3

So, gentlemen. I have come a long way since my last post on this thread. I am in the process of typing up the longest set of notes I know I will have ever made and the post I will be making will be probably the longest online post I will ever type throughout my entire lifetime.

Just my notes/observations are beyond what I…well, let’s just say that you will be getting a freakin’ novel by the time I am done with the notes, transcribing them into thoughts and then expanding them into a post that is understandable.

It’s mostly chicken scratch right now, as I listen, but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

This is the real deal. No BS, no spin, no exaggeration. There isn’t actually any needed.

To keep you in suspense? This will either be a good review or the worst you have ever read in your life. I do not have any bias, nor do I lie or alter what hits these ears. Things are what they are.

Hang loose. This may take a stint to assemble but my honest evaluations are coming to a (long) post near you…if you are even interested.

Tom

rceagan

I have a feeling that this review will cost me some money!

treitz3

Oh, dear....where to start.

There are so many things that I will discuss/cover that I must warn you that this will be a long read.

Disclaimer right off the bat - There will be no measurements. There will be no graphs. If you want measurements, scientific proof or links to why things are the way they are? Please do not even read beyond this point and for God's sake, please don't post. I will tell you that I simply do not care about "proving" anything to anybody. This post serves as my ears observing only. Nothing more, nothing less. So, if you are interested in reading my post? Carry on. If not? Move along.

That said, here goes.....*breathes a heavy breath of fresh air*.....

I'd like to start out about the main attribute that Snake River cables have offered me. That is the tone and realism that they offer a system. I have talked about this before in this thread and you may not understand what I mean by tone and honestly, this was something I never really thought much about. Sure, I liked a system with good tone but what I am experiencing now is so close to the tone of real instruments, I find myself yearning to listen to instruments, even more so than singers. It's so eerily spooky just how close the tone is to actual instruments now, that I have completely changed my mind about the importance of tonality in a system. I have previously mentioned and will mention the tone many times more below, but I will continue to say that the tonal aspect of the Snake River cables is probably THE best asset they have going for them.

Oh, they bring much more to the table (as you will read about below) but that tone……man, that tone!

Now, I will say this. It's not just the tone of instruments. It's also the tone of the singers/background singers and other "sounds" that the recording engineers throw into the mix. All of these attributes come into play but it's (to me) the instruments that really stand out.

The speakers disappear - they are now seemingly positioned on average 3-4 feet out from their current position when trying to pinpoint their location whilst listening. You can no longer tell how far they are away from you. Some selections (usually a bad recording) make this statement complete BS but other selections, you cannot NOT tell how far back the speakers are due to the depth perception the system now offers. The better the recording/bit rate, the more they disappear…..and I do mean disappear.

Listening to Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band live is truly a treat. Whether it be the song, "Backrow Politics" or "Sing, Sang, Sung", there are sounds emanating from everywhere. All sounds are equal in their distribution and all instruments sound as they should without exaggeration or off tones. Even during the busiest of passages, you can clearly tell where the instruments are up on stage and nothing gets congested. It's akin to listening to individual instruments but in this case, they are all individual but playing together for a wonderful listening experience.

Dido's, "White Flag". At the beginning of the song, there is a sound that goes right to left and back again. It does this 4 times. The first time it does this, it is at the height of just above the floor. The second time it does this, it is at the height of about 2 feet above the floor. The third time it does this, the height moves up to about 4 feet up from the floor. The last time it does this, it comes across at a height of about 6 feet.

UnF'nreal man. I did not even know stereo could do that kind of thing. But, it's repeatable and this kind of experience happens whether it's in the middle of the day with outside ambient noises that raise the noise floor, or in the dead of night, when the electrical grid usually offers that "magic" this forum has spoken about over the years. Speaking of the "magic"…it used to be a rare occurrence (very rare) but now, all I have to do is let the system warm up and I get that magic, right up until the moment I power the system down.

As I was listening to Billie Eilish's, "All the good girls go to hell" the morning I got the last Snake River cable in, after the PC warmed up and got a little bit more acclimated to the rig? I realized that there were background singers singing/quietly talking in the background during passages that one wouldn't expect singers to be singing/talking. I had never heard this before. Ever. Didn't even knew it existed.....and this is a song I am very familiar with.

