The Official Club Polk - Snake River Power Cord Demo

treitz3 · January 21

Would you like me to include you in this demo program? Youbare an established member, so I will be happy to add you in, if you would like. Just let me know.

Tom

treitz3 · January 21

@JCL - H9 had a personal issue he needs to attend too at the moment. Are you ready for your demo now? If not, I will need to see who is next on the list.

Please advise and thanks.

Tom

JCL · January 21

Tom,
I could do it now. I was hoping to get my new amp and preamp first, but that won’t be for another two weeks. I’d be running it with a Marantz preamp and Sunfire amp and L600’s right now. Waiting on a musical fidelity amp and preamp.

John

marvda1 · January 21

@jcl I would do it while you have equipment you are used to and not get two new pieces in at the same time as the power cable.

pitdogg2 · January 21

marvda1 wrote: »

@jcl I would do it while you have equipment you are used to and not get two new pieces in at the same time as the power cable.

This^^^^

JCL · January 21

marvda1 wrote: »

@jcl I would do it while you have equipment you are used to and not get two new pieces in at the same time as the power cable.

Thats fine I’ll put it in the HT setup. I’ll probably hook it up to my phono stage or the preamp.

John

bcwsrt · January 24

Snake River Audio Signature AMP Series Power Cable Review

Initial Impressions
The first day I had the cable, I wanted to be sure and get my initial impressions out of the box documented. I sent @newbie308 a couple PMs with my thoughts. I described it as having a lot of “speed/snap/attack” in the midrange. I also said my first reaction was “it’s a pretty forward-sounding cable” and that I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, yet.

As I revisited the reviews of the two cables that had already been posted, I saw where Marvin said the component cable was "forward" in its presentation. But, I knew I needed to let things soak for a while.

Comparison Cable
This is, other than running the stock PC for a few months right after I got it, the only other PC I’ve had on my Rogue Audio Cronus integrated tube amp besides the Nordost Red Dawn PC I’d been running for the past year. In a 3m length like the Snake River Amp Series cable, the Nordost retails for $885, or about exactly half the SR cable.

For those not familiar with the Nordost line, the Red Dawn is at the top of Nordost's lower-tier Leif line of cables. They have four tiers, Leif, Norse 2, Valhalla and Odin, with good/better/best product lines within most tiers. Price-wise, the SR cable would be approaching a two step jump in the Nordost line.

Listening Tests
With Amp
I spent 3-4 hours per day, on average, for the first four days just listening as I normally would, with the SR cable in place. I listened to all of my sources: streaming, CD and vinyl. Just wanted to get a good sense of what the cable was bringing to the table compared to the Nordost I was so familiar with. I listened to the following genres: smooth jazz, country, bluegrass and rock.

To reinforce that I was actually hearing what I thought I was during that time, I would swap back to my existing arrangement, play some of the more recent selections I’d listened to and compare notes. Then, I would go back for a final session with the Snake River cable.

My observations were that the cable changed quite a bit during the first 2.5-3 days. When it finally settled down, it did not have the warmth, bass extension or dynamics that I was used to with the Nordost. In my system, it brought a very midrange-centric sound that, depending on the recording, could actually sound better and review more detail (brushes on a snare in one of my Bob James Trio favorites definitely had more resolution and brought a smile when listening), but more often than not was less full and enjoyable.

With APC
With the cable being, at times, overly-forward on my amp, I decided to try it with my APC H15 power conditioner. The APC is where all of my sources get their power.

At first, it seemed better there. But, as I listened more the over-emphasized midrange quality returned. The sound was also even less dynamic and lacking even more detail in the bass and treble extremes with the cable in this position, which became apparent after extended listening and then switching back to my pre-SR cable configuration.

CONCLUSIONS
The Snake River cable does have a tendency to surprise on familiar recordings when instrument solos come to life with additional pop, clarity and forwardness than what you're used to hearing. I have to agree with the favorable comments I read in the various reviews that stuck out to me after my own extended listening to the SR cable, because I did experience that from time-to-time, especially during the first couple of days of listening. There are some cuts where drums are just fabulous and in your face and, as mentioned, the cable can also be very nuanced where brushes are being used. Acoustical guitar comes through very loud and clear.

