first blush, it appears so.
well said.
looking forward to more of your free verse poetry.
Any Experience with Denali X?
- Thread starter JiminGa
- Start date
Ok, so after being immersed in an environment where all you hear is leaves rustling in a gentle summer breeze, song birds singing, ponds splashing and burbling with aquatic life, bard owls calling out in the moon lit nights, my wife and I also took in a very enlightening and spirited tour of Iron Fish Distillery and enjoyed a trek in Sleeping Bear Dunes along Lake Michigan. It was nice, and nice to clear the palette and naturally reset our sensory perception and enjoy life outside the listening room.
Bringing this mindset (or lack of any) back to my listening chair causes me to listen anew. It’s transformative and sometimes as essential as the music itself and the Denali v2 X is changing my listening experience. I love our hobby. I love being taken away in a dream performance. We here, listen without borders or limits, no genre is off-limits as long as it is well played and interesting music.
This is where being an audiophile, for me, becomes an acceptable means to an end. Yeah, I like gear. Hell, I was an industrial product designer for nearly five decades. Nothing like a well conceived and crafted human made thing. But for me, this hobby is all about the performance experience at home. Anyway, things like this X update are often some of the finer subtlety’s that cut to the heart of what makes the difference between merely listening to a tune or being more fully immersed viscerally into a performance and a moment.
I look and listen forward to what unfolds...
Last night again was one of those moments. Not in front of my Hi-Fi, but attending a live performance at Pine Knob Music Theater. You know, we’re Joni Mitchell’s Miles of Isles was documented. Yeah, PA based electric music in an outdoor venue. But the performance transcended even the best sound quality in an event like this. It was about the human connection made through exceptional soulful musicianship and a passionate performance. We enjoyed these players and what has become part of the legacy descending from the Allman Brothers Band, as I an a fan. The show was Gov’t Mule and Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Now, back to our scheduled programming…
Bringing this mindset (or lack of any) back to my listening chair causes me to listen anew. It’s transformative and sometimes as essential as the music itself and the Denali v2 X is changing my listening experience. I love our hobby. I love being taken away in a dream performance. We here, listen without borders or limits, no genre is off-limits as long as it is well played and interesting music.
This is where being an audiophile, for me, becomes an acceptable means to an end. Yeah, I like gear. Hell, I was an industrial product designer for nearly five decades. Nothing like a well conceived and crafted human made thing. But for me, this hobby is all about the performance experience at home. Anyway, things like this X update are often some of the finer subtlety’s that cut to the heart of what makes the difference between merely listening to a tune or being more fully immersed viscerally into a performance and a moment.
I look and listen forward to what unfolds...
Last night again was one of those moments. Not in front of my Hi-Fi, but attending a live performance at Pine Knob Music Theater. You know, we’re Joni Mitchell’s Miles of Isles was documented. Yeah, PA based electric music in an outdoor venue. But the performance transcended even the best sound quality in an event like this. It was about the human connection made through exceptional soulful musicianship and a passionate performance. We enjoyed these players and what has become part of the legacy descending from the Allman Brothers Band, as I an a fan. The show was Gov’t Mule and Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Now, back to our scheduled programming…
Nothing but a demure and perhaps misleading X decal on the arse side.
48 hours later on the mains and my second listening session, with my favorite pressing (Cisco reissue) of Dexter Gordon’s -One Flight Up. Just six years post Kind of Blue, side one, Tanya. Taylor’s drum pedal hammer and stick strikes sound more punctual, more deliberate, more attitude. More weight. While Niels-Henning’s bass partners perfectly in the rhythm with same feel of intensity. All the time with Bird flying free and high above. These cats are locked together in a very cool dance. All while seeming to flow even more effortlessly? Again, is this possible?!
I listen to the side with both the Esuro Urushi Bordeaux and then the Lyra Etna Lambda as they impart a different take on a given recording that I understand intimately. By contrast they often reveal very small effects from upstream system changes. Two competent but different instruments interpretation of the same performance.