I wasn't kidding when I stated that there are many sounds behind the sounds. You won't know this until you hear it but when you do? It's undeniable and oh, so nice. It really makes even a seemingly ho-hum selection sound incredible, not that the aforementioned selection is ho-hum. Just sayin'….

Sounds emanate from out of nowhere/anywhere on a true 3D playing field and disappear just as fast. This, no matter how busy the passage(s) are. This is a wonderful aspect that really enhances the performance of the entire rig listening experience. From room filling, wrap around sound to a precise image of singer/instrument(s), it simply goes from black to beautiful sound coming from anywhere but seemingly the speakers themself.

The purity and texture of lower registers without bloom, exaggeration or masking of critical soundwaves while having no loss of authority, natural roll off or visceral impact is stunning. You may know what hitting a microphone does and the resulting thump on your chest....the impact. That's what it feels like when instruments are struck, whether it is subtle or forceful. You can feel the difference, as well as hear it.

One thing that I am really impressed with is the lower registers. The cables have kept the weight but have exponentially added so much texture in lower passages that you used to think was one note. I discovered this years ago, with the introduction of new gear, again when getting rid of the noise within the streaming portion of the rig but now it seems that this aspect could not improve. I honestly don't know how it could. The balance between the top and bottom frequencies is linear as one can get and with all sounds being equal. Nothing seems to be exaggerated or out of balance with the rest of the music.

Now, with that last statement? I do need to clarify. If you are listening to a bright and compressed, crappy recording? Well, it will give you that. I don't think there is any way around that. One of my favorite phrases has always been, "You can't make chicken soup out of chicken chit!", and this is the case here. What you give the rig is what you get.

But - and there is a but (there's always a "but") - There are many. Many more selections that have become not just a song I'd like to hear but one that I end up experiencing, then turn around and yearn to hear again. And again. And again! I have opened up to new genre's and musical selections I have always passed by before. You may not pay much attention to that statement but perhaps one day you will. Maybe you already have experienced this. It's wonderful, as it expands your musical horizon well beyond the typical 4 or 500 selections (just for example) that always seem to be your go-to for listening pleasure.

Cont'd...

treitz3

Live music - the ambience and size of venue is easily picked up on, no matter the size of the venue. While no system on this big, blue marble will ever have the capability to reproduce what you hear live? This is the closest I have ever experienced. The clapping, the whispers, the subtle laughs, dinner ware clanking, glasses touching and silverware making noise is easily heard. Even the breath of singers is easily picked up on. Little things like the valve keys on a trumpet or other horn instrument are heard, as they slide up and down and hit the felt pad. Obviously, I cannot hear this with a full on orchestra and on some tracks, this is rather obvious due to mastering or mic placement but I have been noticing this on more and more recordings, some of which I have heard hundreds of times throughout my life. Just never noticed it before but this is the level of micro detail that is part of the music and makes the whole experience sound more toward live, rather than recorded and reproduced.

Speaking of being able to pick out the size of a venue. I have a friend here locally that isn't really into audio but when we GTG, I always tell him what's going on with my rig. He loves music and I helped him a while back set up his shop rig. Well, he had a chance to stop by yesterday and for the first time, listen to my rig. I reminded him that he would be able to pick out the size of the venue easily (whether it be an intimate club, a dinner restaurant, concert hall, outdoor stadium, etc.) and he immediately said that his hearing wasn't as good as mine. Eh, I din't know about that, as I had not experienced him listening to anything yet.

I played him Sara Bereilles - Live at the Variety Playhouse, "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay". About a few moments into the actual song (not just the audience sounds), he looked at me and stated, "I'll be damned. You CAN tell!". Now, this wasn't surprising to me but it sure was to him. So was the fact that when I played, "These Bones", by the Fairfield Four? He pointed his arm/finger up in complete excitement that he could tell EXACTLY where each singer was….and that they weren't coming from the speakers. This is now the norm for me but to him, it was unbelievable. The look on his face/excitement told it all. Speaking of imaging…

Image placement and spatial locationality cues vary wildly now, depending on the recording itself. No longer are the lead singer(s) singing seemingly on top of themselves in 2D, wallpaper type playback. They are in their own space and width keeps them apart from each other, depth keeps the background singers away from them. Background singers are further back and this is now very clear. It's not like they aren't present or that the volume has been turned down or faded. They are just as present as they were before, but simply further back in placement. Sometimes 7 feet, sometimes 15 feet back. The placement used to often be on the same 2D field as the lead singer(s), perhaps a few feet back at most, but this is no more. That is a thing of the past.

