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Shunyata CX Python Speaker Cables

I listened to these and was going to buy until a house...er...tree fell on my house and all the rest of Connecticut and knocked out our power. I'm sure you all know the story by now.
I still got to listen to these, and I'd love to hear from others who HAVE listened to them. I thought them excellent, excellent cables, with body in the bass as well as dynamics, but also in the upper midrange and treble ranges, without losing dynamics. And the sense of "continuity" is stronger than with my Andromedas (circa 2003) or Geminis.
They did a killer job with this CX interconnect/speaker line: tonally, spatially, coherence (the cello sounds great on this line, not as great on the Andomedas) with an absence of grain (haze?) altogether. Friggin' beautiful, but not in the sense of being colored. And the slight darkness of older Shunyata lines (mostly the power cords)is absent, and therefore a much more "elegant" sound: they hold together very well at crescendos and flutes don't disappear at fortissimos, as they tended to do when violins played in the same range. And nobody crowds anyone out, as though they're playing in an old-fashioned coke bottle and whoever's "sound" gets out first "squeezes" the other instruments' contributions. Nope, it's more like someone cut off the top 1/3 of the Coke bottle, and now ALL the instruments have equal access to do their bit when everyone's playing at the same time. Nordost has done this, too, but with a thinning out of the timbre usually (and I own [right now, this very minute] all the Nordost, from Quattro Fils, up to Valkyrjas, to Freys to Tyrs to Valhallas, so I'm not hallucinating!!!

So, what are others' impressions? I'm excited for Shunyata.
P.S. Equipment: First Sound Deluxe Mk II, ASL Hurricanes, Odyssey Kartago amps; Nola Viper IIA, Hales Rev 3, Sound Dynamics RTS 3 speakers; Arcam FMJ 23, Arcam FMJ DVD 27 Bryston BDA-1 digital; Nordost Sort Kones, Shunyata CX Python power cords, Quantum QBase and QRT Harmonizers.
gbmcleod
dadsears
8 posts
 
Gbmcleod:
Last week Santa brought a pair of Python speaker cables (said to be demos). My only frame of reference is with my long term (5 years or so) Kimber 8TC (newest version with WBT term's). With my set up I was somewhat surprised there was not more of a revelation going to the Pythons. Your comments do fit what small differences I heard, however. I have no other experience with Shunyata speaker cables, although I have had mostly Shunyata power and signal cables and Hydra 4 conditioner in my set up for the last 6 years or so. The reason why I describe all this is that the (Shunyata) upgrades leading up to the Python SCs were of greater benefit as my ears have heard. The greatest gain was the addition of the Shunyata Talos; it replaced a Hydra 4. The difference was night and day for the better. I have concluded that the addition of the Talos is on the order of going from a marginal CD player to a great balanced CD player (as I recently have - so I speak from experience). I am not familiar with your equipment but would suggest you attempt to audition a Talos (or Triton) before upgrading this next year.
FYI, my present set up: Shunyata Talos, Anaconda CX, Python CX, Telwire cord, Simaudio Supernova (CD), Simaudio 600i, Sony 5400es (SACD), Python ICs, balanced, Python SCs, Dynaudio Focus 140, Magnapan MMG, and 1.6 (highly modified). Happy listening.
vhiner
544 posts
 
Dadsears,

I have the Triton and agree it leaves the previous Hydras and V-Rays in the dust.

I'm surprised to hear the Pythons haven't shined so much in your system...I've been curious if what I've been hearing was more system synergy or not. I just heard from someone recently who has the same digital front end as I do and he loves Shunyata's Anaconda speaker cables...they're just a bit out of my price range. It might be interesting to compare the Pythons to the upper end Kimber wire since that brand was working for you
dadsears
8 posts
 
Vhiner,
I am thinking this new addition of the Shunyata Python SCs may be one of those changes that is heard over the long term vs. short term A/B testing. And I will check the connections as I am unfamiliar with the bananas such as these have. The true test will be when I reinsert the Kimber 8TC back into the system.
As for my experience, it is interesting that the major improvements in musicality have come from the "power side" and not the "signal side". And this is not just about the upgrading to the Triton, but even going from a Shunyata Python CX 20A to a Anaconda CX (20A) between wall and Hydra 4. How the venues made themselves more clearly defined, and with the volume level going up, are only 2 of many noted changes for the better.
I will give the Python SCs time to burn in; thus far the differences are not so easily heard. About the idea of upper end Kimbers: interesting to ponder, frankly I would rather stick with the likes of Shunyata products. The idea being synergy and more of a known sound. Thanks for your comments.
gbmcleod OP
456 posts
 
From what I can deduce about Shunyata, the Triton and the Talos both have the new compound (ZrCa-2000...or 2001! A Space Odyssey! Anyone care to join me on a trip to .....Talos?!) that Shunyata used to put in the power cables. I'm not surprised that more of the difference would show up using the conditioner: if it has the compound in it, it should lower the noise floor in the way the power cords used to do, without the side effect of the soft upper midrange and highs that Shunyata's early products had.
I found the Python's contribution quite a jump over the previous generation, but then, I've had all 4 generations of Shunyata's power co
rds, and even have had holdovers (buy the new ones, sell the old ones later so I can compare), so, for me, it's easy to hear the differences.
HOWEVER, I have the Andromedas and the Gemini (2nd generation speaker cables), and I found the Python speaker cables to be highly improved over the older generations. Still, there ARE some things that account for hearing/not hearing differences, the most important one (besides electricity) being the room itself.
Now, I've had tube traps since 1988 and I know how to set them up extremely well, so I know that nothing in my room is preventing me from hearing the subtlest detail of which my current system is capable. Perhaps that's why I heard more of the improvement.
On the OTHER hand, maybe your Kimber was just really, really good with the WBT connectors. I've found they make a major difference in sonics. Were the demos completely broken in? And has the sound improved since you posted this? Inquiring minds want to know!
I intend to get a Talos eventually -- I prefer to audition things first and then decide. I loved the speaker cables, BUT I thought they were far enough ahead of my CX cables that the CX cables would be "masking" some of the sound since the Python is newer technology.
May I ask what the Telwire is?! I'm not familiar with it. Where is it placed within your system?
jtimothya
612 posts
 
Actually the earlier Hydras had chambers filled with Shunyata’s FeSi-1000 noise-reduction compound, which according to the patent uses a ferroelectric compound designed to dissipate high-frequency EMF as heat. So its been around for a while.

For the version 2 Hydra Model-8 and V-Ray they developed a new noise-reduction formulation, ZrCa-2000, that doesn’t cause HF rolloff, and is more effective at reducing noise. So that came prior to the Talos. However from what I hear, there is new technology in the Triton and Talos which are purportedly redesigned from the ground up. Also the newest CX power cords are supposed to have the 'Zitron' technology that was introduce in the signal cables. Has anyone heard them?
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