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Shunyata Venom 3 Power Cable...Pretty good!

MWalt

MWalt

Super Member
After reading some positive input on the Shunyata Venom 3 Power Cable, I decided to try one. I received it and used it on my big Parasound amp and I noticed an immediate difference. I noticed a lowered noise floor, better resolution and low level detail almost immediately. I know that there are many on AK that don't believe that cables, etc. make a difference, but my system is pretty revealing and subtle changes can be heard even with my tin ear hearing.

I can recommend this cable to anyone that has a revealing set up and likes good bang for the buck.
 
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I've yet to run into a Shunyata product that didn't add something to a good system. In some cases, the law of diminishing returns sets in before the product is added, but they're interesting products.
 
I like to think that my systems are also revealing. I've been thinking about taking a trip into the AC and interconnect world. How much did that cable cost you and where did you get it from?

Jimmy
 
Being an electrical engineer, you're not wanting to hear my thoughts on this. Strange the mention on lower noise floor, as it's 120v, 60 hz AC, which is pretty darn noisey in the audio world. All the DC conversion/filtering is done within the equipment itself, but it's your money. I run a dedicated 20 amp circuit from the basement breaker panel for my system, and even use larger #10 Romex. Now this is something worth doing on a high power system. Like anything, it all starts at the beginning of the chain. Some home electrical, can be like building a nice house on a toothpick foundation.
 
Renzor213 said:
Being an electrical engineer, you're not wanting to hear my thoughts on this. Strange the mention on lower noise floor, as it's 120v, 60 hz AC, which is pretty darn noisey in the audio world. All the DC conversion/filtering is done within the equipment itself, but it's your money. I run a dedicated 20 amp circuit from the basement breaker panel for my system, and even use larger #10 Romex. Now this is something worth doing on a high power system. Like anything, it all starts at the beginning of the chain. Some home electrical, can be like building a nice house on a toothpick foundation.
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It seems there is a contradiction or two here.

Why are you using a dedicated circuit if AC is noisey, filtered by the equipment, and ultimately problematic from the "beginning of the chain." You seem to imply that the dedicated line makes a difference, yes?

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with the OP?

Jeff
 
This will wind up in TOL, of that I'm sure.

Last year I added a dedicated line and although it made a difference, the difference wasn't as significant as changing the outlets and power cords. I know how well this will go over and don't really care. I've done enough listening to know what makes a difference and what doesn't. I don't talk about the theroretical, I talk about what I've actually tried and whether it made a difference and sometimes more importantly whether the difference is a good one.
 
jmathers said:
It seems there is a contradiction or two here.

Why are you using a dedicated circuit if AC is noisey, filtered by the equipment, and ultimately problematic from the "beginning of the chain." You seem to imply that the dedicated line makes a difference, yes?

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with the OP?

Jeff
Click to expand...

I kinda think that the implication was that I wasted my money.
 
Renzor213 said:
Being an electrical engineer, you're not wanting to hear my thoughts on this. Strange the mention on lower noise floor, as it's 120v, 60 hz AC, which is pretty darn noisey in the audio world. All the DC conversion/filtering is done within the equipment itself, but it's your money. I run a dedicated 20 amp circuit from the basement breaker panel for my system, and even use larger #10 Romex. Now this is something worth doing on a high power system. Like anything, it all starts at the beginning of the chain. Some home electrical, can be like building a nice house on a toothpick foundation.
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So how far back do you wanna go. All the way back to the Bonneville Dam. That is the beginning of the chain around here I believe. My experience tells me that the closer to the system the change is the more siginicant the difference. That is from many years of trial and error, no theory, just doin' it.
 
Think of it as like a water filter but for electricity.
All this being said, at this point, I only use this kind of stuff on the digital gear like universal players and whatnot.
Yes this will end up in TOL, I'm sure.
 
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MWalt said:
I kinda think that the implication was that I wasted my money.
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sometimes we just have to try some of this stuff and see for ourselves. in your case, it appears you are happy with the purchase. some time ago i bought a so-called 'cryo-treated' power cable. wasn't expensive though, less than $50, as i recall. made not one bit of difference, as far as i could tell. anyway, i ended up with a new power cable with fancy hospital-type plugs on it, so not a total loss...
 
This thread seems to be in the wrong neighborhood (forum).

These are products, that as far as science is concerned, don't work.

As far as electrical noise goes, I can see a dedicated line not adding more hash to the line from your loadbox in. It would just isolate your loads from anything else tapping that particular feed.

What I don't see, with dedicated lines, Shunyata xx, Rhodium plating, etc., etc., etc. is having any real effect on the gross distortions and noise that are on a power line. The major contributions to these distortions are industrial sources. Factories, sewer treatment plants, foundries, etc. The big current users are the ones the create the major portions of the line distortions. Your larger appliances, such as refrigerators, washer and dryers add noise to a lesser extent and locally to what you get at home.

AC line conditioners work by Low Pass Filtering the high frequencies (only). They do this with passive components. Hoping to get enough parasitic capacitance or inductance to do anything out of a line cord is wishful thinking. If you really want to clean up the line, you need to regenerate the AC with a 60Hz (or 50Hz) power oscillator.
 