Drums are more prominent. All aspects of the drums. They are not louder or more pronounced/exaggerated, in fact, perhaps the opposite. They now blend in better with the rest of the music but are clearly more present. While this aspect was greatly enhanced by the QSA Red and Black fuse, the SR cables take this aspect to a whole other level. You hear everything. From subtle to a heavy whack...and you can tell where on the sound stage the individual drum/cymbal is without questioning or focusing in on it, no matter how busy the passage.

Orchestral selections are so ear pleasingly pleasant, that now I am really digging listening to orchestras/jazz. I mean, not only digging it but actually looking extremely forward to it. Any selection or genre that includes orchestras is now something I yearn for.

This is true, whether or not it is mixed with heavy rock or gentle music. Instruments (as a whole) take on a whole new tone, a new presence and aspect. It is difficult to describe but when you hear the tone? You will understand. Instruments take on a entirely new meaning when listening to the reproductive effort.

String instruments - This is where I melt. The tone and subtleties are spot on to acoustic realism. You can hear the strings, as the bow strikes the strings hard (visceral impact) yet, at the same time, you can hear the force exhibited on said strings whether it be soft or hard (micro dynamics). On a stellar recording, you can hear the reverberations within the cabinet body (vessel) of the instrument itself, as well as the "aura" of space where said instrument is playing.

On stellar recordings, you can "see" the chamber resonating within the cabinet of the instrument itself. You can see the size of the instrument...whether it's small or very large. This, you can determine whether or not the passage is busy or not. Usually, this is determined only if this is the only instrument playing at the time. Maybe only that one and perhaps another. No more. It doesn't matter if that is the only thing playing or not....on a great recording.

Horns - This is where they really shine. The tone. The aspect. The venue. The playback, not as a reproduction but more as a performance playing out in front of you. That tone though….I can't say enough about that or emphasize it enough. I used to think that one could only achieve the tone through tube rolling/selections. I was incorrect with that assumption. The tone came about when I installed the first Snake River IC. With subsequent additions from Snake River, this tone has only gotten better and better, though I will say that the most impact was with the introduction of the first Snake River cable introduced into the rig.

Echoes within selections don't sound like an added thing now. They are greatly enhanced and truly sound like an echo would. The aspect of the size of the echo depends on the size of the venue/studio and less on something that seemed like they just threw in for an accent to the song.

We have all heard of black backgrounds when watching video. I never thought I'd say this but the background of the music is definitely "blacker". This makes an incredible difference as to what can actually be heard within the reproductive effort. You don't really know that your background is truly black until you don't hear it. When you hear what shouldn't be there to begin with, you hear so much more into the music. More so than I was ever expecting, that is for sure.

I'm not talking about hearing just the subtleties, macro or micro dynamics. I'm talking about hearing singers singing in the background where there were none before. Hearing instruments, crickets, birds, chimes, subtle breaths or breathing.....all SORTS of noises you never knew were there, because it was masked by a grey background or covered by an overponderance of other lower registers and even upper end lower frequencies. Again, you may not know it when you listen now but you damned sure will know it when it's gone.

There is simply way more to the music. Not on every selection or recording but to discover new sounds on things you have heard at least 100 times, or even on songs you are very/intimately familiar with? Don't be surprised to hear things you never knew existed.....but were always there.

Listening louder. Much louder with no listening fatigue (unless listening to a compressed or not so well recorded selection than you should - basically amplifying something that has too much noise or artifacts rate have no right to be amplified to loud listening levels).

