Ack,
I cannot dispute your experience, and I am sure you heard what you heard.
My experience was different. I did a fairly extensive test of different Shunyata power cables with my CDP played through a Moon and Dynaudio system that was highly resolving and utilized premium Shunyata and other brand cables throughout. I carefully compared the surplus heavy duty 16 guage moulded printer power cable I had been using to the Shuyata Venom, Diamondback and Taipan Alpha Helix VX power cables. I listened to the same 15 pieces of music at the same volume and in the same listening position in the room for several hours (very generous dealer, Tim at Experience Audio in Seattle). The printer cable had worked better than the stock cable that came with the Cambridge CDP, and was my current "reference".
My findings were that there was little difference between the printer cable and the Venom, a big positive difference between the Diamondback and the other two, and a smaller positive difference in the step up from the Diamondback to the Taipan. This was not the result I wanted, because I was hoping I would not be able to decern much of a difference between the various cables and would be happy purchasing the Venom. I ended up purchasing the Diamondback and were cost not object, I would have purchased the Taipan. For the lower current CDP, the shielded printer cable was nearly as refined as the Venom. For a higher current amplifier application, the thicker guage Venom may very well be clearly superior. For whatever reason, the Diamondback worked well in this test and continues to work very well with my source in my system at home.
My experience carfully listening to and comparing these Shunyata cords has made me interested enough in the subject to build some cords of my own, changing the sound of my system in everycase and usually, but not always, for the better. YMMV.
