Revised Anaconda Digital Cable

[CGabriel]

The ANACONDA DIGITAL Cables have been revised. This includes the AES/EBU, S/PDIF RCA and S/PDIF BNC versions. Just to be very clear, there is nothing wrong with the prior cable as many people judged it to be the best they had ever used.

The revised cable uses a new conductor that we had been working on for over 2 years. It has VTX, Cohergenic conductors made from silver plated copper and Teflon insulation.

We then needed to decide what to do with the cable because it hasn't been long since we introduced the Anaconda Digital cable. We could have waited two more years and make a MKII cable or just make a higher priced digital cable. We didn't really like any of those alternatives. So, we said look, this is our reference digital cable and many of the people that bought it are our loyal customers so we decide to do free cable swap program.

That's right - anyone that bought an Anaconda Digital cable will get the opportunity to exchange it for the new revised cable, at no charge. We are working through dealers and the list of warranty card information to find the people that qualify. If you have any of the cables, simply contact Richard at cservice@shunyata.com for an RMA. We have already shipped replacements to dCS, Audio Research, Baetis Audio and many reviewers. Be a little patient as this is big list we are working through.

Cheers,

 

[jfrech]

I have to commend you on your business decision for the free swap. Taking care of your clients should always payoff for you!

I've been a long time Shunyata client on power cables/conditioners. I do know digital cables can make a big improvement, not sure if I should try these first or try swapping a few of my Anaconda Zitrons or for the new Sigmas...

 

[Steve Williams]

I have to commend you on your business decision for the free swap. Taking care of your clients should always payoff for you!

I've been a long time Shunyata client on power cables/conditioners. I do know digital cables can make a big improvement, not sure if I should try these first or try swapping a few of my Anaconda Zitrons or for the new Sigmas...

You should do both

I've had the Anaconda Digital AES/EBU as well the Anaconda S/PDIF running concurrently in my system for many months and they were remarkable with my slight preference to the AES/EBU

Now along comes this new Anaconda Digital Reference cable which I have the privilege of having exchanged my two cables above for . I just got the two cables 2 days ago and intend on posting some photos showing the difference between the 2 cables as well as the sonic differences

 

[Andre Marc]

You should do both

I've had the Anaconda Digital AES/EBU as well the Anaconda S/PDIF running concurrently in my system for many months and they were remarkable with my slight preference to the AES/EBU

Now along comes this new Anaconda Digital Reference cable which I have the privilege of having exchanged my two cables above for . I just got the two cables 2 days ago and intend on posting some photos showing the difference between the 2 cables as well as the sonic differences

Hey Steve:

Curious. What do you use the digital cable with. What is the configuration?

 

[Steve Williams]

I've talked about this briefly before. I am using them to stream music from my ipad, and Pandora etc using a simple dock that has those outputs that I run direct into the corresponding inputs on my Playback Designs, thus using thePD DAC only. Using the PD remote I can instantly switch from one to the other and compare the two cables. I am looking forward to comparing the initial Anaconda to the new Anaconda Digital cables and will report back. The cables look quite different from one version to the other

 

[Andre Marc]

I've talked about this briefly before. I am using them to stream music from my ipad, and Pandora etc using a simple dock that has those outputs that I run direct into the corresponding inputs on my Playback Designs, thus using thePD DAC only. Using the PD remote I can instantly switch from one to the other and compare the two cables. I am looking forward to comparing the initial Anaconda to the new Anaconda Digital cables and will report back. The cables look quite different from one version to the other

Steve that is very interesting!

Maybe it is time we get the good doctor into high resolution audio!!!

 

[Steve Williams]

I have been having fun with this and honestly sounds very good played that way though my system notwithstanding the quality of the music being played.

Andre, last time you came to visit you couldn't hook up computer audio. I am quite interested this time around and you should come by in the next few weeks for a listen. I'll be around as my left knee arthroplasty is this Wed so I will be listening a lot post op

 

[Andre Marc]

I have been having fun with this and honestly sounds very good played that way though my system notwithstanding the quality of the music being played.

Andre, last time you came to visit you couldn't hook up computer audio. I am quite interested this time around and you should come by in the next few weeks for a listen. I'll be around as my left knee arthroplasty is this Wed so I will be listening a lot post op

My wife is having a blast using the Audioengine B1 Bluetooth DAC with her iStuff and Spotify....

Absolutely Steve. Would love to give you a demo. You have an amazing DAC, so you are half way there. When you hear properly mastered
96/192 Khz material, and even CDs played back via hard drive, you may find yourself boxing up those CDs and putting them in storage once
you can browse your library with an iPad and hit play.