Cont'd...

treitz3

Volume. All of these aforementioned aspects are present at all volume levels. Nothing disappears or gets masked as you turn the volume up, unless you overload or excite the room to where the music becomes masked due to room overload. The point at which this happens now has been dramatically increased in Db level and has everything to do with the Snake River cables I have introduced into the rig.

My normal volume level for hours and hours of listening pleasure used to be between 15 to 20 on the Canary pre. I now average about 23 to 30 and have caught the setting on certain selections to well above 50. That used to be unheard of with me. Don't get me wrong, I do like to get down and outright loud sometimes but for normal listening? I average 80Db with 86 Db peaks, loud is 90 Db and I'll stop turning it up at around 92 Db, no matter the selection because that can produce 97 Db peaks. I'd like to keep my hearing, so I can enjoy what it is I am experiencing now!

Trust me, in my listening room, an average Db of 80-85 Db? You are feeling the impact of sound pressures. They hit your chest, go through your core and are gone and off to the next note as quick as it originally hit you. There is no delay or sloppiness with the visceral impact. The impact that this has on you, brings you closer to a live music experience and really makes you get engaged into the music….and you don't even realize that it draws you in like that until the song is over. No longer are you paying attention to critiquing the playback effort, you are simply enjoying the music and being drawn into its raw power.

One thing I truly like about Snake River cables (besides all of the aforementioned) is that you can tune your system to your exacting desire. Any desire you want. They allow YOU to be the system designer and tailor your rig to whatever you want it to be.

If your system is too bright/tilted toward the top end and you want to tone it down a bit, get a Copperhead. It will relax the top end and make the sound very lush. On the other hand, if you want more of the music to come out because you feel the top end is too relaxed? Get the Signature.

I was impressed when I got my first Snake River cable. I was in heaven when I got my second one in. With each addition of Snake River cables into the rig? It just keeps getting better and better….not just the slight lateral move or detriment that some of the other PC's I have gone through over the years have offered. These are the real deal.

The great thing about ALL of the cables, whether it be a PC or an IC from Snake River? It's that you get all of the most wonderful aspects described above. There is no compromise IME between the cables abilities when it comes to imaging, separation height, depth or width. These aspects always remain the same IME, the only thing that changes is the tonal balance. That's what's so wonderful about differing metallurgies. I have experienced this with many cables in the past and was always left disappointed. While you may glean one or two aspects of attributes? The deficiencies outweighed them.

Take Silver, for example. I have always loved the fact that silver brought better upper frequencies (attribute - somewhat) but it held back the lower registers, which tilted the system toward a brightness with ear piercing/shattering tendencies. I have tried 6 or 7 different silver cables in the rig(s) over the decades. All of them are still sitting in a box out in the shop, collecting dust. They are useless to me.

When I was interested in getting a BNC cable for between the ANK DAC and the Lumin streamer? Trey had an Audiolund that I thought sounded rather good, in the same spot within his rig where I was looking to buy one. So, I went on their website and took a gamble on getting a silver based BNC cable for that slot. Why? Inferior silver was used in the cables I had tried in years past. This Audiolund cable was apparently comparable to vintage Western Electric sonic signatures. Hmmm, okay. Let's give it another whirl. It's been a while.

When I got that in and listened, it showed none of the deficiencies I had heard in years past when it came to silver. I was VERY surprised. I was honestly expecting to return it and get something else. That BNC cable still resides in the rig, in the same slot where I had planned on putting it. Somewhere along that timeframe, I was interested in something that could possibly best the Transparent Reference IC's at around or less than the same price point. I had been using Transparent Audio Reference IC's for the past decade and was looking for a possible change.

Well, knowing what I knew from all my years of being in this hobby and with all of the experience I had utilizing different metallurgies? It was time to check up on current technology and perhaps, try something different. As I believe I mentioned on the OP of this thread, I was also interested in a new PC. The Audio Bacon website has a stellar write up on 27 differing PC's and I was taking notes on the ones I was interested in auditioning. This research took hours upon hours of my time. Reading, looking up, researching, blah, blah, blah. I had pages and pages of notes.

Cont'd...

treitz3

Then I ran across the review of this "Snake River Signature" PC. As I was typing my notes and doing my research, this was just like every other PC reviewed in his exhaustive write up…..right up until the point when I came across a statement by him that stated something like this…..I do not remember it word for word but this hit me.

