Streamer Showdown: Voodoo vs. Your Current - 100% Trade-In!

[Ted Denney III]

The Ultimate YouTube Streamer Server Challenge

Are you ready to experience the ultimate level of audio performance? We’re thrilled to announce our exclusive video challenge that puts your current streamer server head-to-head with the revolutionary new Voodoo Streamer Server.

Here’s how it works:



1. Bring your streamer server to our state-of-the-art Synergistic Research reference room.
2. We’ll conduct a blind comparison between your server and the Voodoo Streamer Server.
3. If you prefer the Voodoo, you’ll receive a 100% trade-in value towards your new Voodoo Streamer Server!



We’re extending this challenge to power conditioners, ground conditioners and cable looms as well. We’re particularly excited to compare various Synergistic Research PowerCell line and Active Ground Block conditioners to top-tier options from Shunyata, Nordost, and AudioQuest!



Don’t miss this opportunity to upgrade your audio system with confidence, or to prove what you already have is the best! Join us for an eye-opening (and ear-opening) experience that could transform your listening pleasure.


Book your slot now and prepare to be amazed by the Synergistic Research technology difference!

 

[Ron Resnick]

For hobbyists who believe in organic, in real life comparisons I think this is an interesting and clever no-risk challenge.

Ted, if somebody takes this challenge and still is not sure whether he/she prefers the SR streamer or the incumbent streamer, is there any SR program which facilitates the person to have an in-home demo comparison with one of your streamers?

 

[Ted Denney III]

For hobbyists who believe in organic, in real life comparisons I think this is an interesting and clever no-risk challenge.

Ted, if somebody takes this challenge and still is not sure whether he/she prefers the SR streamer or the incumbent streamer, is there any SR program which facilitates the person to have an in-home demo comparison with one of your streamers?

Literally all SR products are sold after an in-home audition; it’s been that way since day one in August 1992. But if anyone brings their server or line conditioner by the factory, and we shoot the video, and then they want to try it in their home, of course that is not a problem. If possible, I’ll even drive out to their house in LA or Orange County and set it up for them. We’re making an end run around the audio magazines, for obvious reasons. This video series, where we demonstrate our products against the best from our competitors while making new friends, is part of our 2025 and 2026 marketing campaign. This will have a dramatic impact on the industry when we’re done.

 

[Ron Resnick]

That's great! In-home comparisons are the best thing for hobbyists.

What is the video you are talking about?

 

[Ted Denney III]

That's great! In-home comparisons are the best thing for hobbyists.

What is the video you are talking about?

Let’s say someone brings by an Aurender or a Taiko Extreme server. We will hook it up in the system and directly compare it to Voodoo. We can set up a screen so people don’t know which server is in the system, listen to a lot of different music, switching back and forth between the two servers. All the while, we will be making a video of the experience and recording the system in 24/96.

If they’re curious and would like to hear the Voodoo in their house, we can make that happen. If they would like to trade in their server for a Voodoo, we’ll give them 100% of retail value for whatever they have, regardless of what they paid for it.

Then we’ll make these videos available on YouTube, as well as the raw files available for download so people can hear the difference on their own systems.

We will also be doing these comparisons for line conditioners, ground conditioners, and cable looms.

 

[Kingrex]

Interesting way to get a variety of products into your main room to compare.

What if someone had a Taiko with their special connection to say a Lampizator DAC and they want to hear your streamer head to head with their Server/ DAC and cable setup. As well as their support platform and footer.

Put another way, can they bring the set of digital equipment they have tuned as a system. Not just a server that may or may not blend well with the DAC and accessories in your rack.

 

[Ted Denney III]

Interesting way to get a variety of products into your main room to compare.

What if someone had a Taiko with their special connection to say a Lampizator DAC and they want to hear your streamer head to head with their Server/ DAC and cable setup. As well as their support platform and footer.

Put another way, can they bring the set of digital equipment they have tuned as a system. Not just a server that may or may not blend well with the DAC and accessories in your rack.

We will do our best to accommodate in our reference system, but if afterwards someone feels compelled to try Voodoo (or PowerCell line conditioner, or Active Ground Block, or cable loom, or…) in their home system, we will make that happen as well.

 

[ssfas]

revolutionary

?

It's hardly a fair fight to drop a non-SR streamer into a fully SR-optimised system, especially when the system may be completely alien to the listener.

If the participants prefer their own product or can't tell the difference, will their videos get posted on the SR channel?

I have no skin in this game as I don't use Roon in my main hifi. I prefer Sense or HQ Player, my streamer having HQ Player endpoint onboard. From what I can see, for SR, Roon is the only option.