Next up, Chet Atkins -Finger-style Guitar mono RCA pressing from 1956. Played by a Miyajima Zero. Wow boy! So fluid. Again, perhaps a tad more incisive, had a greater sense of mid base coming out of that hollow body Gretsch. Such a live HiFi capture.
I can say these examples prove to suggest the mains pathway is enhanced from just three weeks ago.
*But all very early in this passion play.
a parting shot with one of my listening friends, Yusef.
48 hours later on the mains and my second listening session, with my favorite pressing (Cisco reissue) of Dexter Gordon’s -One Flight Up. Just six years post Kind of Blue, side one, Tanya. Taylor’s drum pedal hammer and stick strikes sound more punctual, more deliberate, more attitude. More weight. While Niels-Henning’s bass partners perfectly in the rhythm with same feel of intensity. All the time with Bird flying free and high above. These cats are locked together in a very cool dance. All while seeming to flow even more effortlessly? Again, is this possible?!
I listen to the side with both the Esuro Urushi Bordeaux and then the Lyra Etna Lambda as they impart a different take on a given recording that I understand intimately. By contrast they often reveal very small effects from upstream system changes. Two competent but different instruments interpretation of the same performance.
Next up, Chet Atkins -Finger-style Guitar mono RCA pressing from 1956. Played by a Miyajima Zero. Wow boy! So fluid. Again, perhaps a tad more incisive, had a greater sense of mid base coming out of that hollow body Gretsch. Such a live HiFi capture.
I can say these examples prove to suggest the mains pathway is enhanced from just three weeks ago.
*But all very early in this passion play.
a parting shot with one of my listening friends, Yusef.
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interesting to see systems that are so different from mine. Many paths to audio nirvana.
Also interesting that the Denali (X) works with such different gear. I wonder how many different types of systems they use to demo a new design.
Not to get too far off thread, but my wife requests the name of your listening buddy above.
Yusef
Named after Yusef Lateef, the Gentle Giant. Jazz multi-instrumentalist and music professor from Detroit. Played with Byrd here in the local clubs a bit, back in the early day. Notably, he added an "eastern" or world flavor to his not so often straight-ahead style. Didn’t like the label "jazz” felt it was derogatory. He in turn referred to his style of music as “Audiophysiopsyhic”. His later free instrumental work with Adam Rudolph is way out there and otherworldly. I believe he amassed nearly 500 wind instruments from around the world and I’ve seen him play masterfully a large array of them in a performances at Montreux and elsewhere. We corresponded a bit in his later days. A lovely man.
There, likely more than you ever imagined you where signing up for…
thanks. Somehow missed that in your original post (viewed on phone). He seems to be an attentive listener (and can read upside down, which is difficult for humans). My listening buddy, Alfie, prefers Mozart to the jazz I usually listen to, but has big ears and so will listen to mostly anything.Yusef
Named after Yusef Lateef, the Gentle Giant. Jazz multi-instrumentalist and music professor from Detroit. Played with Byrd here in the local clubs a bit, back in the early day. Notably, he added an "eastern" or world flavor to his not so often straight-ahead style. Didn’t like the label "jazz” felt it was derogatory. He in turn referred to his style of music as “Audiophysiopsyhic”. His later free instrumental work with Adam Rudolph is way out there and otherworldly. I believe he amassed nearly 500 wind instruments from around the world and I’ve seen him play masterfully a large array of them in a performances at Montreux and elsewhere. We corresponded a bit in his later days. A lovely man.
There, likely more than you ever imagined you where signing up for…
I was only vaguely aware of Yusef Lateef and will now check out his music. Roon/Qobuz has 52 albums of his albums and I'll start with Eastern Sounds (192/24 FLAC; remastered in 2023). Any recommendations for other albums (also flagged The Gentle Giant for listening later)?
Roon also had a short, interesting biography. When you mentioned that he was a multi-instrumentalist, my mind flashed upon Rahsaan Roland Kirk. But he liked to play them all at the same time.
