Has anyone tried the Shunyata Diamondback PC?

I have been feeding my older Shunyata power cords to friends when I decide to upgrade. When I upgraded to the Python line, a buddy of mine decided he had nothing to lose and agreed to take my Diamondbacks. Like everyone, he was skeptical until I come over and hooked them up to his system. It's crazy how actually listening will change your perspective. One comment: I don't think one single power cord of any line is very impressive. However, when you start with a decent conditioner (like the Hydra) and build up from their, every cord you had is a quantum leap. Total system synergy when it comes to power cables is critical, IMHO. Of course, YMMV. Consider this: 4 diamondbacks for all of your components may seem like a hunk of change, but you will hear more improvement from that change than many component upgrades.

My experience matches Vhiner and I agree with his comments.

I found it useful to understand the Shunyata system by subtraction. Even if you cannot afford them all at once, ask your dealer to let you borrow enough power cables to cover all the major components in your system - amps, preamp, digital and the motor drive to your turntable if you have one. Install them together.

Don't try to listen to individual components or a single power cord. Instead, take time over a week or two with music you know well to acclimate your ears to the net effect of the change. Maybe take a few notes on your general impressions and what you hear differently from familiar tracks. After you have a handle on your 'new' system, replace one cord with the stock cord that came with that component. Listen again. Remove another, listen some more. How does what you hear compare with your notes? What is different or missing?

While manufacturers test their power cords with a variety of componentry, few offer cords targeted at specific brands or models. In the world of electricity and signal delivery it can be difficult to assess the 'philosophy' and design goals of a manufacturer from a single instance. Sure, one PC can make an audible difference, but knowledgeable designers rarely take a bottom up approach by developing from the perspective of what a single cord will do. The overall net effect of how a manufacturer addresses, for example, capacitance and inductance, or spurious noise rejection back onto your in-house 'grid' is better understood, imo, by hearing their products as they meant them to be used together. This helps get a sense of the synergy of your existing stereo with a particular power delivery system and its designer's intent.

Even if you only can afford to start with a power conditioner or a couple cords, you'll know the goal you're aiming for rather than going through an ad hoc discovery one wire at a time. (Going that way, who knows where your system will end up.) A strength I find in Shunyata's approach is the the evenhanded way their products work together and the resulting consistency of sonic effect across a wide variety of component combinations. This makes for low risk when investing small then moving up the line.

Jtimothya,

You summed up the Shunyata "magic" much more clearly and eloquently than I could. I wish someone had given me your advice before I started experimenting with PC's. I completely agree that the ad hoc approach is fraught with difficulty. I spent the better part of a year once swapping individual cords from various manufacturers and it's not an experience I want to repeat.

I can't resist sharing one last story that does illustrate there are a few minor exceptions to the systems approach: Last Christmas my parents got a rather large Sony HD flat screen. I brought one of my diamondbacks over and hooked it up to the TV without telling my mom (who is 75 years old and doesn't know you can detach a power cord). My dad helped me move things around so I could install it. Once I got home I received a phone call from my mom. "The TV looks better. What were you two doing back there?" I rest my case.

I had a Venom on my Bryston B60 for about 3 years. When the Diamondback went on sale at Music Direct, I bought one for the B60 and moved the Venom to my Theta DAC. I played around with configurations to determine what was doing what.

I didn't experience any increased forwardness or brightness as some said here. With each cable added, my system sounded more relaxed and effortless. Noise floor dropped pretty significantly too. Both were excellent in my system. My system sounded even better with both cables in at the same time, as others said.

At $125 for the Diamondback, its a hell of a deal IMO. The Venom was a great deal at $100 when I bought that too.

While neither power cord nor any other cabling Ive used were earth changing or as good as component upgrades, they definitely improved the system, and I hear no down sides. In my system, they've made bigger differences than any speaker cable I've used, and are on par with interconnect changes.

Grant -

If you're still paying attention...

Your powercords have taken my system up a step. My next purchase will be a power conditioner.

But... How about an entry level RCA interconnect along the lines of the Diamondback-ish price range or maybe a tad bit more? I'd love to hear an affordable Shunyata interconnect.

I used the PC in conjunction with a PS audio duet and it was less than satisfactory. It sounded as if my ears were stuffed up. A friend of mine said , "it was not a good synergy" however the products were very good on their own. HMMMmmmmm