Spectral Power Cables: your experience or any suggestion ?

Maz65

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2014
51
2
140
Italy
Hi All,
I'm about to test some power cables for my DMA200 S2 and DMC 15-SS (and for my Analog DAC). Due to narrow my search, I'm asking you about your experience and suggestions for connecting the amp and the preamp.
I read some old comments about Elrod and Nordost. One of my need is cable flexibility and Elrod is too much rigid: after connecting the mains plug to the machine, a 90° angle is needed after some centimeters. Unfortunately Shunyata seems not so much flexible too.
Actually I'm using Furutech FP-3TS20 on all equipments but I don't know if it can be considered good or not, due to lack of comparison with other competitors.

So... brands and models to suggest for a try ?
Thanks in advance, Max
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
You may need to use 90-degree adapters in order to try various power cords, like these



http://www.musicdirect.com/p-252-audioquest-iec-90-degree-adapter-version-1-center-pin-down.aspx and http://www.musicdirect.com/p-253-audioquest-iec-90-degree-adapter-version-2-center-pin-up.aspx

I happen to favor power cords with very high instantaneous current delivery like the Shunyata CX HC series (measured to raise ~200A in ~11uSec), versus power cords like their Zitron series (which the website claims to offer 200A in ~800mSec):

From http://www.theaudiobeat.com/visits/shunyata_visit_interview.htm:



From http://www.shunyata.com/our-products/pwr-cables/54-tron/570-alpha-series-1 ("Specs" tab):

CURRENT RATINGS
- Max continuous current: 20 Amps (connector dependent)
- Max instantaneous current: >200 Amps (800ms)

Their newer Sigma Zitron series don't carry such ratings...

To my ears, Spectrals suffer significantly from "slow" cables.
 

CGabriel

Industry Expert
Oct 31, 2013
618
92
265
WA, USA
www.shunyata.com
Hi All,
I'm about to test some power cables for my DMA200 S2 and DMC 15-SS (and for my Analog DAC). Due to narrow my search, I'm asking you about your experience and suggestions for connecting the amp and the preamp.
I read some old comments about Elrod and Nordost. One of my need is cable flexibility and Elrod is too much rigid: after connecting the mains plug to the machine, a 90° angle is needed after some centimeters. Unfortunately Shunyata seems not so much flexible too.
Actually I'm using Furutech FP-3TS20 on all equipments but I don't know if it can be considered good or not, due to lack of comparison with other competitors.

So... brands and models to suggest for a try ?
Thanks in advance, Max

Actually we make a high performance ZTron cable that is actually as flexible or more so than a stock cable.
Lookup Z-PC10.
It is available in Digital or Analog filter versions.
 

Maz65

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2014
51
2
140
Italy
Thanks Peter & Gabriel

@ack, you gave me a lot of material to study ;) I will post some photos in my personal area soon, and you will see I need flexibility (imagine a furniture with one side on the wall and where the back free space for pass a cable is 1,5 cm (and the furniture is tooooo heavy to move ;) ).
In my power cables I need the squared IEC like the Z-PC10 Gabriel's example, because I cannot use the cylinder furutech-like IEC because is is too big and the space is not enough to pass it between the furniture and the wall without disassembly the cable (I prefer to avoid it...). Only the flat squared IEC can , like the Z-PC10.

@ack again, you wrote about the performance of Shunyata CX HC series, I am not familiar with this serie, and my question is if in this serie there are more cables other than Black Mamba.

@Gabriel, about Z-PC10, the difference between "analog" and "digital" is the type of equipment where the cable will be connected ?

Thanks, more comments are welcome.
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Hey Max, your fundamental problem is that you think you need furniture :D Apparently, you have not taken over the living room yet, lol... The CX are an older series, and they made a number of them at various price points, and most higher than the Black Mamba HC (Python, Anaconda and King Cobra - I think I have them all). I just didn't care to get anything more than 10AWG since my wall is all wired with 10AWG copper anyway, though some claim thicker, more expensive versions would attenuate noise even more... perhaps. You can find them on audiogon.

Another cable audibly inferior to my Shunyata was the top of the line MIT, Oracle ZIII - sucked the deep bass out of my amps, and measurably too, about 2dB using warble tones. One has to be very careful with this stuff, and strike a balance between noise attenuation and instantaneous current delivery, based on each component's demands. I rely more on the Typhon and the MIT Z-Strips and Z-Traps for noise attenuation (all parallel devices) and star-grounding, than noise reduction in the power cords themselves.
 

Maz65

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2014
51
2
140
Italy
Hey Max, your fundamental problem is that you think you need furniture :D Apparently, you have not taken over the living room yet, lol... The CX are an older series, and they made a number of them at various price points, and most higher than the Black Mamba HC (Python, Anaconda and King Cobra - I think I have them all). I just didn't care to get anything more than 10AWG since my wall is all wired with 10AWG copper anyway, though some claim thicker, more expensive versions would attenuate noise even more... perhaps. You can find them on audiogon.

Another cable audibly inferior to my Shunyata was the top of the line MIT, Oracle ZIII - sucked the deep bass out of my amps, and measurably too, about 2dB using warble tones. One has to be very careful with this stuff, and strike a balance between noise attenuation and instantaneous current delivery, based on each component's demands. I rely more on the Typhon and the MIT Z-Strips and Z-Traps for noise attenuation (all parallel devices) and star-grounding, than noise reduction in the power cords themselves.

Hey Peter... :D the furniture is not negotiable lol
I will start hunting based on your suggestion, thanks for now !
-Max
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
Be sure to check others' positive comments on the latest Shunyata Sigma cables too, some own Spectral
 

marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,025
4,173
2,520
United States
Be sure to check others' positive comments on the latest Shunyata Sigma cables too, some own Spectral

+1
I own Spectral DMA 400RS monoblocs. They love, love, love Shunyata Zitron Power cables. Currently using Alpha HCs, but my preference would be Anaconda's (nicely discounted on Music Direct.com)
 

Maz65

Well-Known Member
Sep 26, 2014
51
2
140
Italy
Last week I finally got a Black Mamba HC , and I will connect it in these days... I will report my impressions compared the existing Furutech FP-3TS20.
 

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