Sigma HC power cord - Did I make a mistake?

[BlueFox]

I just received two Sigma HC cords to replace my Zitron Pythons between the Cyclops and amps. When I ordered them, without thinking, I just chose the default length, same as all my other Zitron power cords. However, the default length for the Sigmas is 1 meter, while the default length for the Zitron cords is 1.75 meters.

Now I am a little nervous I shortchanged myself. For the Z Anaconda 1 meter cable used as an umbilical for the Typhon, Caelin said not to use it for gear, as the power cord needed to be longer for it to work at its best.

So, should I return these 1 meter Sigma HC cables for the 1.75 meter cables? If they aren't going to work at their best then I want to exchange them.

 

[Steve Williams]

I just received two Sigma HC cords to replace my Zitron Pythons between the Cyclops and amps. When I ordered them, without thinking, I just chose the default length, same as all my other Zitron power cords. However, the default length for the Sigmas is 1 meter, while the default length for the Zitron cords is 1.75 meters.

Now I am a little nervous I shortchanged myself. For the Z Anaconda 1 meter cable used as an umbilical for the Typhon, Caelin said not to use it for gear, as the power cord needed to be longer for it to work at its best.

So, should I return these 1 meter Sigma HC cables for the 1.75 meter cables? If they aren't going to work at their best then I want to exchange them.

AFAIK they are all the same default length of 1.75 meters.

http://www.shunyata.com/our-products/pwr-cables/54-tron/549-tron-sigma#!sigma_ac

Power Cables
?TRON™ SIGMA

INTRO


?TRON™ SIGMA Series of power cords are the most technically advanced products of their kind, incorporating multiple technologies that showcase Shunyata Research’s pioneering work in the area of Distributed Power Conditioning. SIGMA power cords work far more efficiently than traditional power conditioners because they intercept noise at its very source -- the component power supply, and prevent it from being shared with other electronics in the system via CCI (Component-to-Component Interference).

DEFINING FEATURE
The defining feature of each SIGMA power cord are Shunyata’s highest performing ?TRON™ circuits, which measurably reduce noise at the first point of electrical contact with component power supplies. No power conditioner in the world can capture noise at the first stage of a component's electrical circuit and isolate that noise from other components. This ultra-efficient means of noise reduction virtually eliminates CCI (Component-to-Component Interference) and protect electronics in the system from being affected by commonly shared noise.

Essentially, SIGMA Series power cords function as independent, high-current power conditioners. All three SIGMA power cord models cancel the specific frequencies of noise associated with the class of components they are designed for -- Digital, Analog or High-Current.

SIGMA model power cords are entirely non-reactive. They present no interference or impedance challenge to electronic power supplies (Unlike most power conditioners). What this means is, SIGMA power cords are complementary to all electronic power supplies within their named classification and allow all components to perform at peak efficiency both in terms of current delivery and lowered noise.

EXCLUSIVE PARTS AND CONSTRUCTION
SIGMA DIGITAL and ANALOG model power cords are all constructed using Shunyata’s finest VTX wire formed into massive gauge conductors, making them compatible with high-current electronics, but the SIGMA HC is uniquely designed for the world’s most demanding amps and power conditioners with an even larger 6 gauge conductor complement and unique internal construction. Each SIGMA power cord is designed and tested for optimum delivery of DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery).

15 YEAR EVOLUTION
Every facet of the SIGMA model construction has benefitted from designer Caelin Gabriel’s obsessive attention to detail, along with his fifteen years worth of patented science, technology and parts development. Without question, the finest examples of Shunyata’s reputation as the world’s finest manufacturer of electrical and signal systems are the SIGMA power cords -- the most technically advanced products of their kind.

DOWNLOAD OUR SIGMA SERIES BROCHURE



FEATURES


A Power Conditioner in a Cable!
The ?TRON™ SIGMA contains a hybrid ?TRON™ circuit that measurably reduces power noise generated by the component itself. Essentially it is a power cable with a power conditioner built in, but without any of the negatives normally associated with active power conditioning boxes.

3 Different Versions
- SIGMA DIGITAL
- SIGMA ANALOG
- SIGMA HIGH-CURRENT

?TRON™ CONDUCTORS?
- Certified CDA-101 Copper?
- VTX™ (virtual tube) Conductors
- SHUNYATA CopperCONN™ CONNECTORS
- Pure OFC Copper Base Metal
- Nickel plated for corrosion protection
- Superior Contact Grip
- ArNi Cryogenic Processed

APPLICATIONS
?TRON™ SIGMA HIGH CURRENT Power Cord
The SIGMA HIGH CURRENT power cord was developed exclusively for extreme high-current applications such as amplifiers and power conditioners such as the HYDRA TRITON, tasked with powering full systems of electronics. Every facet of the SIGMA HC has been optimized for maximum DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery) efficiency due to its massive 6 gauge conductor compliment and minimal measured impedance.

