With Stephen's great result

[DonBattles]

I've decided I'd give a Shunyata Hydra 8 a try along with a Python power cord. I can tell the difference in using my PS Audio AV3000 and prefer its sound vs. going right into the outlet. So based on Puma Cats results I'm betting on a good result here.

[Masterlu]

Sharing what works well is what it's all about!

[Ritmo]

Originally Posted by DonBattles

I've decided I'd give a Shunyata Hydra 8 a try along with a Python power cord. I can tell the difference in using my PS Audio AV3000 and prefer its sound vs. going right into the outlet. So based on Puma Cats results I'm betting on a good result here.

Great! Keep us posted.

Mike

[chessman]

Don, I am using a Hydra 6 with a Black Mamba CX power cord and am very happy with it. I suspect you will be thrilled with your Hydra 8 and Python.

[Pider]

Can someone point me to a discussion, either here or elsewhere, about why power chords or speaker wire helps the SQ equation? I don't doubt that it does, but I'm at the stage in my learning that I'd like to get into this a little. Thanks.

[Doug Lax]

Originally Posted by Pider

Can someone point me to a discussion, either here or elsewhere, about why power chords or speaker wire helps the SQ equation? I don't doubt that it does, but I'm at the stage in my learning that I'd like to get into this a little. Thanks.

Pider take a look at these articles !

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by DonBattles

I've decided I'd give a Shunyata Hydra 8 a try along with a Python power cord. I can tell the difference in using my PS Audio AV3000 and prefer its sound vs. going right into the outlet. So based on Puma Cats results I'm betting on a good result here.

You're gonna love it, is my bet. BTW, I still have the amp plugged into the wall. I haven't tried it yet in the Hydra.

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by Pider

Can someone point me to a discussion, either here or elsewhere, about why power chords or speaker wire helps the SQ equation? I don't doubt that it does, but I'm at the stage in my learning that I'd like to get into this a little. Thanks.

I wrote a bit a dissertation on it on another forum, I'll see if I can find what I wrote.

A lot of it has to do with three broad things:

1) Keeping the electromagnetic (EM) and RFI radiation "noise" that is bathing the components in your rack from getting INTO the power cords powering your components to be amplified as noise. This manifests itself as grunge, hash, an "edge" and "unease" in listening that you're not aware is actually there until you take it away. It's kind of hard to describe until you experience it for yourself, but once you do, it's very clear what the improvements are. This radiation escapes from cheap, generic power cords (even if the component is turned off), our power outlets, and, notably the power suppy and output transformers, D/A or A/D chips or other high-bandwidth devices e.g. the CPU in your music server.

2) To keep the EM and RFI radiation that would escape OUT of your power cords they pull current from getting into the other amplification components and adding the above mentioned noise to your amplification system.

3) The ability to dynamically swing large amounts of current, and relase that swing as quickly as possible (rather than hanging on to it like a capacitor). This is what Shunyata measures using it's DTCD technology (dynamic transient current delivery or something like that...).

White papars on DTCD are on the Shunyata web site:
Shunyata Research: Technical: DTCD

The amount of radiation escaping from the cheap, generic power cords powering out components is easily demonstrated by using a simple AC probe that you can buy at a home supply store....

Here is considerable EM radiation emanating from a power cord going from the wall into an HDTV that is OFF....look at the electromagnetic radiation spilling out of this thing...



Again, radation coming out of a cord for TT that is turned off...



Or cord connecting a lamp for the stereo; the lamp is turned off...



All of this radiation can be picked up by cheap, generic power cords drawing current (rememeber, an unshielded wire acts as what? An antenna...) and go into another component and be amplified as noise.

Now, look at a Shunyata Diamondback Platinum power cord connected to a POWER AMP that is on and actually drawing current; zip...no EM flux escaping...



Or a Wireworld cord powering a preamp; in this case the preamp is on and drawing current....zip.



Note there is no radiation is escaping from this power cord, but also, there is not is any GETTING IN....

The more you can knock the noise levels from all these sources of radiation, EM, RFI, and the high-bandwidth noise that escapes from computer CPUs and DAC chips, the more you remove this electronic hash, grunge, garbage from your system and the more you can hear INTO the music. Why? Because as you lower the noise, you effectively raise the S/N ratio...more signal relative to noise means you can hear more of the music that is really there. This is why the effects of adding power cords is additive; it's better to use four $100 power cords on four components than one $400 power cord on one component. It's all about knocking the noise floor down as much as possible.

The power distributors do the same thing; and you get a synergistic effect by putting them together.

[joeinid]

Stephen,

Great idea to check it that way. Thanks for demonstrating the crappy std power cords leak so much. Very eye opening!

Joe

[Puma Cat]

Originally Posted by joeinid

Stephen,

Great idea to check it that way. Thanks for demonstrating the crappy std power cords leak so much. Very eye opening!

Joe

Yes, it's eye opening and kind of scary when you realize how much EM and RFI is around your rack.

It's basic physics, and it's really not rocket science...

Some folks think that a cord merely conducts electrons from point A to point B. But, that's not true, any unshielded wire conducting a current also emanates an electromagnetic field along that wire. That field is what gives rise to the phenomenon known as induction. The EM field is picked an amplified as noise by your other power cords....this noise lowers the S/N of your ampification chain and adds all that grunge I was referring to above. The transformers in our components are really notorious for this, this is why really expensive components separate the transformers from the power supply and the amplification circuit into two, separare shielded chassis, like the C-J ART preamps, the ARC Ref 40, the Pass phono stages, etc.

Speaker wires are also susceptible. John Atkinson did a really good talk on a podcast for Home Theatre Geeks where he talked about how the high-bandwidth RFI that escapes our computer CPUs and DAC chips can enter unshielded speaker cables, and go BACKWARDS from the speaker into the amp and be amplified as noise. Any piece of wire can conduct in BOTH directions....