Audioquest Angel vs Synergisitic Research Atmosphere Alive


I am currently running Synergistic Research's Foundation cable and want to upgrade the cable for more clarity. I had previously upgraded from Audioquest's Yosemite, which was a fantastic cable, but lacked high frequency detail. I wanted to move into using silver cables over copper. I saw the Synergistic Foundation line to be an affordable entry way into silver cables. It was an improvement in high frequency detail, but a loss in mid bass body.

This was not a big issue at the time, because I was running Audioengine's A2+ speaker system.  It had a 3 inch woofer which physically couldn't produce a robust mid bass sound. Now I have upgraded to Audioengine's HD6.  Now I have a 5.5 inch woofer and the Foundation is a bit too anorexic.  The HD6 is really revealing in high frequency details and it turns out that the details provided in the Foundation line are no longer enough.

After much research and discussion with some sales reps and the Synergistic tech, I discovered that what they say is an "air dielectric" is actually silver conductors inside a hollow tube.  That tube is Polyethylene.  This is the same setup that Audioquest uses in its lower end cables.  The Sydney and the Victoria both use a hollow Polyethylene tube as its dielectric. Polyethylene absorbs high frequency signals, including those that would be audible. That means the silver cable in Synergistic Research's Foundation line is being slightly rolled off.

In Audioquest's Yosemite, they changed the hollow dielectric to FEP, a fluorocarbon Teflon-like material. The Angel also uses the same FEP. The Synergistic Research Alive Level 1 is the same cable as the Foundation, but uses Teflon as a dielectric, as well as uses better connectors.

So the question is, which is better?  Does the Synergistic Research cable punch above its weight class with no active shielding but with graphene? Or do I get the Audioquest, which has no graphene but does have active shielding?

I do have other Synergistic Research in this system and feel like it would benefit from staying within the same product....but...if I am being honest, I can get the Audioquest Angel anywhere and quickly, but pay a bit more.  However, I can't get the rep I work with at The Cable Co to answer my request for purchase, and I would have to wait two weeks while the cable is being created and burned in. I am not exactly a patient consumer once I have made up my mind to make a purchase. ;)

In the end, I could save more money going with Synergistic and The Cable Co and wait, but I would be willing to spend the extra money and not wait to get Audioquest if that cable simply sounds better and resolves better than Synergistic's.

128x128guakus

@femoore12 

I of course was thinking speaker cables first and then do IC's and finally PC's but everyone I asked emphasized Power first! Dedicated Line if you can. I went through the spectrum Fuses, HFT's etc. The Powercell 8 UEF SE is just amazing and you will be very satisfied. The one thing is that it stays on 24/7. It sits under my rack and glows that beautiful blue light, hope it lasts as long as I do ☺ 

@audiosaurusrex 

In my experience, I feel PCs and power sources are more important than ICs and speaker cables. Speakers can only give you what you provide it first. The first item in the chain in your electrical socket and electric cable. 

@audiosaurusrex I found out after I had ordered my speaker cables and interconnects that power should have been first. I am now trying to decide if I should order the Powercell 8 or upgrade my amplifier tubes. I am leaning toward the Powercell just to close the gap in my cables. 
 

@guakus Nice! Glad you were able to get the cable ordered. I’m like you and hate waiting. I think that is going to be the standard for all things audio for next few years. 

@ted_denney 

Sorry to bother you, but my impatience is getting the better of me. :)

Can you tell me what differences you'd expect to hear if you were upgrading from Foundation to Atmosphere X Level 1?

@guakus I’ve not read this thread, it just popped up on an email alert because you mentioned my name. It depends which Atmosphere series you’re talking about. If it’s the new Atmosphere SX, it’s a significant improvement over Foundation although Foundation is fantastic. And if you run an entire loom of Foundation, each piece will punch far above its individual performance level. That’s the loom effect. You can also loom Foundation with Atmosphere SX due to several design commonalities including pure silver conductor air strings, and UEF technology. I have to be careful how much I say on AG or my comments will get taken down. If you have the chance, do a direct AB comparison between the two cables you want to try, the cable company can facilitate the audition. You can even directly compare Synergistic Research to AudioQuest.

Yours in music,

Ted Denney III Lead Designer/CEO Synergistic Research Inc.