 

[Ted Denney III]

?

It's hardly a fair fight to drop a non-SR streamer into a fully SR-optimised system, especially when the system may be completely alien to the listener.

If the participants prefer their own product or can't tell the difference, will their videos get posted on the SR channel?

I have no skin in this game as I don't use Roon in my main hifi. I prefer Sense or HQ Player, my streamer having HQ Player endpoint onboard. From what I can see, for SR, Roon is the only option.

Of course, participants will also audition the tested SR products in their home systems, which are presumably optimized to their personal tastes. Specifically for the PowerCell and Ground Block conditioners, both the non-current limiting PowerCell 8 SX and Active Ground Block SX significantly outperform anything we have compared them against from our major competitors, regardless of price. So our two least expensive ground and AC conditioners outperform the most expensive conditioners from our major competitors. This has not only been proven in our reference system but also when one of our leading retailers takes either of these two products to their customers’ houses to directly A/B compare them in their customers’ systems against the most expensive line conditioners from our competitors. I believe we have a near 100% win rate on this.

 

[Ted Denney III]

In particular I am looking forward to this challenge:

Audioquest Niagria 5000 vs. Synergistic Research PowerCell 8 SX

Cost Comparison:

• Synergistic Research Power Cell 8 SX:
  $3,495 (includes a $699 Foundation SX 10 awg power cord)
• AudioQuest Niagara 5000: $5,900 (comes with a standard power cord)

If we subtract the value of the included power cord from the PowerCell 8 SX's price, its effective cost is around $2,795 versus $5,900 for the Niagara 5000—more than double the price.

 

[Ron Resnick]

It's hardly a fair fight to drop a non-SR streamer into a fully SR-optimised system, especially when the system may be completely alien to the listener.

This is a fair point. But doesn't this same point also swing the other way when a manufacturer or distributor or dealer facilitates a home demo? In that context the challenger component is dropped into a system which favors the incumbent.

I think it's great that Ted will facilitate the comparison both ways (in factory and at home). How many other manufacturers make this this easy?

 

[ssfas]

This is a fair point. But doesn't this same point also swing the other way when a manufacturer or distributor or dealer facilitates a home demo? In that context the challenger component is dropped into a system which favors the incumbent.

I think it's great that Ted will facilitate the comparison both ways (in factory and at home). How many other manufacturers make this this easy?

When I've done in-store demo's it's always been with my own speakers and main electronics (from the dealer's stock). It would be extreme luck if SR's system was similar to the system of a random visitor. So any listening session in SR's system is unlikely to be informative, let alone the basis of a purchasing decision. It would be like going to a store to buy a pair of shoes and asking the salesmen to try on the shoes to see what they look like. They may look great and fit him, but they might not fit you.

Many dealers offer home loans and the fundamental issue is that they can offer a range of products, whereas SR only offers one product. Streamer/servers have many different designs and configurations and a dealer offers that choice. (My dealer offers Antipodes, Innuos, Melco and Aurender.)

If I wanted to demo an SR Voodoo, I could get a home loan from a dealer about 70 miles away.

In that Korean video with the dealer going on about the SR Voodoo imaging, the chap sitting next to him was a client who'd bought the SR Voodoo after a home loan. It was basically a marketing stunt. The in-store video Pepsi Challenge just seems like an attempt to trash the opposition with the help of some potential customers. When Ted posts a video with someone saying they prefer their streamer over his .... let's wait and see.

There is nothing easier than a home loan. My streamer was sent on a home loan by the distributor, who is 350 miles away.

 

[ssfas]

This is a fair point. But doesn't this same point also swing the other way when a manufacturer or distributor or dealer facilitates a home demo? In that context the challenger component is dropped into a system which favors the incumbent.

I think it's great that Ted will facilitate the comparison both ways (in factory and at home). How many other manufacturers make this this easy?

With regard to power conditioning products, and Ted offers a challenge there, they come in all shapes and sizes, with different functionality, number of outlets, power constraints, etc.

I use two - a Puritan PM156 conditioner and an LDA Quartz mains power supply. The latter is of course a very specific device designed to give a rock steady 50Hz mains AC voltage to a turntable motor.

I had a fairly expensive device, a Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 conditioner (UK retail £5,900). I replaced it with the PM156 (£1,450) after I upgraded my house mains power. I went from a big mains issue to almost no issue at all. The PM156 offers 6 fully isolated sockets. Bizarrely, the are some quite expensive devices that only offer isolated pairs, so 2 or 3 isolated supplies in total from 4 to 6 sockets.

