Snake River Audio Power Cables - Best Unboxing


Hi All, I got bit by the Snake River Audio bug and took advantage of their Labor Day sale.  After talking with Jonny (nicest guy) I bought 2 of the signature hybrids and 1 of the cottonmouth power cables.  The unboxing was an experience and these cables are beautiful. The cables were shipped all kids of certificates and goodies from Idaho.  I can't wait to get these into the system and give you all my feedback.  If you're on the fence, just call Jonny and let him tell you about the cables first hand.

kdoerner

Wow, now those are designer cables. I hope they sound as good… unique? as they look. You could scare the daylights out of someone with those if installed in Arizona, New Mexico… somewhere where poisonous snakes are indigenous.

Heard great things and looking forward to your impressions once they’ve settled in.  What will you be comparing them to?

The Signature amp series will go on my Pass labs INT-60 replacing an Audioquest tornado HC.

The other Signature will go on my Eversolo DMP-A8 replacing Audioquest tornado

The Cottonmouth will go on my Pass Labs XP-15 phono replacing Nordost Red Dawn (v1)

SRA does a 5 day burn in before he ships them out, but I'll give them another couple of hundred hours before I make any impressions

Looking good, I'll be interested in reading your impressions after further break-in.

Yes, Jonny @Snake River Audio runs a class operation. I bought my first of many SRA cables from him in 2017. In my system, the Cottonmouth Gold power cord works great with digital components - adding solidity and weight. Currently, one is powering the LPS to my router. Another Cottonmouth Gold pc is powering my tube preamp. It provides tone & timbre to vocals that haven’t been matched by any other power cord that I’ve tried there. And I’ve tried many. It’s delicate balancing act to add a hint of warmth while preserving air and dynamics.

Those are really thoughtful touches and great packaging and nice looking cables. I hope they give you the sound you're looking for @kdoerner!

@steakster you bring up a good point about trying cord rolling. I'll give them a try on different components to see how they do. I agree, class act operation.  I got hooked after buying some Signature Mamushi XLR from TMR. Made an immediate impact on the sound.  I've read such great things about the power cables. can't wait to put them in this weekend.

I have the Snake River Boomslang AES cable between my Jay's cdt2-mk3 and Gustard A26. Could not be more pleased. It took over 200 hours to burn-in, which they do for you, and after an additional 50 hours it actually sounds better than the I2s Tubulus Concentus cable I had. More natural, more rounded, more punch and not lacking in treble accuracy. The packaging is first class, but that's just an added benefit.

 

 

@baylinor what you described is the same when I added the Signature Mamushi XLR between my stream and amp. Bass was deeper and more controlled, the highs were articulate, and the sound was expansive. This was coming from Nordost Heimdall (v1) XLR's. After that, I was hooked laugh

@kdoerner - Congratulations! 

I’ve read great things about Snake River cables. I’m currently pretty set with an assortment of cables but am interested in your impressions once they burn in. Down the road, at the right time, I might purchase some to test in primary and/or secondary system. 

This is hilarious. The company took the term 'snake oil' and incorporated it into their marketing. And people are still falling for it. Unbelievable. 

@squared80 

They are located in Idaho, home of the famous Snake River.

That was an uneducated cheap shot, but I'm glad it amused you. You need to get together with jasonborne. In fact ASR would be right in your wheelhouse. You should post your system, so we know where you get your experience from. 

@squared80 you clearly do not have a system that is resolving enough to hear the difference cables can make. You should find someone who can A/B test for you and you’ll understand.

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@ktarver I believe in my ears. Again, you should find someone who has a highly resolving system to A/B test factory cord vs a premium cord. You will understand. As for the wall socket, I hear what you're saying. In every system, the weakest link will always be the homes internal wiring and plugs. The cool thing is, if a power cord from that plug can make such a huge impact on sound, imagine what a difference if you could upgrade the entire power path. 

Lets stay on topic folks. This is about the unboxing of the SRA cables and how much time Jonny spends to handmake every single one of these. Lets keep the utility & PC opinions in other threads. Please!