However, at the end of the day and with the system I have, it wasn't working for me, whether the cable was used at the amp or the APC. I do wonder, as Marvin does, what a full loom would do, or at least, what would've happened if the component PC could've also been in play at the same time. I suppose it is possible it is not playing well with everything else in my system, which as far as power cables go, is a bit of a hodgepodge.

Because of how my PC combination came together haphazardly the past year mainly just by wanting to get away from stock cables quickly by taking advantage of items that came up for sale here on CP, I felt somewhat at a crossroads with what to do next, as my preference is to standardize on a brand. So, that was why I was very anxious to listen to this cable. I really wanted to be blown away and tried as many combinations as I thought made logical sense. And, on some content, that extra midrange presence did sound amazing and better than ever, but I just didn’t find that to be consistently the case. So, unfortunately, I concluded that the Snake River cable just doesn't have synergy within my rig.

Having said all that, I’m very grateful to Tom and, of course, Jonny at Snake River Audio for the very unique opportunity to try this cable! I really enjoy reading about Tom’s excitement for Snake River Audio’s products! He’s a great ambassador for the brand! I'm disappointed that same kind of experience just wasn’t in the cards for me and my system.

FINAL THOUGHTS
For those that think power cables don't make a difference, I would have loved to have you here to hear what I heard through my rig with this cable. The crazy thing about this hobby is, you may have listened to the same thing as me and instead preferred the sound of the SR cable, but I can guarantee you would've heard a difference!

So, I encourage those who haven't thought about cables, to take the leap and experiment. While it didn't work for me, this exact cable may be just what your own rig needs, as it was for Tom's. Have an open mind and take the hobby in a new direction for yourself. You could be richly rewarded.

NEXT!
I have reached out to @erniejade who is next on the list for the AMP Series cable.

Clipdat · January 24

Great honest review, very nicely done.

erniejade · January 25

Hi all, very nice reviews! I thought I was getting the component cable not the Amp series. My TriVista has a different kind of plug on it. Otherwise, the Amp series would be going on a component like my Dac or Innuos Streamer. Actually, I would try it in both spots to see what has more of an impact

erniejade · January 25

In Checking through PM's, Tom did say Amplifier PC. My fault. Tom, do you think if i used the high current on a dac or streamer, would it have less of an impact vs the component cable?

treitz3
treitz3 Posts: 17,983
December 2023
@HzTweaker for the Amplifier PC

and *cue drumroll*

@erniejade for the component PC -

Tom

This is why I thought I was getting the component cable.

treitz3 · January 25

Okay, so @dromunds is up next. PM already sent.

I don't know exactly how the mix up happened and my apologies on that. To prevent anymore mix ups, let's review the list one more time with who's left on the demo;

Component Cable -
@JCL (Cable will be on the way this weekend)
@pearsall001
@erniejade
@heiney9

Amp Cable -
@dromunds (Cable ships tomorrow)
@jdjohn
@HzTweaker

If the above list is correct, no need to confirm. If you notice a mix up, please PM me as to not dilute this thread.

There is another member that expressed interest on another thread but has yet to PM me anything. Also, @kevhed72, I still need all of your information and which cable you want to demo.

@newbie308 - friendly reminder that we still need your review.

Tom

newbie308 · January 26

I apologize for the delay in posting this review of the Snake River Audio power cable. I travel a lot for work, and I didn’t have much of an opportunity to sit and transfer my notes to a more presentable typed form. This is my first ever written review of… well anything audio related. Audiophile adjectives are not a regular part of my lexicon, so I had to read a glossary of these adjectives and apply them to my notes, so bare with me please! I want to preface this review by saying that I went into this experience with a preconceived prejudice. I am an engineer. I have 30 years experience designing and building control circuits for factory automation. I expected very little or nothing from this experience. Logically, a power cable, so long as it is capable of carrying the necessary current to an amplifier, should not change anything in the “sound”… This preconception was flat out WRONG!! This experience proved that to me without a doubt.

I selected music that I was very familiar with, and like others, I played CD’s and digital files as my source. I didn’t want vinyl record quality to affect the results of this experiment. In preparation, I left my system on for a few days, so nothing would change due to the warm up period.

