[AVphile]

Today, I installed my new Shunyata DELTA v2 XC power cord, replacing a first generation VENOM HC power cord, between my wall outlet and my Denali 2000/T power distributor. To assess whether this new power cord would make much of a difference, I had assembled a playlist of familiar tracks which I played before swapping the cables and then again after doing so.

I guess this brief review can be summed up by my saying “I had no idea”.

Immediately, the most noticeable difference (and improvement) was the elimination of a sonic glare. A visual analogy would be the difference between looking out at a lake in bright sunlight without sunglasses and then – and this is important, I think – with ones having a polarizing filter. Let me give two examples of what I mean. A crash of cymbals both jazz, rock, and orchestral pieces simply sounded more real; the brilliance was there but not the harshness. I played Adele’s “Someone Like You”. Previously, there was a subtle hardness to her voice that had appeared when I upgraded my speaker cables to Wireworld Silver Eclipses. Now it was gone; Adele sounded just richer and more delightfully listenable.

Nearly as noticeable was the improvement in imaging. Perhaps my best tests are Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson singing (live) “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and the fourth movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In the latter, it was easier to pick out individual voices in the chorus. As for the Cash and Nelson recording, there was a clear improvement in the specificity of Johnny at the left of the stage and Willie in the center-right.

Finally, the more I listened, I began to realize I was hearing more complexity in the music. Instruments which I had not heard before now became apparent. The sound of the lead violin in a concerto seemed to have variations not noticeable previously.

I could go on, but I think I have conveyed my point. The improvement in my system – which meant an increase in the pleasure I was getting from listening – was astonishing, particularly since the original VENOM HC power cord isn’t any slouch. The new technologies incorporated in Shunyata's Reference line of power cords really work!

For people such as myself who don’t have enormous financial resources at their disposal, purchasing a DELTA v2 XC power cord (MSRP – $900) is an expensive proposition. So, the question is whether it is really worth the money; my answer is “ABSOLUTELY”. Frankly, and to me shockingly, no other purchase for upgrading my audio system I have made over the past two years has provided a price/performance improvement anywhere close to the one I am enjoying from the purchase of my new Shunyata power cord.