 

[Steve Williams]

Andre,

Have a look at your calendar in the next few weeks and email me and come by for an afternoon. I would enjoy the company

 

[analog brother]

hi steve,

how do these new anaconda cables look different?
also, what differences in sound have you observed?

james

 

[Steve Williams]

hi steve,

how do these new anaconda cables look different?
also, what differences in sound have you observed?

james

Too soon for me to discuss any comparisons. Give me another few days. I plan on posting some pictures of the cables side by side

 

[GaryProtein]

. . . . we said look, this is our reference digital cable and many of the people that bought it are our loyal customers so we decide to do free cable swap program.

That's right - anyone that bought an Anaconda Digital cable will get the opportunity to exchange it for the new revised cable, at no charge. . . . . Cheers,

WOW! You are to be commended for your customer service and integrity as a company!

I'm impressed!

 

[marty]

New Anaconda digital SPDIF vs AES.
I was one of several lucky folks that received upgraded Anaconda digital cables from Shunyata in exchange for the older ones. I should begin by saying I was not particularly impressed with the older ones. In brief, they were only modestly better than as my $70 Mogami AES cable and I thought the difference in price was not an investment that was a "must have". But the new Anaconda cables are a different beast altogether. And a "must have", indeed they are. I am using them from a Cambridge bridge to the DAC in my Meitner XDS1 rev2 using typical network sources (Spotify, Pandora). One nice feature of this set up is that I can make the comparisons between the cables in a completely blinded manner with a simple flick of a switch on the remote. Here's what I learned.

After 3 days, I was baffled because I actually preferred the SPDIF in blind testing 100% of the time regardless of source material. However, after 5 days, I preferred the top end of the AES ever so slightly, but still the bottom end of the SPDIF. Depending on material, my ability to discriminate them blindly was therefore no better than chance. However, after 3 weeks, the heavens parted on the AES. Without question, it became the preferred cable and discrimination was now possible 100% of the time regardless of material. I wish I understood break-in better, as it is surely a bollix. Nevertheless, the AES is a clear winner with SPDIF a very close second and the Mogami well back in 3rd place, IMHO. The new Anaconda digitals are truly a genuinely impressive accomplishment.

 

[Steve Williams]

New Anaconda digital SPDIF vs AES.
I was one of several lucky folks that received upgraded Anaconda digital cables from Shunyata in exchange for the older ones. I should begin by saying I was not particularly impressed with the older ones. In brief, they were only modestly better than as my $70 Mogami AES cable and I thought the difference in price was not an investment that was a "must have". But the new Anaconda cables are a different beast altogether. And a "must have", indeed they are. I am using them from a Cambridge bridge to the DAC in my Meitner XDS1 rev2 using typical network sources (Spotify, Pandora). One nice feature of this set up is that I can make the comparisons between the cables in a completely blinded manner with a simple flick of a switch on the remote. Here's what I learned.

After 3 days, I was baffled because I actually preferred the SPDIF in blind testing 100% of the time regardless of source material. However, after 5 days, I preferred the top end of the AES ever so slightly, but still the bottom end of the SPDIF. Depending on material, my ability to discriminate them blindly was therefore no better than chance. However, after 3 weeks, the heavens parted on the AES. Without question, it became the preferred cable and discrimination was now possible 100% of the time regardless of material. I wish I understood break-in better, as it is surely a bollix. Nevertheless, the AES is a clear winner with SPDIF a very close second and the Mogami well back in 3rd place, IMHO. The new Anaconda digitals are truly a genuinely impressive accomplishment.

I agree completely Marty

I have been running both cables in exactly the same fashion as you and here is what I found

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...us-new-edition&p=289049&viewfull=1#post289049

What I find interesting is that I agree completely about the bottom end of the S/PDIF initially being better than the AES but ultimately the AES won out by the slimmest of margins

 

[marty]

Steve, we're totally aligned on these new Anaconda cables. I particularly liked your mention that the cables sounded more "live" than the previous version. That's exactly the word I'd use to describe my experience while playing piano alongside the Etta James Radio station from Pandora on the big rig. I just kept saying that tune after tune just sounded more "live" than I ever thought previously using the older Anacondas. To be honest, I have no idea exactly what the hell that even means (better impulse response? faster decay? dynamics? some wonderful phase effect?), but whatever it is, its a very good thing indeed. The older version was devoid of this effect while the new cables have it in spades.