The songs I selected were:

SteelyDan, Aja – Deacon Blues [familiarity]
Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here – Wish You Were Here [familiarity]
Greg Lake, Songs of a lifetime – From The Beginning [acoustic guitar]
Diana Krall, The Look of Love – S’Wonderful [female vocals and sibilance]
Eagles – Seven Bridges Road (live) [male vocals]
Van Halen, Fair Warning – Sunday Afternoon in the Park [because BASS]
Polyphia, Remember that you will die – Ego Death (with Steve Vai) [very digitial sounding, so if a system is analytical, this will point it out]

I can not speak to coloration. I only have the one system, and I don’t have anything to compare it to as a color reference, but I didn’t notice any change to the color when switching from the Pangea AC9 to the SR cable for what that’s worth. I suppose that quality is more equipment oriented than cable oriented? The most notable change was in the high frequency. I speculate that some may say that this power cable would make their system too analytical, but since my system is very laid back, this was a welcome and desired change. The overall presentation didn’t change. The sound stage dimensions stayed the same for me, but the added high frequency removed the haze around the instruments and allowed me to focus on their position more accurately. Besides the fact that I was listening with the intention to notice differences, even though I played these tracks and segments of these tracks repeatedly, I was more into the music. I didn’t find myself looking for other distractions or picking up my cell phone because I was bored with the listening session. I was really enjoying the music. I love the sound of acoustic guitar, and when I listened to “From The Beginning” the strings sounded so realistic! Not like I was listening to a recording emanating from some wooden boxes in front of me, but like Mr. Lake was right there playing! I want to experience that again!

I have been considering changing my speakers because they were not giving me the sound I wanted. The fact that I can keep my speakers and attain the sound I want by swapping cords appeals to me greatly!

marvda1 · January 26

@newbie308 You said your system is "laid back", did the Snake River bring the soundstage forward as to make your system more enjoyable?
Per my review I suspected that the Snake Rivers would be a good fit for laid back systems or possibly require that you have to reposition your speakers, which I was too lazy to try. Somebody please try speaker repositioning to see how that affects your system sound.

newbie308 · January 26

@marvda1 that is a great way to describe what I heard with the SR cable! The easiest way for me to describe the change is, my speakers lacked sizzle. For instance, when the guitar pick strikes a wirewound string, there's a buzz or twang, but my speakers gave a dull edge to those sounds. When I plugged in the SR cable, that edge was no longer dull. The sound was more real and more enjoyable.

HzTweaker · January 28

Snake River component power cable review
Gear:
Pre- Parasound P5
Amp- Parasound A23
CDP- Pioneer DV-563a
HD Tuner- POS HDT-1
Speakers- PolkAudio LSi9 modded with VR3 crossovers
Subwoofer- MAudio BX1

Cables:
Pre power cables- AudioQuest NRGX, SnakeRiver component cable;
Pre/Amp ICs- WireWorld Equinox 7 balanced XLR
USB- WireWorld Ultraviolet 7
CPD- MIT Coax (model unknown)
HDTuner ICs- Monster Standard
Speakers- AudioQuest Q2
Sub- standard PC and a standard Shure balanced XLR

Room:
Living room (shared space)- Half the space is for the Hifi rig and the other is for relaxation and tv/gaming HT experiences. ~14’X~23’. The stereo side (left) is located on the 14’ wall. The HT half (right side) fully opens to the kitchen area. The speakers are 35” from the rear wall, 64” apart from center to center, the listening position is ~ 100” and they are about 32” from the right side wall and 50” from the left side wall. There is an area rug between the speakers to tame the first reflections from the hardwood flooring.

Prequel:
I know my cable selection is all over the place, but I’m also just at the beginning of my cable journey. Most of the cables in the list are what were available on the second hand market and in my price range at the time of purchase. Purchasing cables this way has allowed me to start going down this “rabbit hole”.

The pre and the amp are on a single dedicated 20 amp circuit. All the other gear is on a shared 15 amp circuit.

I mostly spent time listening to SACDs and standard CDs. There were some listening sessions in HiRez via my laptop using the USB cable mentioned above, running JRiver.

The subwoofer at it’s amp was set to just above 50Hz and the volume 0dB. The sub level on the pre was set between 9 and 10 o’clock.

