Caelin joins World's Best Forum

[CGabriel]

Greetings to everyone. This is Caelin Gabriel from Shunyata Research. I will be checking in periodically if you would like to ask a question or make a comment.

Caelin Gabriel
President
Shunyata Research

 

[treitz3]

Hello and please allow me to offer you a very warm welcome to the WBF. Glad to see you here.

Tom

 

[amirm]

Great to have you here Caelin. I am sure there will both be questions and comments about your products .

 

[Steve Williams]

Thanks again Caelin for taking the time to join. I have just sent you a PM.

Grant has been a great asset and I know you'll like it around here

 

[RBFC]

Welcome, Caelin. Power products and their performance is a subject in which we would all benefit from your experience!

Lee

 

[marty]

Caelin,
I wonder if you can help clear up the issue of how to best hook up a Typhon to one's system? Your own web states specifically that it is meant to be plugged into a Triton. However, there is much anecdotal discussion on this forum that suggests it should go into either the wall duplex that is in parallel to one's power amplifier (i.e. no Triton in the that configuration), or into the duplex outlets that are on the back of the Triton, and NOT the specifically dedicated Typhon power receptacle on the Triton, as stated on your website. Any clarification would be appreciated.

To take this further, why not use the Cyclops similarly, that is, in parallel with the AC receptacle that powers one's amplifiers, rather than plug the amps into the Cyclops? After all, the Cyclops is mostly a NIC containing unit like the Typhon, correct?

Finally, if the general theme here is that NIC containing units provide their best service when used in parallel to AC outlets that power components, one might conclude that there would also be solid benefit from say, purchasing price effective used gear with NIC units, such as the older Hydras, and using them in a similar configuration. Of course, one would not get the full benefit of everything the Hydra may offer by going this route, but if one were already using a Triton and was looking for cost effective way of adding NIC containing gear to use in parallel, would that approach be a reasonable one?

I do not mean any offense, but you are highly regarded as an engineer, so I am looking forward to an engineering/scientific explanation rather than one that say, a marketing executive might provide.
Marty

Thanks
Marty

 

[CGabriel]

Caelin,
I wonder if you can help clear up the issue of how to best hook up a Typhon to one's system? Your own web states specifically that it is meant to be plugged into a Triton. However, there is much anecdotal discussion on this forum that suggests it should go into either the wall duplex that is in parallel to one's power amplifier (i.e. no Triton in the that configuration), or into the duplex outlets that are on the back of the Triton, and NOT the specifically dedicated Typhon power receptacle on the Triton, as stated on your website. Any clarification would be appreciated.

To take this further, why not use the Cyclops similarly, that is, in parallel with the AC receptacle that powers one's amplifiers, rather than plug the amps into the Cyclops? After all, the Cyclops is mostly a NIC containing unit like the Typhon, correct?

Finally, if the general theme here is that NIC containing units provide their best service when used in parallel to AC outlets that power components, one might conclude that there would also be solid benefit from say, purchasing price effective used gear with NIC units, such as the older Hydras, and using them in a similar configuration. Of course, one would not get the full benefit of everything the Hydra may offer by going this route, but if one were already using a Triton and was looking for cost effective way of adding NIC containing gear to use in parallel, would that approach be a reasonable one?

I do not mean any offense, but you are highly regarded as an engineer, so I am looking forward to an engineering/scientific explanation rather than one that say, a marketing executive might provide.
Marty

Thanks
Marty

Hello Marty,

RE: Typhon Design
The Typhon and Triton where designed together as a two chassis, reference grade, power distribution system. Because the Triton is a also a stand-alone unit a person may choose to buy the Triton and upgrade later by adding the Typhon. OK, so that is what it was designed for but that doesn't mean that it can't be used in other ways since it operates in parallel to the power circuit. That is what some people have chosen to do in connecting the Typhon directly to the second outlet in an AC duplex. Some people are using the Typhon connected to a Talos, Cyclops or older Hydras.

RE: Typhon connection
The Typhon was originally designed to connect to the Triton via one of the eight AC outlets with a dedicated Typhon umbilical cord. Some dealers expressed concerns that some customers may use all of the available outlets and asked us to add a port to connect the Typhon. This is the reason that there is a C20 port on the back of some Tritons. However, the preferred method (best performance) has always been to connect it via one of the AC outlets. Since then we have done surveys from our Typhon/Triton owners and have yet to find one that used the dedicated port. Therefore, on the most recent Typhons the port has been deleted.

RE: Cyclops
The Cyclops can be used as you describe and it will make a difference. However, it operates to best effect when used for its designed purpose which is as a power conditioner for amplifiers. The NICs in the Typhon are designed differently than those in the Hydra power distributors since it was not designed to carry the current load. Therfore it can be optimized for better noise reduction.

