Audioquest Angel vs Synergisitic Research Atmosphere Alive


I am currently running Synergistic Research's Foundation cable and want to upgrade the cable for more clarity. I had previously upgraded from Audioquest's Yosemite, which was a fantastic cable, but lacked high frequency detail. I wanted to move into using silver cables over copper. I saw the Synergistic Foundation line to be an affordable entry way into silver cables. It was an improvement in high frequency detail, but a loss in mid bass body.

This was not a big issue at the time, because I was running Audioengine's A2+ speaker system.  It had a 3 inch woofer which physically couldn't produce a robust mid bass sound. Now I have upgraded to Audioengine's HD6.  Now I have a 5.5 inch woofer and the Foundation is a bit too anorexic.  The HD6 is really revealing in high frequency details and it turns out that the details provided in the Foundation line are no longer enough.

After much research and discussion with some sales reps and the Synergistic tech, I discovered that what they say is an "air dielectric" is actually silver conductors inside a hollow tube.  That tube is Polyethylene.  This is the same setup that Audioquest uses in its lower end cables.  The Sydney and the Victoria both use a hollow Polyethylene tube as its dielectric. Polyethylene absorbs high frequency signals, including those that would be audible. That means the silver cable in Synergistic Research's Foundation line is being slightly rolled off.

In Audioquest's Yosemite, they changed the hollow dielectric to FEP, a fluorocarbon Teflon-like material. The Angel also uses the same FEP. The Synergistic Research Alive Level 1 is the same cable as the Foundation, but uses Teflon as a dielectric, as well as uses better connectors.

So the question is, which is better?  Does the Synergistic Research cable punch above its weight class with no active shielding but with graphene? Or do I get the Audioquest, which has no graphene but does have active shielding?

I do have other Synergistic Research in this system and feel like it would benefit from staying within the same product....but...if I am being honest, I can get the Audioquest Angel anywhere and quickly, but pay a bit more.  However, I can't get the rep I work with at The Cable Co to answer my request for purchase, and I would have to wait two weeks while the cable is being created and burned in. I am not exactly a patient consumer once I have made up my mind to make a purchase. ;)

In the end, I could save more money going with Synergistic and The Cable Co and wait, but I would be willing to spend the extra money and not wait to get Audioquest if that cable simply sounds better and resolves better than Synergistic's.

128x128guakus

OK I just reread the OP. If you’ve already got foundation, I would just add more foundation cables and close the loom. You will absolutely be blown away by a full loom including power cords. That’s why I developed foundation, so guys can afford a full loom if they want to try it. And of course you can try it before you make the decision to ultimately buy it. That’s how High End Audio should always be, try before you buy.

@ted_denney 

I have a loom of Foundation starting from source to powered speaker, then between the powered speaker and passive speaker and then from the powered speaker to the powered subwoofer.

I placed an order for an Atmosphere X Level 1 Phono cable, with a 3.5 source end on Dec 17th.  Not sure if that would be the new version or not.  The invoice says this:

"1    1.5m    Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Alive Level 1 Phono Cable "
 

Do you have mismatched power cords, or is every single cable including power cords and digital from the same loom?

Atmosphere X is not Atmosphere SX. Honestly the Foundation phono cable is excellent.

@ted_denney 

"Do you have mismatched power cords". 

Sadly, yes. The power chord is a Kimber Kable Summit Palladian. I am currently looking into getting your Atmosphere Excite SX to replace it. Which, honestly is a whole other question. From what I can tell, because the power cord I require has to be an IEC C7 (figure 8), Excite SX is probably as high in Synergistic Research power cables as I should go, right?

"Honestly the Foundation phono cable is excellent."

No arguments there! I am not at all displeased...just curious if going to the Atmosphere X Phono cable will squeeze out more performance. Based on the spec sheets, I am losing the pure silver for the silver matrix, but with Teflon as a dielectric.  I have heard the drastic changes that Teflon as a dielectric makes on just basic copper. Will I lose anything leaving the Foundation line for Atmosphere?

I subscribe to the full loom approach. A few years ago I had a loom of mid-level level or higher Nordost cables, then I began returning to the Synergistic Research fold. The Foundation series is really solid for the price and outperformed my much more expensive Nordost stuff. Since then I have been migrating upward into the Atmosphere series cables with great results. Now moving from Orange fuses to Purple. SR knows its stuff...