He basically stated that while he thought the PC was a little bit thin, he kept coming back to this PC because of the attributes. Keep in mind, he was testing other PC's that were significantly above (vastly in some cases) the price point of a Snake River Signature Hybrid PC. That made me stop and pause...

I think I kept researching and taking notes for another two PC's but I caught myself going back to that statement. At the time, I had completely missed the fact that this is the PC he currently uses in his system. When I read that? I was sold. With the current knowledge I had with superior metal offering me what I had at that point in time and the fact that this was the "chosen one" out of that entire lineup?

I had to give it a whirl. BUT (remember, there is always a "but") I wasn't in the market for a PC just then. I needed an IC to go from that same DAC to the Lumin to improve my streaming rig. So, I ordered the IC that prompted me to make the OP of this thread.

You can tell from the OP of this thread that I was cautious. I had no idea whether or not my vision, or "dream" would come into fruition…..but once again? Trust your ears. Well, I did and the end result is well beyond what I ever thought possible. Well beyond what I ever thought *could* be possible, TBT.

Here is a link to that thread, if you are interested in reading more from Audio Bacon…https://forum.polkaudio.com/home/leaving?allowTrusted=1&target=https://audiobacon.net/2019/08/17/27-audiophile-power-cables-reviewed/

While Snake River cables are definitely not a low cost option? (nothing in this hobby is) The decision to utilize Snake River cables in my system is something that I am SO glad I tried out. As mentioned in the OP of this thread, this was a dream of mine to experiment with different metallurgies….and my observations are not from any bias I hold just because it was a dream of mine. It truly was something that I never thought I would get to experience but this is also something I never thought a rig could do….let alone my own rig!

Once I discovered Snake River cables, reading about it on the Audio Bacon PC shootout, I was very interested in getting my ears on what they had to offer. When I got my first IC? You can read about my observations earlier on in this thread. That lead to getting another IC almost immediately after hearing my first cable from them.

Let me break off for a minute and tell you about a ho-hum song that has been transformed into a musical experience. "Just the two of us" by Grover Washington, featuring Bill Withers, just came on. This is NOT being reproduced the way I have ever heard it played before.

It sounds like an audiophile selection (I know....WHAT?!!!??) with instruments placed in varying locations with the sounds so wonderfully blissful and again, very individual instruments, singers and sounds but played as a whole. I know I am messing up the description of what I hear but once you experience it? You will know.

This happens a lot. A seemingly normal, ho-hum song being played back in a way that becomes bliss. In other words, something one yearns to hear/experience. Not just something that one enjoys listening too.

Cont'd...

treitz3

These Snake River cables take out many....and I do mean MANY of the gripes that I have had in my systems over the years/decades. Hind sight is always 20/20 but as I reflect upon my audio journey? I may have moved on pieces of gear that perhaps I shouldn't have....in the name of "progress" along my audio journey.

I have always had more gripes with, not only my system, but many others as well. Even if I respected and even absolutely adored the systems I have heard over the decades. All of them have had issues. Now, this is NOT to say that I don't have issues with the current rig. I do. My biggest gripe? It is still not live music. It is, however, the best reproductive representation of live music that I have heard to date. There is a big difference.

That said, the list of grievances with my system has gone CONSIDERABLY down with the addition of the Snake River products. That is said lightly and is really an understatement of the facts.

From the Eddie twist to cryogenically treating the cables, to the burn in and build quality….everything is worth it and top notch. Even customer service is top notch. A rarity nowadays but this company does it all in spades. Speaking of the company….

I contacted Jonny one weekend via email (after many an email correspondence) and we got into a chat. I really was not expecting him to even respond until Monday. He didn't wait, even though I told him that I was in no hurry. I forget whether or not I called him or he called me but we got into an in depth discussion on the phone that very day about what has transpired within my rig, what I was looking for before and what I was looking for to fine tune the rig now.