RE: Connecting multiple Hydras in parallel
No, I do not consider this reasonable nor cost effective.

I am a materials scientist, researcher and inventor. But most importantly, I am an audiophile who just happens to have the ability to solve certain problems related to my favorite hobby. I create products that improve my own system and bring the sound of the system closer to reality. If other people find these helpful then they will also want them. This has always been and continues to be my primary design imperative.

Nothing that you have asked is in any way offensive and thank you for the questions.

 

[jap]

I've enjoyed reading Caelin's informative posts since he joined AudioAficionado in 6/13.

 

[JackD201]

Welcome Caelin. I've been using your products since 2006. My V-Ray 1 saved all my gear when the building transformer blew. The light bulbs that were on at the time weren't so lucky. Nice to see you here.

 

[CGabriel]

Welcome Caelin. I've been using your products since 2006. My V-Ray 1 saved all my gear when the building transformer blew. The light bulbs that were on at the time weren't so lucky. Nice to see you here.

Thank you and very glad to hear that your system survived such a catastrophic event. You probably know that I recommend whole house surge protection no matter what type of power conditioner you might be using.

 

[Mobiusman]

Caelin,

Welcome. I have spoken highly about you in many of my posts and how your products have transformed my system. I cannot imagine going back to running my system without the benefit of your products.

I see on your web site that there is a new power cord that is designed for digital products and that the Xitron circuitry has been modified for hi frequency digital noise. Could you talk about it and various applications versus benefit. I have three digital products in my system, a Meitner DAC, the latest Mac Mini which I use as a server for some practice management software and to feed Spotify to my Meitner via USB and occasionally for a movie, and an Oppo 93 soon to be replaced by a 103 which I run AES to the Meitner for the audio. Could also tell us the price of this cord and which of your cords is might be comparable to.

Also, could you please talk about your HDMI cord and its cost, as well as your thought about USB cables for connecting to high quality DAC's.

Again welcome and thank you for your candor, something that I feel is quite unique in the audio world with Shunyata.

Russ Ferstandig

 

[edorr]

Interesting.

Caelin, would this new alpha digital cord outperform an anaconda on a DAC and digital transport, since it is designed specifically for digital components?

 

[NorthStar]

Thank you and very glad to hear that your system survived such a catastrophic event.
You probably know that I recommend whole house surge protection no matter what type of power conditioner you might be using.

Hello sir. ...I'm curious, and please forgive my ignorance; are you an electrical engineer?

 

[NorthStar]

I've enjoyed reading Caelin's informative posts since he joined AudioAficionado in 6/13.

That audio site is only accessible if you register and log in. ...It is not a public site; they don't allow anything from the outside world to come in (links to other forums, or dealers, or useful info), and they don't let everyone free to view their operating style.

For many people this is not a positive place to inform the audio community without restriction and bias. It is more a business audio site than an informative one.

I had to say this because some people aren't aware of these facts.
Beneath the surface lies a different type of operative enterprise. ...Driven by the bias forces of financial profits.

 

[Steve Williams]

That audio site is only accessible if you register and log in. ...It is not a public site; they don't allow anything from the outside world to come in (links to other forums, or dealers, or useful info), and they don't let everyone free to view their operating style.

For many people this is not a positive place to inform the audio community without restriction and bias. It is more a business audio site than an informative one.

I had to say this because some people aren't aware of these facts.
Beneath the surface lies a different type of operative enterprise. ...Driven by the bias forces of financial profits.

I must admit that this is one of the few times I agree with you

 

[Bruce B]

Here are 2 interviews Bob that explains his background

6moons

Absolute Sound

 

[NorthStar]

Here are 2 interviews Bob that explains his background

6moons

Absolute Sound

Bruce, you're a real trooper!

 

[CGabriel]

Caelin,

Welcome. I have spoken highly about you in many of my posts and how your products have transformed my system. I cannot imagine going back to running my system without the benefit of your products.

I see on your web site that there is a new power cord that is designed for digital products and that the Xitron circuitry has been modified for hi frequency digital noise. Could you talk about it and various applications versus benefit. I have three digital products in my system, a Meitner DAC, the latest Mac Mini which I use as a server for some practice management software and to feed Spotify to my Meitner via USB and occasionally for a movie, and an Oppo 93 soon to be replaced by a 103 which I run AES to the Meitner for the audio. Could also tell us the price of this cord and which of your cords is might be comparable to.

Also, could you please talk about your HDMI cord and its cost, as well as your thought about USB cables for connecting to high quality DAC's.

Again welcome and thank you for your candor, something that I feel is quite unique in the audio world with Shunyata.

