Power conditioner

My Shunyata Venom 16 cost about $3k, more than most of my friends' entire stereos. In retrospect, should I have spent the $3k on a better cartridge? On a better streamer, which I am now listening to about half the time? Probably, but I had an old Monster Transformer with 8 receptacles that blew out. The guy who sold me my new speakers talked me into the least expensive Shunyata. I think the next steps up were thousands more. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I don't have an absolutely open budget. Trade-offs I guess is what I'm getting at.

I live in the San Fernando Valley in L.A. where power is pretty good, and I have an isolated plug for my stereo equipment. I'm not sure I had a huge power problem in the first place, other than blackouts sometimes when we have a storm. Anyway, sometimes we do things on impulse. I guess it's part of being an audiophile. I no longer have that kid energy (it left at about 70) so I don't think I'll be testing out the theory very soon of whether or not I'd hear the Shunyata. Any 65 year olds want to give it a try?

@audio-b-dog 

On a better streamer, which I am now listening to about half the time?

If you can budget a Berkeley Audio Design, Alpha USB re-clocker, and a quality USB cable, and a quality AES/EBU cable, your streamer (any model) will sound much better

A more budget friendly re-clocker is the Singxer SU-2 (or for just a bit more, the SU-6).  I have read only positive reviews on that re-clocker -- but never heard it for myself.

My re-clocker did wonders for my digital playback.

I live in the San Fernando Valley in L.A. where power is pretty good, and I have an isolated plug for my stereo equipment.

I have seen videos and reviews asserting that most electrical noise is not from the wall socket.  Rather, it is from each of your stereo's boxes, which all generate electrical noise, resulting in all of your boxes being awash in the noise of all of your boxes.

I do not know the details on the Venom V16, but it might include circuitry that reduces noise that is generated by each of your components, from reaching your other components.

So even when you have clean power from your wall, Shunyata Research's power products (Audioquest, too) will lower your stereo's noise floor.  But I do not know if that design is engineered into all of their models.

+1 @seymour-krelborn re BAD Alpha USB interface.

To the OP:

I actually have both the QB8 MK III (20A) and a Niagara 5000 (and a Shunyata Denali X) in different systems. I’ve directly compared the Nordost QB8 and Niagara units in one of my systems - and in the dealer’s showroom. As noted by others - they are different products. Both are distributors in function but the AQ adds conditioning. If you have clean power, they sound fairly similar - the AQ a bit darker in background and the Nordost felt a bit more dynamic and lighter on its feet. (I clearly lack the language of a reviewer). If you have “iffy” power quality - AQ hands down. If you have clean power and are less worried about lightning strikes etc, then I like the Nordost a bit better.  Note - I also auditioned the Nordost QB 10 Reference unit and passed as it didn’t bring enough more to the table for the price. It was good, but not $18k good - to me.

In my view, the new Shunyata X products are a bit of a step up from either. 

One last note: I run my QB 8 with Nordost Valhalla 2 cables. I did not audition the AQ with similarly high quality power cords and it’s entirely possible I would have come to a different conclusion on it relative merits had I tried AQ Dragon cables with it.

As always: YMMV.

Best, 

@bosssound 

+1 @seymour-krelborn re BAD Alpha USB interface.

I do not know what the above means.