The SIGMA HC also utilizes Gabriel's proprietary ?TRON™ circuit that has been designed specifically to reduce the frequencies of noise that are most commonly associated with high-current components such as amps, projectors and multi-component power conditioners. The noise-filter elements used in the SIGMA HC are entirely passive and non-reactive, meaning they will never get in the way of current flow, nor will they interfere with the power supplies of the components, making the SIGMA HC the ideal compliment to any high-current application.

For more modestly powered amps or power conditioners with lighter loads, the SIGMA ANALOG is more than large enough for all but the most extreme high-performance applications.

Suggested Applications
High-Current Amplifiers
High-Current capable power conditioners (HYDRA TRITON)
High-Performance Projectors
Recording Panels (Neve 88 and others)
High-Current Subwoofers (Wilson’s Thors Hammer etc)


?TRON™ SIGMA ANALOG Power Cord
The SIGMA ANALOG power cord was developed exclusively for all electronics that use linear design anaolg power supplies, such as pre-amplifiers, modest to moderate current-draw amplifiers, phono equipment and any and all line-level components. The SIGMA ANALOG can also be used for power conditioners that are powering modest systems comprised of fewer than 5 components. The SIGMA ANALOG has been optimized for maximum DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery) and compatibility with the broadest possible range of electronics, regardless of design within the ANALOG power supply realm.

The SIGMA ANALOG power cord utilizes Gabriel's proprietary ?TRON™ that has been designed specifically to reduce the frequencies of noise that are most commonly associated with ANALOG component power supplies. The noise-filter elements used in the SIGMA ANALOG are entirely passive and non-reactive, meaning they will never get in the way of current flow, nor will they interfere with the power supplies of the components. the SIGMA ANALOG the ideal power cord counterpart to any ANALOG component application.

The SIGMA ANALOG is more than large enough for all but the most extreme high-performance applications, so for those looking for a more reasonably priced and easy to use amplifier power cord, the SIGMA ANALOG’s 8 gauge conductor mass is more than up to the challenge.

Suggested Applications
Phono electronics of all types
Pre-amps
Amps
power conditioners
Tuners
Reel To Reel Decks


?TRON™ SIGMA DIGITAL Power Cord
The SIGMA DIGITAL power cord was designed specifically to eliminate the extreme high-frequency noise associated with all digital source and computer system components that are now common to most high-performance audio/video systems. SIGMA DIGITAL represents the first line of defense that prevents noise from being shared as interference with other electronics in the system. The SIGMA DIGITAL uses massive eight gauge conductors so there is no compromise to DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery) but should be used for front end digital components, rather than digital amps. For digital amps, the ALPHA HC or SIGMA HC would be the most ideal in terms of performance.

The SIGMA DIGITAL power cord utilizes Gabriel's proprietary ?TRON™ circuit that has been designed specifically to reduce the extreme high frequency noise that is most commonly associated with digital source component power supplies. The noise-filter elements used in the SIGMA DIGITAL power cord are entirely passive and non-reactive, meaning they will never get in the way of current flow, nor will they interfere with the power supplies of the components. No matter how complex or well designed a digital power supply is, the SIGMA DIGITAL power cord will deliver a consistent, dramatic performance upgrade to literally any DIGITAL component application.

The SIGMA ALPHA is more than large enough for all but the most extreme high-performance applications, so for those looking for a more reasonably priced and easy to use amplifier power cord, the SIGMA ANALOG’s 8 gauge conductor mass is more than up to the challenge.

Suggested Applications
All Digital Source components
DAC’s
Digital Clocks
Servers
Transports
Upsamplers
LED Video
HD TV
Computers
Disc Arrays

SPECS
STANDARD LENGTH
- 6.0 feet (1.75M)

COLOR
- Black

CABLE DIAMETER
- 1.32 inches (33.53 mm)

NOISE REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
- Hybrid ?TRON™ Digital, Analog & HC Filters

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS
- Shunyata ?TRON™
- 8 AWG VTX™ Conductors
- 6 AWG VTX™ Conductors (High-Current)

STANDARD CONNECTORS
- IEC-C15: Shunyata CopperCONN™ (UL Listed, CE Mark)
- IEC-C19: Shunyata CopperCONN™ (UL Listed, CE Mark)
- US NEMA P15: Shunyata CopperCONN™ (UL Listed)

 

[Steve Williams]

My opinion is I would definitely return it. Not sure how you got a 1 meter in the first place.

 

[BlueFox]

Cable Company first item is 1 meter. I just said 'sell me two' without thinking. You could only get the 1 meter Zitron Anaconda on the Typhon page, not the power cord page.