You served up the raw meat, now you will get all the naysayers and deniers wanting more. Good luck Chuck. 

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I deleted my last post as OP is right.  This is about unboxing cables and if it makes him happy then I’m all for it.  My apologies.  I’m a retire E.E. and I guess I just had to chime in and it wasn’t appropriate. 

@ktarver I appreciate that. I'm all for discussions, I just know this is a heated topic and I really just wanted to show off the skill and care Jonny over at SRA put into his craft.  Once the cables are broken in, I'll create a proper impressions thread.  Please come over and join the conversation :)

"""This is about unboxing cables and if it makes him happy then I’m all for it."""

I'm an active EE and don't believe what the op claims "a power cord can make such a huge impact on sound" nothing but a waste of money.

But I concur with you that this thing makes him happy so let him be...

@classicrockfan  "I'm an active EE and don't believe what the op claims "a power cord can make such a huge impact on sound" nothing but a waste of money

Have you tried the Snake River in your system to actually have formed this conclusion?  BTW , what comprises your system?

I've built over one hundred and have owned over 30+ brands of power cords and the differences are easily discernible if you have a revealing system and you have been in the hobby long enough to pick out subtleties within the soundstage.

Depending on the component, the difference can be dramatic...

Wig

"I'm an active EE and don't believe what the op claims "a power cord can make such a huge impact on sound" nothing but a waste of money."   (classicrockfan, Naysayer Church adherent)

     "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction."  (Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse , 1872) 

     "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon,"  (Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873)

      "The super computer is technologically impossible.  It would take all of the water that flows over Niagara Falls to cool the heat generated by the number of vacuum tubes required." (Professor of Electrical Engineering, New York University)                        

      "There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom."  (Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923)

      "Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances." (Dr. Lee DeForest, Father of Radio & Grandfather of Television)

      "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible!" (Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895) 

      "The bomb will never go off.  I speak as an expert in explosives."  (Admiral William Leahy, re: US Atomic Bomb Project) 

     When the steam locomotive came on the scene; the best (scientific) minds proclaimed, "The human body cannot survive speeds in excess of 35MPH."

      Until recently (21st Century); and the advent of the relatively new science of Fluid Dynamics, the best (scientific) minds involved in Aerodynamics, could not fathom how a bumblebee stays aloft. 

     Often; Science has to catch up with the facts/phenomena of Nature and/or, "reality" (our universe). 

     I haven't been in school since the 60's, but- at Case Institute of Technology; the Physics Prof always emphasized what we were studying was, "Electrical THEORY."  He strongly made a point of the fact that no one had yet actually observed electrons (how they behave on the quantum level) and that only some things can really be called, "LAWS." (ie: Ohm, Kirchoff, Faraday)   

                         PERHAPS: that's changed in recent years and I missed it?

            

Look, at the end of the day. I agree, 110v is 110v. It will all travel the same through a conduit (PC).  However, this is saying a knife is a knife, "it cuts".  Wrong! Metallurgy is a thing in case you've never heard of it. Like knifes, different compositions of metals and the way they are layered together will 100% effect the structure and how it behaves.  In these cases, layers of different metals are mixed together to, yes present 110v, but to alter the wave lengths of sound traveling through them.  This is what I "hear".

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@kdoerner 

Congratulation on the new set of cables!

I find it funny about people who think that cables and power conditioners don't make a difference. People who say, how does the last 3 or 4 or 5 feet matter. These folks need to understand why water is not just water. Water flows hundreds of miles from glaciers, through jungles, streams, rivers, etc and yet we have a water purifier or a water treatment system before it enters our homes for drinking. I just hope that they nay-sayers just do not go directly to a great lake, put in a straw and sip straight from there.

@lordrootman you are proving the point. 2 different cables, 2 totally different sounds. So how can anyone say cables don't matter?  Just because, to their ear's, they preferred one over the other, how is that wrong? At the end of the day, there was a difference! So please people, stop saying their isn't  What you're willing to spend on cables for your ears, IS NOT, the same as what I'll spend to what I hear.