All listening sessions were kept at an 88dB peak limit. This was monitored by my decibel meter, the RadioShack 33-4050.

Running in the cables and gear:
For starters the Pre still had the AQ PC connected. All the gear was switched on and music was played using the HD tuner set to an HD station. This was done for an hour before switching to the CDP and starting to listen to what was already familiar to me.

Then after switching off the gear to change out the AQ PC for the SR PC I started the same run in process as mentioned above. The Snake River PC stayed connected to my pre for the rest of the time it spent in my possession.(Because it could be a long time before another cable of this caliber is introduced into this system.) I also found the sound signature stated below was pleasantly consistent throughout all my listening sessions no matter what the source I was using at the time.

Short Review:
I was pleasantly surprised by the changes this cable had offered. The first thing I noticed was a more spatial and 3D sound stage. This lead to there being more space between the musicians and more of a 3D presentation of the effects (decay, reverb, distortion etc) they may have used during certain selections of music. A good representation of what I mean is When listening to live recordings I’ve listen to a lot; I’ve felt for the first time that I had an idea of the venue size!

I’d like to break down a little more what I mean by “more spatial and 3D sound stage”: Starters the AQ was an upgrade over the stock PC. It allowed the sound to expand out from the boxes(speakers) that were reproducing them about a foot or two creating a sound stage. This was a nice upgrade over the stock PC! The SR PC further expanded upon what was already there PLUS another five or so feet! Along with all the sound characteristics that were mentioned before and after this statement. Finally I felt like I could actually walk around the musicians.

Acoustic instruments had more body and sounded more musical. This was evident while listening to acoustic guitar and piano. They had more weight and presence. Meaning they were no longer at the back of the stage.

Singers are better positioned towards the center of the stage and better separated from the instruments.

Short conclusion:
Bass- Tight, less bloated. This gave a more accurate presentation of what these small bookies are capable of producing.

Mids- Cleaner, clearer. Coupled with the tight bass this allowed the sound to be more spatial.

Highs- Elevated, more forward. The sound signature of my rig tends to be more on the laid back side. So this help give the sound stage a more 3D presentation.

I would like to extend an appreciative Thanks to @treitz3 a.k.a Tom for giving me this opportunity to demo this cable.

newbie308 · January 28

You clearly have more experience with writing reviews than me!

Nice!

JCL · January 31

Received the cable today. I will hook it up tonight and let the system run for a few days prior to any serious review.

John

treitz3 · February 11

K, folks. The forum has a glitch. I cannot PM the next members to who to send the cables too.

Moderators/Admin.....Please fix this issue asap. Thanks.

Tom

marvda1 · February 18

Is the demo tour back on track?

treitz3 · February 18

Yes sir! @pearsall001 and @jdjohn are up next.

Tom

bcwsrt · February 18

Looking forward to more reviews!

JCL · February 18

I’ll be posting my review by tomorrow night at the latest.

John

pearsall001 · February 18

I'm looking forward to it. I'll be using it on the DAC & pre. This will be a lot of fun!

dromunds · February 18

I’ll get this out to jdjohn in the next couple days. Working on review now.

dromunds · February 19

Snake River Audio amp cable review

I.

Evaluation Gear:
Musical Fidelity A308 integrated amp
Dodd Audio battery-powered tube phone preamp w/ 4 Amperex 7308 White Label tubes
Technics SL-5310 TT w/ Denon DL-160 HOMC cart
Sony XA5300ES SACD player w/ Cullen power cable
Polk Audio L800 Speakers
PNF Audio bi-wired SCs w/ Furutech FT-212 Rhodium locking bananas
MIT Shotgun S3 ICs

Musical Selections:
Mark Knopfler - Privateering LP;
Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) - Brothers In Arms (Mobile Fidelity Orig. Masters Recording 45 RPM LP);
Bob Dylan - Rough And Rowdy Ways LP;
Sam Lee & Friends - The Fade In Time LP;
Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La SACD;
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me SACD

dromunds · February 19

II.
There has been a previous demand for a 10-page peer reviewed essay proof read by Doc Hardy. To that I say, please see Appendix III, Sec. 309(c), infra. For those whose attention spans are shorter than a Wisconsin summer, however, here's the lowdown - this cable is no throwaway stocking stuffer. Oh no. I've never heard a power cable make this big of a difference in my rig.

