Has anyone tried the Shunyata Diamondback PC?

In my system I tried the Diamondbacks and was not impressed and I gave the cable about 300 hours of break-in. First, though they may have their merits, the connectors were average at best. I tried other cables fro big names and found the Nordost Magus to outperform the Diamondbacks by a significant margin and their about the same price. In fact, I was so taken by the Magus I fitted most of my system with it. At it's price point give the Magus a try, you will be surprised. One issue with the Magus is it takes about 500 hours for total break-in. A source of the Magus is Scott the cable guy, he burns in the cable on a device that delivers you the cable broken-in. Music Direct also sells the Magus.

I have been exclusively using Shunyata PC's for the past 6 or 7 years. I had started with the sidewinder, coperhead and moving up to the Tai Pan, then Python, and, recently, Anaconda. The sidewinders/copperheads were marginally better than my signal cables, with more secure connections, better shielding and build quality. The "marginal" diffference enticed me to move up the line; the Tai Pans were a revelation, exponentially better than the prior, the Pythons were more of an improvement than the TaiPans over the Copperheads and the Anaconda upgrade on my CDP (all into Hydra 8, by the way) has brought my digital playback to a new level. All the while, I always felt the dollars invested were well worth the performance upgrade. You do need a very revealing system to discern the differences in power cables. I would think that the sidewinders (pretty much the low end or the shunyata line) exist(ed) to offer the end user a taste into 3rd party power cables. You really can't expect jaw dropping imporvements (over a Rat Shack $10 cable) for $160 dollars. But, once you see the difference in build quality, secured connections and think that maybe that shielding is doing something (or NOT doing something) one may think that there may be something to PC upgrades, and, if funds permit (you wouldn't put a $2,000 power cord on a $300 CD player) go to the next lever, audition some more, and see if there is something out there that really improves ones systems. Shunyata has done that for me. I would never have thought that I would have $10,000+ in PC cords but once I installed that first $165 PC, it just did enough for me to experiment. Great products. Great Company.

I have been feeding my older Shunyata power cords to friends when I decide to upgrade. When I upgraded to the Python line, a buddy of mine decided he had nothing to lose and agreed to take my Diamondbacks. Like everyone, he was skeptical until I come over and hooked them up to his system. It's crazy how actually listening will change your perspective. One comment: I don't think one single power cord of any line is very impressive. However, when you start with a decent conditioner (like the Hydra) and build up from their, every cord you had is a quantum leap. Total system synergy when it comes to power cables is critical, IMHO. Of course, YMMV. Consider this: 4 diamondbacks for all of your components may seem like a hunk of change, but you will hear more improvement from that change than many component upgrades.

My experience matches Vhiner and I agree with his comments.

I found it useful to understand the Shunyata system by subtraction. Even if you cannot afford them all at once, ask your dealer to let you borrow enough power cables to cover all the major components in your system - amps, preamp, digital and the motor drive to your turntable if you have one. Install them together.

Don't try to listen to individual components or a single power cord. Instead, take time over a week or two with music you know well to acclimate your ears to the net effect of the change. Maybe take a few notes on your general impressions and what you hear differently from familiar tracks. After you have a handle on your 'new' system, replace one cord with the stock cord that came with that component. Listen again. Remove another, listen some more. How does what you hear compare with your notes? What is different or missing?

While manufacturers test their power cords with a variety of componentry, few offer cords targeted at specific brands or models. In the world of electricity and signal delivery it can be difficult to assess the 'philosophy' and design goals of a manufacturer from a single instance. Sure, one PC can make an audible difference, but knowledgeable designers rarely take a bottom up approach by developing from the perspective of what a single cord will do. The overall net effect of how a manufacturer addresses, for example, capacitance and inductance, or spurious noise rejection back onto your in-house 'grid' is better understood, imo, by hearing their products as they meant them to be used together. This helps get a sense of the synergy of your existing stereo with a particular power delivery system and its designer's intent.

Even if you only can afford to start with a power conditioner or a couple cords, you'll know the goal you're aiming for rather than going through an ad hoc discovery one wire at a time. (Going that way, who knows where your system will end up.) A strength I find in Shunyata's approach is the the evenhanded way their products work together and the resulting consistency of sonic effect across a wide variety of component combinations. This makes for low risk when investing small then moving up the line.

Jtimothya,

You summed up the Shunyata "magic" much more clearly and eloquently than I could. I wish someone had given me your advice before I started experimenting with PC's. I completely agree that the ad hoc approach is fraught with difficulty. I spent the better part of a year once swapping individual cords from various manufacturers and it's not an experience I want to repeat.

I can't resist sharing one last story that does illustrate there are a few minor exceptions to the systems approach: Last Christmas my parents got a rather large Sony HD flat screen. I brought one of my diamondbacks over and hooked it up to the TV without telling my mom (who is 75 years old and doesn't know you can detach a power cord). My dad helped me move things around so I could install it. Once I got home I received a phone call from my mom. "The TV looks better. What were you two doing back there?" I rest my case.