That conversation got very detailed and evolved to the point to where he stated that he would be willing to make me a custom cable, with a mix of metallurgies that best suited the current direction I wanted the rig to go. Please note, he will not start out doing this. This is not a smart move from a practical point of running a business. But, he would build me a cable custom ordered to my desire. How freakin' cool is THAT?

Now, not only had my dream come true with the mixing of metallurgies I had always wondered about but thought would never exist? Now, I get to go well beyond that and build a cable to my exacting spec's. Well, he went ahead and built said PC and shipped it, just so I could try it out. Two weeks later, I get a package in the mail. It was the custom cable he and I had discussed.

I placed it from the wall to the Canary pre-amplifier's power supply.

This one sounded completely different than the other cables from him and at first, I was like……hmmm, don't know whether or not I liked it. The highs were a little too muted for my liking and I thought I had made a mistake. Low and behold, about an hour or two later? She opened up and everything I wanted my system to do? She was now doing. This carefully crafted custom cable was exactly what the doctor ordered. I am honestly now completely blown away by what my ears are experiencing.

From the tonal balance of the rig, to the weight, to the imaging, to every aspect of what I relayed to him that I wanted was there. Over the course of a couple of days, I listened more than I had in my entire life. One evening, I sat down to listen and never even went to sleep. I listened until late morning the next day. Around 15 hours, non-stop. There was absolutely no fatigue and it sounded just as wonderful at lower volumes, as it did at higher volumes. With 53 years on this Earth under my belt, along with 45 years of being in this hobby and that is the first time I can say that I have ever done that!

My main gripe now isn't with the rig, it's that I wished all music was recorded to the highest extent possible. Every recording. Since that isn't going to happen, I'll have to live with it but if you are in the market for a new PC that isn't just a lateral move with just a different flavor or a simple attribute(s) with equal or more deficiencies? If you have the funds, be sure to give the Signature Series Hybrid Power Cable a try. It made a monumental difference (along with all of the other Snake River selections I currently have in my rig). If you want or are interested in a PC for your amp? Try out the Signature Series, "Amp Series" PC.

Just so everyone knows, I have zero affiliation with this company. None whatsoever. I am just a VERY satisfied customer who's audio journey and enjoyment level just flew off into the stratosphere.

Tom

audioluvr

Nice review Tom. Now let's shorten it like Brock would have after 3 months of evaluation. "Sounds great!"

bcwsrt

Tom, just to clarify, would you recommend one start their Snake River Audio journey with the Amp Series or the Hybrid?

Amp Series is for Amps and Hybrid is for source components, I assume?

treitz3

Good morning, Brian. You assume a little bit incorrectly.

Please allow me to break it down to where it's easier to figure out what's what. There are two series of power cord's they have to offer. One is for source components, the other utilizes a significant bump in precious metals (67% more per inch) used. For an amplifier, you would want to choose between the selection of any of the "Amp Series" power cords. If a PC listed does not say that it is an "Amp Series"? Then it is for other components.

If you don't see the connector you are looking for? Simply reach out to Jonny. He will get ya' straight.

Once you choose the series of power cord, then you choose which one of the metalurgies/metalurgy mixes you want. The options there are the Adder (Silver), the Copperhead (Gold and Red Copper) and the Signature Hybrid (which utilizes all of the metals - Red Copper, Gold and Silver).

If you are going to the Capitol Area Audio Fest in a week or two, check them out.

Tom

GlennDog

audioluvr wrote: »

Nice review Tom. Now let's shorten it like GlennDogg would have after 3 months of evaluation. "Sounds great!"

I wish I had the chance to evaluate for 3 months . . . but I'm not that analytical these days

Welp, I've tried a couple err ... 3 digital cables and "they sound great" LOL

Jonny at Snake River is a class act ... customer service is 2nd to none. Previously, I was using a USB WireWorld Platinum Starlight 7 and the SRA BoomSlang AES/XLR bests it in most cases

No Affil

fyi, there will (probably) be a couple "lightly used" digital cable coming up for sale after the FEST . . . so keep your ear to the ground

snakeRiverAudio.com

fwiw, SRA cables are colorful/aesthetically pleasing and Well Built . . . again No Affil

I'm thinking of replacing my PSA P12 power cords and taking the Tommy Challenge

btw, great review