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Here are some select recommendations for you, and possibly even Alfie might dig the later live free jazz work:
Jazz Mood 1957
(Just a note for vinyl fans, the 2018 Go! Bop! Reissue GB015LP is every bit as good sonically as my 1957 Savoy. Don’t know about the latest Craft/Acoustic Sounds endeavor).
The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef 1960
A fine triptych displaying some of his multi-instrumentalist capabilities.
Live at Pep’s and Live at Pep’s vol. 2 1964 is quite a nice performance and sonically well captured.
Sonata Fantasia 1997 &
In the Garden 2003 with Adam Rudolph
Are free live performances
Towards the Unknown 2010
Happy listening
Jazz Mood 1957
(Just a note for vinyl fans, the 2018 Go! Bop! Reissue GB015LP is every bit as good sonically as my 1957 Savoy. Don’t know about the latest Craft/Acoustic Sounds endeavor).
The Three Faces of Yusef Lateef 1960
A fine triptych displaying some of his multi-instrumentalist capabilities.
Live at Pep’s and Live at Pep’s vol. 2 1964 is quite a nice performance and sonically well captured.
Sonata Fantasia 1997 &
In the Garden 2003 with Adam Rudolph
Are free live performances
Towards the Unknown 2010
Happy listening
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After living with the upgrade for a bit now, would you say it is a clear step up up from the original V2? I'm on the fence as to whether I want to upgrade my unit or not.
Hat tip to @jeremya for the pointer to the illustration below from the Everest-X user guide. It was delayed but a shelf version of the Everest-X is in the works. Another option for Denali v2 owners.
I would indeed. For me with (two) Denali v2, now Xs, I feel it was a worthwhile investment in SQ.
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Last night I received my new Denali-X as well as a Sigma-X XC power cable and an 8 meter Theta Ethernet cable. I had a couple of local installers come and re-mount my 75” 4K tv on a better wall mount (that allows for pulling the TV out a bit when access is required to the cable tv box or network components). It was really nice to get that all tidied up. But…once they had gone at about 7: 30 pm, I started unboxing the Denali-X and Sigma-X XC and re-installed everything in my HiFi system.
I made sure that I was able to get sound through the system and then shut down my tubed preamp and tubed mono blocks. I left the solid state components on during the night, in order to ‘bed in’ the new pieces.
This morning I turned my preamp and power amps on and left them for about 2-3 hours to get nicely up to temperature while I did some work at home. At lunch time I played Art Pepper And The Rhythm Section (the new AP release) and it was definitely a quieter background, more rich and musical and above all else, it was very enjoyable.
I am going to play some more music over the next couple of weeks as things bed-in and will report back, but so far it is feeling like a very nice upgrade. I need one more home made grounding cable in order to tie my system to the Denali-X via ground. That will probably be a small but positive improvement in noise reduction as well. I have every other piece (other than the mono blocks) tied together via home made grounding cables. They have definitely helped me lower the noise floor in my system.
I am quite happy so far…
I made sure that I was able to get sound through the system and then shut down my tubed preamp and tubed mono blocks. I left the solid state components on during the night, in order to ‘bed in’ the new pieces.
This morning I turned my preamp and power amps on and left them for about 2-3 hours to get nicely up to temperature while I did some work at home. At lunch time I played Art Pepper And The Rhythm Section (the new AP release) and it was definitely a quieter background, more rich and musical and above all else, it was very enjoyable.
I am going to play some more music over the next couple of weeks as things bed-in and will report back, but so far it is feeling like a very nice upgrade. I need one more home made grounding cable in order to tie my system to the Denali-X via ground. That will probably be a small but positive improvement in noise reduction as well. I have every other piece (other than the mono blocks) tied together via home made grounding cables. They have definitely helped me lower the noise floor in my system.
I am quite happy so far…
The upgraded Denali (to X version) has been settling in for little more than a month. My two favorite improvements are better tone and the improved sense of depth of 44/16 files, which now are as good as higher resolution files were before the upgrade (which upgrades a lot of my library). That also means that high resolution files are more clearly revealed. Realistic music emerges from the speakers. Streaming digital can be very, very good!