I confess at the outset of this evaluation that I felt like a Little League batboy with my modest old school system - (he's not even streaming!!) - buy hey, the only characters that could utter a complaint in my smallish listening room were some descending guitar lines, Dylan's fatalistic lyrics, a few keyboard waves, and some North Pole wind effects. And Dylan's not even mumbling anymore.

Allow me a moment at this point to descend to my default infantile mentality and say initially that this cable has a very snug fit. (In unison now: "That's what she said!") Out of the box, it gives Snake Pliskken norwegian wood. It looks the part. Gorgeous. Well presented, very attractive all-around. Ok, now we can move out of the gutter. (If you say so, Pinocchio)

dromunds · February 19

III.
I begin with the vinyl. As some of you know, I have a particular fondness for Mark Knopfler's recordings when I evaluate gear. I mean, the guy records with completely rebuilt vintage Amperex RTR analog tape machines and vintage Neumann U67 tube microphones. The sound quality is nearly flawless. And part of it is I really like Knopfler's music, and therefore have become intimately familiar with nearly every note on most of his albums. Same with Norah Jones' Come Away With Me, and most of Dylan. Sam Lee is dedicated to the restoration and sharing of long-lost ancient British and Irish music, and I selected it fo the rich vocals and stringed instruments including fiddle that rework the traditional sounds. Its not music to clip your nails by, but I ditched the Thunderpussy albums after seventh grade, so if you're looking for how this cable sounds with heavy metal, I'll point you to the tattoo parlor.

I pulled my Dueland DCA12 power cable out of the A308 and installed the Snake River. I've really come to appreciate Musical Fidelity gear. The A308 is full-blooded (dual mono circuits 150W into 8 0hms which doubles into 4 ohms) and has a very respectable phono stage. However, the Dodd Audio tube phono preamp is on another level and the Amperex 7308 tubes really bring a sweetness to the vinyl. After a suitable "melding" period, I began the evaluation of the Snake River amp power cable with Knopfler's Privateering LP. This album is no amped-up pig kisser, but rather a thoughtful assortment of guitar and other stringed and woodwind instruments and keyboards on a double album that runs a gauntlet of musical sounds. He's got a great band and writes great lyrics and he's one of the few musicians I'd actually go out of my way to see live these days. And Dylan, of course.

dromunds · February 19

IV.
Immediately, upon dropping the needle on Privateering, I noticed the low end on the Snake River was more impactful, tighter and deeper. The harmonica and keyboards were nothing short of excellent. Knopfler's vocals and the harmonies had a smoothness to them that I'd never heard before. The acoustic instruments were more present. The same was true of Brothers In Arms. (It's funny, when that album first came out I thought it was close to a perfect album, but I hated Money For Nothing. Then it hits early MTV and suddenly its in rock and roll heaven right next to Start Me Up. Coincidentally, when Tattoo You first came out I thought side two of the vinyl was near perfection but I hated Start Me Up which started side one.) Anyway, when I put BIA on the turntable, I immediately noticed a more spatial sound to the instruments. Not overly analytical, not overly forward. A depth to the instruments and the vocals that I'd never heard before. When I put the Sam Lee album on, the stringed instruments and the textured vocals also had a depth and spatial quality that was unprecedented in my system.

Dylan's Rough And Rowdy Ways is another somewhat recent double LP that is in my frequent rotation. While it lacks the heights of production that Knopfler's recordings uncompromisingly bring, it is one of Dylan's best for sound quality. Crossing The Rubicom is a song that I have especially come to utilize when evaluating gear. With the Snake River cable, I immediately noticed more sustained cymbals the guitars were more clear, and the vocals were also cleaner and more separated.

dromunds · February 19

V.
I turn now to SACDs. As a general rule, SACDs make CDs sound like dead milk, but there are some CDs that sound great and some SACDs that sound worse than others. Case in point, I was very disappointed with the sound quality of Audio Fidelity's Close To The Edge limited number edition SACD, mastered by Steve Hoffman. Conversely, Knopfler's Shangri-La SACD is a masterpiece. So is Norah Jones' Come Away With Me.

