Teck5,
It doesn't surprise me one bit that you are hearing a large perceived volume difference between the Shunyatas and your DIY cable with the gold Furutech connectors. The gold Furutech connectors you're using have an extremely high level of energy from about 2khz upwards, while the Shunyata cables are the exact opposite, and feature a somewhat reduced output between 2khz-5khz.
Sounds like maybe you'd like something in between.
It doesn't surprise me one bit that you are hearing a large perceived volume difference between the Shunyatas and your DIY cable with the gold Furutech connectors. The gold Furutech connectors you're using have an extremely high level of energy from about 2khz upwards, while the Shunyata cables are the exact opposite, and feature a somewhat reduced output between 2khz-5khz.
Sounds like maybe you'd like something in between.