Needless to say, any improvement in noise reduction from this upgrade elevates everything plugged into it. In my case, all my gear.
Have to thank Shunyata for making this upgrade available to Denali owners. For me, this was a worthwhile investment.
Needless to say, any improvement in noise reduction from this upgrade elevates everything plugged into it. In my case, all my gear.
Have to thank Shunyata for making this upgrade available to Denali owners. For me, this was a worthwhile investment.
After I read what Rob said above, I ordered the Tone Poet version of One Flight Up.
It is a fabulous release and although I would love to have a first pressing, so many great records are so expensive when they are a first pressing and in very good plus condition.
The Tone Poet is fantastic in my opinion. Beautifully made, great pressing, great mastering from Kevin Gray and the sound quality is demo quality. Another must have Tone Poet record.
Back to the topic at hand…My new Denali X has been plugged in for 48 hours now and already I am enjoying even more improvements. The noise floor is even lower, but most importantly it is in a natural manner. If the tone is affected or there are other side effects, that can ruin the experience. Does not apply in this case.
I am getting more resolution, a lower noise floor and most importantly, my system has a more musical sound. More natural and enjoyable. The best parts for me are the background details that are appearing out of the background via the lower noise floor..
Great addition to my system. The Denali X is money very well spent.
My Denali X has been running for several weeks. Powered by the Sigma-X XC cable from a dedicated 20A circuit. Only digital front end components being powered from it: Aesthetix Calypso Eclipse preamp, PS Audio CD transport, Grimm MU2, Tempus switch. The preamp and switch with SRA Takshaka cables, the CD transport and MU2 with Shunyata Theta XC cables. A significant widening and deepening of the sound stage, much more nuanced details in the upper register (hearing lots of lower volume stuff in the mix for the first time), and overall a more forward sound presence. I think the later is being contributed to by the Theta XC pc's, particularly powering the MU2. Not harsh or unpleasant, though a little bright at times. I swapped in a Theta NR, which had been powering the preamp at one time, to the MU2 and lost more than I expected in detail and clarity, so the combination of the Theta NR noise reduction function and the Denali-X noise reduction isn't a workable combo apparently. I have two more SRA Takshakas on order, but am curious what others are using for power cords between their Denali-X and front end components. Shunyata recommends the Sigma-X QR or NR, but I'm wondering if there is the potential for negative impact on sound quality.
Except for the PC for the Denali X (mine was an upgrade from Denali), which is Alpha v2 XC, all my cables are Kubala-Sosna. Haven't tried others. I did follow my KS dealer's suggestion to put my best PC on the MU2.
In my setup, the Denali has varied in its sound for more than one month. During that time, the forward presence came and went as did periods of dullness. The Denali does seem much closer to steady-state, but I would estimate another week or so. The final voice, if any, won't be known until then. And I have found in the past that gear that is breaking in can change for another month past that point. That said, if the Theta is broken-in and sounds bad, then the combo, as you said, doesn't work. If the MU2 sounds bright, something isn't right.
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I had a Triton V3 in my system (only thing I had not replaced since that time) and just installed the Denali-X to replace it which is roughly half the weight and size. I love the Shunyata gear but as previously stated it would be nice if they offered an upgrade path given the prices of the gear. That said the new X series is seriously good IMHO. After the Denali-X install my system has more clarity and detail. Mids are more fleshed-out with tight and solid dynamics and a better overall balance. Of course this is compared to an older generation Triton model. I hear this as well with the new Sigma-X XLR's very quiet and fleshed-out with no harshness.
I replaced my Shunyata Omega XC and Omega clock-75 cables with the new X series and experienced a solid jump in performance more than previous generations in my experience. Used to be I would only entertain their power cords but the new digital & IC X-cables are excellent IMHO.
I replaced my Shunyata Omega XC and Omega clock-75 cables with the new X series and experienced a solid jump in performance more than previous generations in my experience. Used to be I would only entertain their power cords but the new digital & IC X-cables are excellent IMHO.
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