Jon_Logan said:
This thread seems to be in the wrong neighborhood (forum).

These are products, that as far as science is concerned, don't work.

As far as electrical noise goes, I can see a dedicated line not adding more hash to the line from your loadbox in. It would just isolate your loads from anything else tapping that particular feed.

What I don't see, with dedicated lines, Shunyata xx, Rhodium plating, etc., etc., etc. is having any real effect on the gross distortions and noise that are on a power line. The major contributions to these distortions are industrial sources. Factories, sewer treatment plants, foundries, etc. The big current users are the ones the create the major portions of the line distortions. Your larger appliances, such as refrigerators, washer and dryers add noise to a lesser extent and locally to what you get at home.

AC line conditioners work by Low Pass Filtering the high frequencies (only). They do this with passive components. Hoping to get enough parasitic capacitance or inductance to do anything out of a line cord is wishful thinking. If you really want to clean up the line, you need to regenerate the AC with a 60Hz (or 50Hz) power oscillator.
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Agreed. I can see these devices taming the noise a bit, but unless it's subsonic, my system doesn't reveal any. All I have is a Furman power conditioner and hospital grade power cables. Not saying you didn't hear an improvement, but "better resolution and low level detail" can be had by just reducing the noise levels, too...
 
jmathers said:
It seems there is a contradiction or two here.

Why are you using a dedicated circuit if AC is noisey, filtered by the equipment, and ultimately problematic from the "beginning of the chain." You seem to imply that the dedicated line makes a difference, yes?

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with the OP?

Jeff
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I'm guessing the dedicated line is more to ensure the minimal voltage drop on the circuit as possible. A direct feed out of the box for the system won't be as prone to surges and dips from things elsewhere in the house kicking on. At least thats my guess as to his reasoning, mostly backed up with the heavier gauge wire, which also has less resistance per foot.

I'm also inclined to agree with the idea that power cords have a minimal effect, however I'd love to be proven wrong. I've never tried it, and I know my own system just won't show it. I'd love to experience equipment on that caliber, and I'd really love to sit and listen to cable tests just to satisfy my own mind if I can or cannot hear anything. For all I know, I'm dead wrong, and my zip cord power and speaker feeds are costing me far more than I suspect they are.
 
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gadget73 said:
I've never tried it, and I know my own system just won't show it. I'd love to experience equipment on that caliber, and I'd really love to sit and listen to cable tests just to satisfy my own mind if I can or cannot hear anything.
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I would love to be proven wrong about power cords. The problem is having a test where all parties can agree on. The "knowing what you're listening to" scenario doesn't work for me.

What also bugs me is the belief that some level of equipment is required to find these differences. It usually is the trump card that's pulled out and used as "If you can't hear it, your system must not have enough resolution". That's sure convenient and insulting.
 
Jon_Logan said:
What also bugs me is the belief that some level of equipment is required to find these differences. It usually is the trump card that's pulled out and used as "If you can't hear it, your system must not have enough resolution". That's sure convenient and insulting.
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Give me a break. Unless someone is saying "You might not be able to hear it because your system isn't resolving enough, and therefore there's no way your system could sound good," it's silly to be offended by that, unless you're insecure about what you have.
 
What I don't understand is why one group of the same people has to tell the other group of the same people over and over that AC cables (for instance) don't make an audible difference.

My time trying different AC cables predates my membership here at AK, so I have not commented on them. But IME, they do make a difference in sound. Now how many times do you suppose I and others like me have heard the case that it's only placebo? And to what end?

It's as if if you repeat the same point over and over again, we're going to get worn down and concede? It's like trying to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English and thinking that they just might understand if you raise your voice a little.
 
I wondered how long it would take before someone would tell the OP that he couldn't be hearing what he thinks and says he does. Didn't take long at all.

I'd move it to TOL so that the OP might be shown some respect, but I can't do it from my phone. Any supermods, please feel free to do so.

And to the OP, thanks for sharing your experience with the good deal you found.
 
Jon_Logan said:
I would love to be proven wrong about power cords. The problem is having a test where all parties can agree on. The "knowing what you're listening to" scenario doesn't work for me.

What also bugs me is the belief that some level of equipment is required to find these differences. It usually is the trump card that's pulled out and used as "If you can't hear it, your system must not have enough resolution". That's sure convenient and insulting.
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It's the trump card that is pulled out because that's the reality of it. It doesn't even mean that if you have really resolving gear, you'd hear it. Just that many subtle things only become apparent when the gear is of a certain level. The only way that doesn't make sense to me, is if the person offended by it doesn't think that there is gear that is more revealing than other gear.

I've never heard a difference from a power cable, either, and I HAVE fancy power cables, and very revealing gear. That doesn't suggest to me that I won't ever hear a difference. All that it says to me, for certain, is that the few that I have, haven't made a big difference or at least one that i noticed. I can't and won't extrapolate beyond that. I don't think people are crazy for hearing a difference just because I haven't heard anything.

I'm probably going to buy one of the cables being discussed here for my Leben amp because I've pretty much run out of things to buy for my stereo, and buying things for my stereo is what keeps me happy.
 
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