Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams

[Duke of Earl]

Next time you're in SoCal give me a call and come by for a listen and we'll talk SQ and musicality

Thank you for your invitation, Steve. That's very kind of you. It would be a pleasure to make your acquaintance and to enjoy good music and good conversation together. I don't get back to North America much anymore. But I will definitely let you know if I make travel plans.

 

[Duke of Earl]

I just inserted a Zitron Anaconda digital cable (brand new), a Zitron Alpha power cord (not new) and a Python CX power cord (not new). Inserting the digital cable first was a revelation. Inserting the Alpha power cord was the second revelation. These are 2 stunning cables.

It was already 3am when I decided to insert the Python CX power cord up front -- from the wall into my isolation transformer (medical grade). I daisy-chain my front end with the transformer + power regenerator + power conditioner. Doing the front end in this way yields stunning results in my system. Adding the Python CX up front was a disaster. Dynamics and details got sucked into a vacuum cleaner. 3am and what to do? Prior to insertion of the Pythin CX I was using my own DIY cable up front -- with top-of-the-line Furutech FP Alpha 3 wire and Furutech FI 28 connectors (with 2 of my own mods added). I have done a lot of DIY and have experimented for years using cables in series. I know -- verboten to lengthen the signal path unnecessarily. But I don't worry about the length of the signal path. I listen to what my ears say. And they still can hear 16000Hz. So, I trust them.

I reinserted my Furutech DIY wire in the wall and hitched it to the Python CX then into the isolation transformer using a burn-in adapter. In was praying for an improvement. But I was not prepared for what was coming. My system on steroids. All the dynamics and detail were back -- but this time in spades. Go figure.

Today I have on Junior Walker -- The Definitive Collection. This is the best Walker remaster Motown has brought out. I am playing How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You -- with all the background ambiance with hoots and hollers. All of a sudden, at the very beginning of the cut a female voice emerges shouting "blow your horn". Where did she come from? Never heard her before -- in any way, shape or form. There is so much detail coming through now with wonderful harmonics and tonality -- so musically rendered. It is really hard to put this into words. The changes are so dramatic.

 

[steve williams]

Welcome to the world of all things Shunyata. In my system I can say that in this past year, each and every addition of Shunyata cables or hydras made such a profound change in my system that my goal is to have all Shunyata cabling by year end

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

I have a few Elrod cables that I do not want to part with. I will end up with a combination of Shunyata and Elrod cables -- along with a few of my DIY cables. So far, the synergy seems nothing less than stunning.

 

[steve williams]

I understand your concern as I still have some other brand cable in my system. What I would concentrate on are the power cords first and then the interconnects. Are you using Alpha High Current Power cords on your amps??

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

I am using Elrod Statement Gold interconnects and an Elrod Statement Gold PC for my tube amp.

 

[steve williams]

You seem to have a handle on things.

IMO thei PCs are most important and see if you can get a demo Alpha HC PC to compare against your Elrod.

Remember that there are digital, analogue and High current cables depending on the component that it powers

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

I am looking out for the Alpha HC power cord. The question is where it would give the best SQ improvement -- on amp or tube preamp. Any ideas?

 

[steve williams]

Personally IMO the alpha HC for the cost is without equal. I think it would perform just fine in your preamp. The other to perhaps consider on your oreamp is the Alpha Analogue. I would suggest sending a PM to Caelin or Grant and ask for their feedback. Better yet why don't you start a thread in the Shunyata subforum here and ask them your question here. They are both members of WBF.


Here is the URL to the Shunyata subforum
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/forumdisplay.php?335-Shunyata-Research

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

If you are interested in blowing your mind for next to nothing here's what you do: get 1 meter of Furutech FA-220 interconnect wire for $14 a meter. Then get the Furutech CF-601 and CF-602 balanced carbon fiber connectors ($125 and $140 each) Total cost is $279 + shipping. When everything arrives connect the wire to the connectors. You will probably need to crimp because the solder will not hold. When you've got it all done then plug the wire into your transport and plug the other end into the Shunyata and then the other end of the Shunyata into your DAC. Be prepared for something very special. If this works well for you just message me and I will let you know how to do the same thing with Furutech DIY for power cords. Today I just made the Furutech > Shunyata connection for my front end power cord connection and my DAC power cord connection. This takes the sound into another dimension in my system. Stunning. So much for the shortest possible signal path. I never did believe in it. It is all about synergy and sound -- not about "proven" theories.

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

Already done. Richard recommended the HC.

 

[steve williams]

I like Furutech but am not a DIYer. I do have 12,Furutech Rhodium Gold AC outlets in my system.

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

It is more than worth the effort. Or a friend can make it up for you -- takes no time at all. I like Furutech very much. You mean you are using the Furutech Gold IEC inlets?

 

[Duke of Earl]

Furutech uses the same pure copper and it is also cryo-ed. The synergy with Shunyata is amazing. It super saturates the harmonics making for stunning tonality.

 

[PeterA]

Welcome to the world of all things Shunyata. In my system I can say that in this past year, each and every addition of Shunyata cables or hydras made such a profound change in my system that my goal is to have all Shunyata cabling by year end

Steve, do you still use Nordost and Tara Labs?

 

[Duke of Earl]

Anyway, if you are not in the market Steve then maybe someone out there will be interested in trying this out. I have been doing these kinds of things for years. I got Grover Huffman to sign a non-disclosure agreement last year. We became partners in a project where I designed a new concept passive power conditioner. Grover loved it. Unfortunately, I could not work with the kind of opportunist he turned out to be. So I withdrew from the project.

 

[steve williams]

I do but no longer in the system.

 

[PeterA]

In my system I can say that in this past year, each and every addition of Shunyata cables or hydras made such a profound change in my system that my goal is to have all Shunyata cabling by year end

Steve, if you no longer use Nordost and Tara Labs cabling, what brand of cable are you currently using in your system that you plan to replace with all Shunyata by year end?

 

[Duke of Earl]

Hi Steve,

Were you referring to Furutech Gold IEC inlets or Furutech Rhodium IEC inlets?

 

[steve williams]

Steve, if you no longer use Nordost and Tara Labs cabling, what brand of cable are you currently using in your system that you plan to replace with all Shunyata by year end?

The only Nordost cable in my system are my Valhalla SC's. My plan is to audition the Shunyata speaker cable. Having heard an incremental improvement each time I add a Shunyata product I am convinced there is better synergy to use the same brand on front end, back end and speakers rather than mix and match