 

[heickc]

Should return and change to 1.75m

 

[MadFloyd]

Should return and change to 1.75m

+1

 

[edorr]

Musicdirect has the first length at 1.25m (same as the old Anacoda umbillical). At the risk of sounding sketical, may be someone should ask Shunyata why it was recommended to avoid the shorter lenghts when they were selling at a steep discount (umbillicals) - canibalizing sales of the 1.75m cords, but they appear to be totally OK once they became part of the standard product lineup.

 

[Steve Williams]

Musicdirect has the first length at 1.25m (same as the old Anacoda umbillical). At the risk of sounding sketical, may be someone should ask Shunyata why it was recommended to avoid the shorter lenghts when they were selling at a steep discount (umbillicals) - canibalizing sales of the 1.75m cords, but they appear to be totally OK once they became part of the standard product lineup.

Perhaps it is because the Sigma is just too thick to be twisted and used as an umbilical but OK for a short straight run from component to wall

 

[edorr]

Perhaps it is because the Sigma is just too thick to be twisted and used as an umbilical but OK for a short straight run from component to wall

This would be a rationlization based on physical properties. It was explained the 1.25m Anaconda was sub-optimal for use on electronics based on it's electrical properties.

 

[Steve Williams]

This would be a rationlization based on physical properties. It was explained the 1.25m Anaconda was sub-optimal for use on electronics based on it's electrical properties.

I do remember something similar but I also remember Caelin stating that the umbilical is meant to have a shorter length and he advised against using a standard length cable as an umbilical

 

[edorr]

I do remember something similar but I also remember Caelin stating that the umbilical is meant to have a shorter length and he advised against using a standard length cable as an umbilical

What I remember is being advised not to use an umbillical for non-umbillical applications, based on electrical properties of shorter runs. It appears this advise not longer applies. Peculiar....

 

[CGabriel]

It looks like some of you guys are conflating two different issues. A power cord and a TYPHON Umbilical cord serve two different purposes. A power cord carries current to a component and an umbilical simply connects the NIC filters to the TRITON's buss system. An umbilical does not carry current. And since it is connecting a filter to the buss system - it functions best when it is electrically closest to the the buss. That is why we advise you to use the umbilical cable that comes in the box with the TYPHON.

I am not sure why Bud got a 1-meter power cord. The standard length that we make is 6 feet long. However, we do list a 1-meter cable in the price list for people that want or need a shorter cord. But the point is that you must specifically ask for the 1-meter cable. You don't get one by "default".

As to whether a shorter cord or longer cord sounds better; there are probably as many opinions as there are daisy's in the field. I suggest that if you are concerned about it you should do some of your own informal testing. You don't need fancy test equipment or a PHD in physics. Just get two cords of the same type in different lengths. Burn-in does matter and is probably more important than the length of the cable - make sure both cables have the same amount of burn-in.

If you want my opinion: My observation over the years is that shorter cables usually don't sound as good as longer cables. I notice it when the cable length gets shorter than about 1.5 m. There are other problems with short cables. In many cases they won't reach to the top levels of a standard equipment rack. And they are very difficult to resell. As I understand it, Wire World also believes that shorter cables don't sound as good and they recommend their standard 2.0 m length PC which is very close to our 6 foot standard length. The new Shunyata Research NR (noise reduction) cables like the SIGMA and ALPHA cables tend to mitigate the sonic differences between conventional cables due to their unique internal filters. In other words, the differences between lengths is relatively small.

In my home system I use a CYCLOPS to power two mono-block amplifiers. I use 3 SIGMA-HC cables that are all 1-meter in length because I don't like the visual clutter of coiled up power cords. Would it sound slightly better if I were to use 1.75 m cables? Probably - but I am quite happy with the performance that I am getting and the aesthetics are more important to me in this case. Your personal preferences may be different. You get to choose what you want based on your own priorities.

JFYI: There are much more significant performance advantages to using the DF-SS cable suspension system under the power cables than whether one is longer or shorter.

 

[knghifi]

Default length is set by the retailer. CableCo is 1M. I bought all my Shunyata Sigma and Alpha from Ciamara and their default length is 1.75M. It's possible retailer set default to 1M not to scare customers away by the price

 

[edorr]

As to whether a shorter cord or longer cord sounds better; there are probably as many opinions as there are daisy's in the field. I suggest that if you are concerned about it you should do some of your own informal testing. You don't need fancy test equipment or a PHD in physics. Just get two cords of the same type in different lengths. Burn-in does matter and is probably more important than the length of the cable - make sure both cables have the same amount of burn-in.

If you want my opinion: My observation over the years is that shorter cables usually don't sound as good as longer cables. I notice it when the cable length gets shorter than about 1.5 m.