What I came to realize while listening to Shangri-La was that perhaps the most notable quality of the Snake River Audio cable is its black background. Less in the background, which concomitantly allows out more of the music. Same with Norah Jones. With excess artifacts in the background removed, the music was more present, with more depth and natural detail. Quite simply, a richer presentation was unmasked with more of a "be here now" which is the sheer enjoyment of audio listening for anyone except fans of Hawkwind.

So there you have it, a review that has hopefully been more interesting than watching those "Gidget" and "Perry Mason" reruns for the twentieth time. And it kept me out of the dark alleys for at least a little while. I really appreciate the extended time I had with this cable while the PM system was down. A tip o' the proverbial hat to Tom for setting up this tour. By the way, for anyone who questions the validity of the "cable issue" this presented a good opportunity to see for yourself whether cables make a difference. In my case, it even presented an opportunity to invite a "woman friend" of mine over to help with the "blind" evaluation. Pretty swift, huh? I even went so far as to suggest that maybe I would allow her to sit on the sweet spot.

JCL · February 19

Snake River Component Power Cable
Gear used:
Polk L-600
Preamp - Marantz 7706
Amp - Sunfire Theater Grand
Subs - Sunfire HRS-10’s (not used)
Phono stage - Parasound Zphono XRM
Turntable - Music Hall Stealth w Ortofon 2m Bronze
Blu-ray player - Sony UDP x800m2
Interconnects - Kimber Kable PBJ balanced and PBJ RCA for the phono stage, HDMI audio quest Pearl 48, power cables Tributaries C8, home made pure silver braid, and stock.
Noise and surge suppressor - Quantum Octave

Media varied between CD, SACD, DVD Audio, and Vinyl.

I received the cable and connected it from the Quantum Octave to the preamp using the 125 db filter. I let the system play 24-7 for about 4 days to let the cable “settle in” as suggested. After the 4 days were up I started to listen to a wide variety of music and formats. Jazz, rock, classical, etc.. I set up the system to use pure direct with no subwoofers and only use the L-600’s. I had it set up like this for all listening sessions except for watching movies on the weekends.

It’s been a while since I have listened to this much music for extended periods of time. I will say I enjoyed doing it very much and will continue to relax after work with music. I tend to use the system mainly for home theater since I have not finished my 2 channel system yet. Waiting on a musical fidelity amp and preamp which I was going to buy and use for this, but it was recommended to not do that.

Out of the box the Snake River cable looks fantastic. It is very flexible and well made. These are more flexible than my current cables. The cable uses what appear to be two ferritic chokes. The cable appears to be braided under the red and black cover. I believe they call the braid the “Eddie Twist”. The connectors appear to be well built. I forgot to look and see if they had UL or CE certification marks. I believe they make their own connectors. I could not find any information on the certification on their website. I know all my other cables use UL certified connectors. I don’t know if that’s important to anyone or not.

After a week of listening the sound stage was excellent, as was the instrument placement. It’s very difficult for me to say that this cable made a huge difference compared to my current Tributaries C8’s. There appeared to be a little more mid base if anything using the Snake River cable. I had a friend stop by one weekend and we compared the Snake River, Tributaries C8, a hand made pure silver braided cable, and the stock cable. I would say the Snake River performed as well or better than the silver cable and the C8. The silver cable seamed a little brighter, the Snake River had a little more mid base, and the C8 was a little more neutral. All seamed to have better soundstage and imaging than the stock cable. The sound stage and imaging was very good for all 3 of the aftermarket cables.

After not hearing a large difference I changed the placement of the cable to connect from the wall into the noise and surge suppressor hoping that I would be able to hear a bigger difference. I then let the cable settle for another week. I again didn’t hear a large difference. I’m not sure if my equipment is resolving enough to hear a large difference, but I believe I have pretty good mid level equipment and interconnects. Maybe my hearing is not as good as some others.

I don’t know if having all Snake River cables would have made a larger more apparent difference, but perhaps someone else will have an opportunity to do a full cable switch comparison.

Overall I was happy to have been able to participate in this demo. It’s not often an opportunity to demo a high end cable like this comes around. Would I buy these cables to replace what I have? Probably not at least with my current system.

Thanks for the opportunity to try the Snake River cable!

John

The Official Club Polk - Snake River Power Cord Demo

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