So I see power as a system (as many here likely do), the conditioner not necessarily the most important element.

 

[Ted Denney III]

With regard to power conditioning products, and Ted offers a challenge there, they come in all shapes and sizes, with different functionality, number of outlets, power constraints, etc.

I use two - a Puritan PM156 conditioner and an LDA Quartz mains power supply. The latter is of course a very specific device designed to give a rock steady 50Hz mains AC voltage to a turntable motor.

I had a fairly expensive device, a Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 conditioner (UK retail £5,900). I replaced it with the PM156 (£1,450) after I upgraded my house mains power. I went from a big mains issue to almost no issue at all. The PM156 offers 6 fully isolated sockets. Bizarrely, the are some quite expensive devices that only offer isolated pairs, so 2 or 3 isolated supplies in total from 4 to 6 sockets.

So I see power as a system (as many here likely do), the conditioner not necessarily the most important element.

I would be very interested in comparing your current set up to our most affordable power conditioner option, the PowerCell 8 SX. To be fair, I have not done this comparison, so I’ll be caught out if we get beat, nevertheless I still feel confident. Please let me know if you would be interested.

You are also, of course, correct; all performance is system-dependent. However, if we show consistent superiority through listening tests in our reference system, at best, it will encourage people to audition our products versus competing products in their home systems. We already know from working with companies like The Cable Company that we win upwards of 70% of these shootouts. I am told this is unheard of in their over 30-year history. Bottom line, it is my intention for more audiophiles to initiate these comparisons in their home systems, with Synergistic Research near the top of their list of products to audition at home. To this end, we make our products available for people to try before they buy.

 

[Puroplatino]

@Ted Denney III

We’re friends on FB and I am a Taiko Extreme customer. Also I am in Italy so home demo’s are out of the question. I will be following along closely to both this thread and the upcoming video series.

While it’s doubtful that I get rid of my Taiko in my main system I have a few LampizatOr DACS in other systems where I am looking to upgrade the streamers. That’s where I’d start anyway and then once in house I would do a shootout and if it beats my current gear I would gladly spend my money with you if for no other reason than your online presence. If you know you know.

Cheers,
Enrico

 

[Ted Denney III]

@Ted Denney III

We’re friends on FB and I am a Taiko Extreme customer. Also I am in Italy so home demo’s are out of the question. I will be following along closely to both this thread and the upcoming video series.

While it’s doubtful that I get rid of my Taiko in my main system I have a few LampizatOr DACS in other systems where I am looking to upgrade the streamers. That’s where I’d start anyway and then once in house I would do a shootout and if it beats my current gear I would gladly spend my money with you if for no other reason than your online presence. If you know you know.

Cheers,
Enrico

I’ll be in Europe later this year, wouldn’t it be fun to do a shoot out in your home system?

 

[ssfas]

I would be very interested in comparing your current set up to our most affordable power conditioner option, the PowerCell 8 SX. To be fair, I have not done this comparison, so I’ll be caught out if we get beat, nevertheless I still feel confident. Please let me know if you would be interested.

You are also, of course, correct; all performance is system-dependent. However, if we show consistent superiority through listening tests in our reference system, at best, it will encourage people to audition our products versus competing products in their home systems. We already know from working with companies like The Cable Company that we win upwards of 70% of these shootouts. I am told this is unheard of in their over 30-year history. Bottom line, it is my intention for more audiophiles to initiate these comparisons in their home systems, with Synergistic Research near the top of their list of products to audition at home. To this end, we make our products available for people to try before they buy.

The UK and EU is saturated with streaming and power products, and home loans are never an issue. On the power side I started with Olson in the 1980s, other UK brands are Isotek, Isol-8, Airlink, iFi, Puritan and some new ones like Titan Audio. Overseas products tend to be more high-end - Shunyata, Audioquest and PS Audio, although Elixir is becoming popular. Balanced mains transformers have had long-term popularity.

The main problem is overseas companies not willing to install BS1363 sockets and, even if they do, not very good ones. As we also use right-angle plugs, they need to be fitted on a diagonal or staggered. Shunyata use good sockets, but I has cables falling out of a PS Audio regenerator.

The 8 SX would not fit in my rack, which was made to my specification from welded steel. There is a local dealer, but it looks to have Schuko sockets.

Also I am in Italy so home demo’s are out of the question.

I'll pick one up in London and drive down so you can try it, if you don't mind the wife and I staying for a couple of weeks in the summer. Do you have a pool?