I seem to remember that Shunyata advised specfically against using shorter runs of the Anaconda because of electrical properties that are unique to this cable, and were grounded in physics. Not a matter of opinion and not a rule/principle that applied to all cables.

 

[CGabriel]

I seem to remember that Shunyata advised specfically against using shorter runs of the Anaconda because of electrical properties that are unique to this cable, and were grounded in physics. Not a matter of opinion and not a rule/principle that applied to all cables.

There was nothing specifically about the Anaconda cable that made it more or less susceptible to cable length compared to any of our other high-performance PCs. But you are correct that there are scientific reasons why a longer cord may sound better.

I didn't say that these rules apply to all power cables. For example, there is something very specific about commodity power cords that make them particularly sensitive to length. That would be DTCD performance. If you are using stock power cords they should be as short as possible because they degrade DTCD. Every foot that is added to the cord degrades DTCD.

DTCD means dynamic transient current delivery.

 

[edorr]

Default length is set by the retailer. CableCo is 1M. I bought all my Shunyata Sigma and Alpha from Ciamara and their default length is 1.75M. It's possible retailer set default to 1M not to scare customers away by the price

Music Direct defaults to the shorter run as well.

 

[BlueFox]

I have decided to exchange the 1 meter cables for the 1.75 meter length, mainly because the extra length provides more flexibility in deployment. I have to admit that these new cables now sound great. At first they were harsh and strident, but after 4-6 hours they started to improve, and now are fantastic. These Pass amps drawing 8 amps just resting are great for burn-in. Also, I used one of the Z Pythons they replaced to replace a Z Cobra on the preamp. That also helped. Now I am thinking of getting a Sigma Analog for the preamp. While all these cables add-up, if you think of the power and cables as a single component it becomes easier to rationalize.

In another thread, someone was being snide and commented I must have $30k worth of Shunyata gear. So I pointed out to him that there are cable bling manufacturers who charge that much, or more, for a single cable. I certainly feel as if I am getting my money's worth.

 

[Steve Williams]

Bud

Don't let them bother you. Having experienced what you have there is no way I will be without a Shunyata PC. I have 4 sigma analogs in my system now.

 

[analog brother]

It looks like some of you guys are conflating two different issues. A power cord and a TYPHON Umbilical cord serve two different purposes. A power cord carries current to a component and an umbilical simply connects the NIC filters to the TRITON's buss system. An umbilical does not carry current. And since it is connecting a filter to the buss system - it functions best when it is electrically closest to the the buss. That is why we advise you to use the umbilical cable that comes in the box with the TYPHON.

I am not sure why Bud got a 1-meter power cord. The standard length that we make is 6 feet long. However, we do list a 1-meter cable in the price list for people that want or need a shorter cord. But the point is that you must specifically ask for the 1-meter cable. You don't get one by "default".

As to whether a shorter cord or longer cord sounds better; there are probably as many opinions as there are daisy's in the field. I suggest that if you are concerned about it you should do some of your own informal testing. You don't need fancy test equipment or a PHD in physics. Just get two cords of the same type in different lengths. Burn-in does matter and is probably more important than the length of the cable - make sure both cables have the same amount of burn-in.

If you want my opinion: My observation over the years is that shorter cables usually don't sound as good as longer cables. I notice it when the cable length gets shorter than about 1.5 m. There are other problems with short cables. In many cases they won't reach to the top levels of a standard equipment rack. And they are very difficult to resell. As I understand it, Wire World also believes that shorter cables don't sound as good and they recommend their standard 2.0 m length PC which is very close to our 6 foot standard length. The new Shunyata Research NR (noise reduction) cables like the SIGMA and ALPHA cables tend to mitigate the sonic differences between conventional cables due to their unique internal filters. In other words, the differences between lengths is relatively small.

In my home system I use a CYCLOPS to power two mono-block amplifiers. I use 3 SIGMA-HC cables that are all 1-meter in length because I don't like the visual clutter of coiled up power cords. Would it sound slightly better if I were to use 1.75 m cables? Probably - but I am quite happy with the performance that I am getting and the aesthetics are more important to me in this case. Your personal preferences may be different. You get to choose what you want based on your own priorities.

JFYI: There are much more significant performance advantages to using the DF-SS cable suspension system under the power cables than whether one is longer or shorter.

hi caelin,

that is very informative, thank you.
how about when using a typhon on a double wall receptacle - can one use a longer power cable there, or can one use the supplied umbilical?
also will the typhon work when piggy-backed onto another brand of conditioner? (until upgrading to triton.....)

thanks!

 

[audiohippo]

Should return and change to 1.75m

I thought the recommended power cord length was 2m for it to be fully effective.