You're also kidding yourself if you don't think those reviewers get paid. Steve Huff pushed a $20 amazon speaker cable. Its sales went up 1000%. I even bought a pair.. Did it sounds the same as my Zu Mission cables? YES. Did it sound as good as my Nordost Blue Heaven? NO. Did it sound as good as my Audioquest Rocket 88? Not even close.

This is NOT an attack on the OP, just another thought

I am a believer in cables for sure, and they can definitely make a difference in how a system sounds......if the gear is high enough quality. My only question here would be, is it worth installing a $1,500 cable on a $2,000 streamer?

For the OP it certainly is, and I'd love to own Snake River cables or the like in the future, but only after the gear is up to snuff. Right now I don't think my Anti-Cables and Zavfino power cables are my limiting factor......it's getting an audiophile streamer to put a high end cable on. So saving for an Aurender/Lumin/Innuous streamer for now

@vthokie83 appreciate you.  I completely agree, is a cable that is half the value of the streamer really going to make a difference? Not sure.

I'm a strong believer in system synergy. When I first upgraded my streamer to a Nordost Blue Heaven PC, I could hear the increase in dynamics and added spaciousness.  When I had an opportunity to get an Audioquest Tornado HC for my amp I also upgraded the streamer to the Tornado, Immediate impact. Now, I bought the Tornado when Sunny Audio was running a sale on the cables, so a $1000+ tornado cable was only $700 (only, lol).  Will I get that same return on investment going up to the SRA? I don't know.

I will say, SRA are end game cables for me. I'm not under any impression that my system will benefit from spending any more money on cables at this point.

kdoerner

I certainly do understand, and I've been on both sides of that argument......I was driving $2,300 speakers with .$1,200 speaker cables I also own about $8,000 worth of very high end bulk cable and connectors, that I'll get around to building next year.

My current stance though has changed, my number one concern is getting the highest quality components in the price range I can afford.....as my budget allows. This year I've bought a new preamp, two power amps, and a set of speakers. Next year will be the streamer, CD transport, and then later the DAC.

@vthokie83 "I was driving $2,300 speakers with .$1,200 speaker cables"

please help me, being adv. analog circuit designer, to understand your point, would be awesome if you can provide more details, such as amplifier type, speaker details, length of cable etc. 

speakers are driven by the amp, cable only adds few mOhms/uH/pF to interconnect parasitics.. 

westcoastaudiophile

I'm not sure my last post was clear in my intention. I meant to point out that I (at the time) was driving affordable speakers with much more expensive speaker cables.....which makes no sense to me now.

System at the time: Buchardt Audio S400 MKIIs, Denafrips Hades preamp, Denafrips Thallo amplifier, custom Neotech 3001 UP-OCC and Neotech spade connectors......I think they are 2.5 meters each

I have not reinstalled the Neotech cable with my new system, as I am still partially disassembled waiting to finish my listening room in my basement.

New system: Aric Audio Motherlode XL preamp, Aric Audio Transcend "Push Pull" EL 34 tube amp, CODA S5.5 SS amplifier, and Clayton Shaw Caladan OB speakers.

This is getting off topic, Again. Please, lets leave the opinions to another (other) thread.  I've started the break-in and will add a thread in the future about my impressions of these beautify cables.  We can debate in that one, lol.

A big shout out to Jonny at SRA for such an amazing design. The cables have weight, and yet,  pliable where they need to be and ridged at the ends.  Just an overall wounder of construction. Plus, they look amazing, giving a pop of color to the system.  So far, I'm happy with my purchase.

kdoerner

You are 100% correct, this is a thread about your experience; did not mean to hijack your thread

Here in the U.K. the power distribution system, called the National Grid, Is going to be massively overhauled. There is no warning, but there will be hundreds of new connects and dissconnects, errors and accidents. Power drops and surges. If we don't have protection, many Hi-Fi's are going to be fried while we sleep. And there will be no recourse to the law, untill we have all died.

They have not compensated the A-Bomb test troops yet.

Crying in the wilderness, IAN.

 

All the more reason to consider adding a quality power device to your system. Surge protection, voltage regulation, etc, all very useful things for safety and sometimes sound quality too.