Russ Ferstandig

The XiTron Alpha Digital Power Cord was designed specifically to deal with the type of noise pollution that exits from the power supplies of digital type components and or switching type power supplies. Many people have now tried the cable and the reports back to us are very impressive. The XiTron circuit was originally designed to reduce dielectric absorption but we have expanded the circuits purpose and complexity to include noise reduction in the case of the power cable. If you go to our website, we have a before and after screen capture from a power analyzer showing the dramatic noise reduction capabilities of the cable.

The cable does not fit into the hierarchy of our existing cable lines because it is a special purpose cable that was designed to solve a specific problem. And it fulfills that purpose quite well. If the specific component that you use the cable on fits the profile of a digital type device that outputs significant noise onto the power line - then, yes, the Alpha Digital PC will outperform one of our other cables - even the Anaconda. It works good on DACs, transports, clocks, USB converters, processors, scalars, computers, disc arrays, monitors etc. It will not outperform an Anaconda or Python on an analog component like an amplifier or preamplifier.

The Alpha Digital PC costs: US$995 (prices vary in other countries)
It is available in US, EU and Aussie terminations.

RE: HDMI Cables
We make a cable called the VENOM HDMI cable which many of our dealers are using as their "go to cable" for HDMI. It significantly improves audio and video performance compared to stock cables and outperforms most high-end cables. My production manager (who is definitely NOT an audiophile) took one of these home to test on his big screen. He is a big sports fan and loves his big screen TV. Well, he came back raving about the ability to see the ball and how it improved the sound. He said that this was the first cable that he would actually buy with his own money. It lists for only US$95. Don't be mislead by the reasonable price - we are intentionally pricing VENOM class cables to compete with the best but at prices that working class people can afford.

RE: USB Cable
Yes, we have developed a world-class USB. We have tested several different iterations of prototypes during the past 2 years and have finalized the design. We have compared it to the best cables available up to $1000 in price. It will be released for sale later in November or December at the latest. It will retail for US$295 for a meter. What did you want to discuss specifically about USB cables?

 

[edorr]

The XiTron Alpha Digital Power Cord was designed specifically to deal with the type of noise pollution that exits from the power supplies of digital type components and or switching type power supplies. Many people have now tried the cable and the reports back to us are very impressive. The XiTron circuit was originally designed to reduce dielectric absorption but we have expanded the circuits purpose and complexity to include noise reduction in the case of the power cable. If you go to our website, we have a before and after screen capture from a power analyzer showing the dramatic noise reduction capabilities of the cable.

The cable does not fit into the hierarchy of our existing cable lines because it is a special purpose cable that was designed to solve a specific problem. And it fulfills that purpose quite well. If the specific component that you use the cable on fits the profile of a digital type device that outputs significant noise onto the power line - then, yes, the Alpha Digital PC will outperform one of our other cables - even the Anaconda. It works good on DACs, transports, clocks, USB converters, processors, scalars, computers, disc arrays, monitors etc. It will not outperform an Anaconda or Python on an analog component like an amplifier or preamplifier.

The Alpha Digital PC costs: US$995 (prices vary in other countries)
It is available in US, EU and Aussie terminations.

RE: HDMI Cables
We make a cable called the VENOM HDMI cable which many of our dealers are using as their "go to cable" for HDMI. It significantly improves audio and video performance compared to stock cables and outperforms most high-end cables. My production manager (who is definitely NOT an audiophile) took one of these home to test on his big screen. He is a big sports fan and loves his big screen TV. Well, he came back raving about the ability to see the ball and how it improved the sound. He said that this was the first cable that he would actually buy with his own money. It lists for only US$95. Don't be mislead by the reasonable price - we are intentionally pricing VENOM class cables to compete with the best but at prices that working class people can afford.

RE: USB Cable
Yes, we have developed a world-class USB. We have tested several different iterations of prototypes during the past 2 years and have finalized the design. We have compared it to the best cables available up to $1000 in price. It will be released for sale later in November or December at the latest. It will retail for US$295 for a meter. What did you want to discuss specifically about USB cables?

Thanks Caelin, looks like this is one of those rare occasions where an upgrade is actually going to save me some money, since I am now using an anaconda on my DAC! No doubt the savings will be applied towards the acquisitions of other Shunyata stuff (Triton), so everyone wins!

 

[CGabriel]

I graduated from a Naval electronic engineering school during the 1970's specializing in data acquisition and low level signal detection. I served 4 years in a military division of NSA and was stationed in Berlin Germany. Other than that, there is not much I can say about the experience. On leaving the military, I worked in the private sector with a variety of companies dealing with networking and computer storage design. While attending school I worked as an electrician - my grandfather, six uncles and my sister are all electricians. So, that is the short of it.