[RobertSM]

Great post - super helpful.

I was literally just on Cardas website and considering the Cygnus - I currently have the Reflection RCA and really enjoy their timbre. Probably going to double down and go for the XLR as well.

Yep, I think everything from the clear cygnus up to the clear beyond with the exception of the clear reflection are very revealing. I do love that inner glow and texture and weight that the clear reflection brings. Good call on doubling down on the clear reflection!

 

[David222]

Yep, I think everything from the clear cygnus up to the clear beyond with the exception of the clear reflection are very revealing. I do love that inner glow and texture and weight that the clear reflection brings. Good call on doubling down on the clear reflection!

I find that extra bit of "heft" and "flow" more rewarding than the last inch of resolution. Very personal opinion, but a tradeoff I'm happy to make anytime across my chain. The Clear Reflection have been spot on for me in this regard.

 

[Roasty]

Clear Reflection is one of my favourite XLR interconnects. I'd recommend them in a heartbeat. you won't go wrong with them. I have a set of Pegasus AQ xlr interconnects and they are of a similar vein to the Reflection, but have just a touch more spaciousness/clarity.

 

[572217]

Yes, I've also read your posts in the Cayin HA-300B MKII thread. And you're right, you have alot of new equipment and cables and tubes. So it will be interesting to hear how it all works for you as you get some time with it. You definitely have high quality gear, no doubt. It will just be interesting to hear how it all works together and how it all suits you. But I guess that's all part of the fun. Learning about what you like and don't like.

So far the synergy is wonderful. Luna, Network Acoustics and the Cayin were an informed gamble. You guys over in the Cayin thread make such a difference to my experience!

Yes, learning about myself in the process is a great joy. What each of us likes leads to markedly different outcomes. I made a post about this.

 

[RobertSM]

So the clear reflection XLR cable arrived and is installed. I guess my dealer had one in stock, which is a first for me. All Cardas cables I've purchased in the past have been dropped shipped from Cardas directly. Now the Shunyata Research alpha v2 NR will come from Shunyata and I don't expect that for at least a couple of weeks.

Regardless, the clear reflection is now sitting in-between the DAC and the Cayin HA-300B MKII. I'm running music through it and don't plan to listen critically at least for a few days. Cables are definitely a step up from clear cygnus. Better quality connections and thicker/beefier gauge. I'll know more and report more later. But this is probably the way I should have gone to begin with. Live and learn. But thankful for the experience and the journey.

 

[RobertSM]

Clear Reflection is one of my favourite XLR interconnects. I'd recommend them in a heartbeat. you won't go wrong with them. I have a set of Pegasus AQ xlr interconnects and they are of a similar vein to the Reflection, but have just a touch more spaciousness/clarity.

OK, tell me more about the Pegasus.

 

[Roasty]

OK, tell me more about the Pegasus.

they're thick, unwieldy, stiff and a lot more difficult to route, heavy and tug on the lighter components.

not many reviews on the pegasus. I bought them out of curiosity. I like the AQ Storm line for power cords, never tried AQ analog interconnects before, and was hoping these would have a similar effect as the cords.

prefer them hooked up to the WA33 than the Zähl hm1. if u can't get a demo for the AQ cables, probably a safer bet to stick with the Reflection if you like that sound. the Reflection are better priced and easier to manage.

Am actually considering the AQ Black Beauty as I need a longer set of xlr cables (3m length) but don't want to fork out the corresponding amount for Reflection/Pegasus.

 

[RobertSM]

they're thick, unwieldy, stiff and a lot more difficult to route, heavy and tug on the lighter components.

not many reviews on the pegasus. I bought them out of curiosity. I like the AQ Storm line for power cords, never tried AQ analog interconnects before, and was hoping these would have a similar effect as the cords.

prefer them hooked up to the WA33 than the Zähl hm1. if u can't get a demo for the AQ cables, probably a safer bet to stick with the Reflection if you like that sound. the Reflection are better priced and easier to manage.

Am actually considering the AQ Black Beauty as I need a longer set of xlr cables (3m length) but don't want to fork out the corresponding amount for Reflection/Pegasus.

Yes thank you. Yes 3M length in any high quality interconnect will be $$$.

I'm still burning in the CR XLR. And still waiting on the Shunyata Alpha V2 NR for DAC. I'm coming from an all copper Venom NR V10 and jumping up 2 levels so thinking the sliver and copper Alpha should be dynamic. I'll let you know.

 

[audiophilac8]

I recently borrowed alot of Siltech cords from dealer and learnt alot.

Robert, the Synergistic Euphoria connected to my preamp sounded slow. Dynamics were hindered when I attached the "Grounding" bullet

Both cardas cygnus clear XLR and USB had poor imaging, hazy-ness
The CC XLR is unrefined.. Soft music is loud, loud music is louder.

 

[RobertSM]

I recently borrowed alot of Siltech cords from dealer and learnt alot.

Robert, the Synergistic Euphoria connected to my preamp sounded slow. Dynamics were hindered when I attached the "Grounding" bullet

Both cardas cygnus clear XLR and USB had poor imaging, hazy-ness
The CC XLR is unrefined.. Soft music is loud, loud music is louder.

Good to know. Yes, it's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I feel like the cables are equivalent to seasoning a soup. It's ultimately up to one to decide what characteristics they value most. Rare to get one single piece of wire that does it all perfectly. Still, we try.

 

[rangerid]

So the clear reflection XLR cable arrived and is installed. I guess my dealer had one in stock, which is a first for me. All Cardas cables I've purchased in the past have been dropped shipped from Cardas directly. Now the Shunyata Research alpha v2 NR will come from Shunyata and I don't expect that for at least a couple of weeks.

Regardless, the clear reflection is now sitting in-between the DAC and the Cayin HA-300B MKII. I'm running music through it and don't plan to listen critically at least for a few days. Cables are definitely a step up from clear cygnus. Better quality connections and thicker/beefier gauge. I'll know more and report more later. But this is probably the way I should have gone to begin with. Live and learn. But thankful for the experience and the journey.

Should be a tremendous jump going from the Venom to Alpha line, like getting a new amp. There are a ton of great power cord brands out there but imo only a small handful plays well with tubes and one of them is Shunyata. They do need a good 50-100hrs to "settle and break in" out of the box. Let us know how you find it when it gets there.

 

[RobertSM]

Thank you. Yes, agreed it should be a significant jump from Venom to Alpha. Still waiting on a tracking number from Shunyata so at least a week out. But I'll definitely share when it arrives then again after some time with it.

 

[mbirand]

My cables and recommendations
- for headphones - Cardas Clear Light - excellent- recommended
- USB- Inakustik Referenz USB 2.0 -good -recommendation
- LAN-Inakustik Referenz CAT 7 - excellent - recommendation
- AES/EBU- HiDiamond Reference - exellent - recommended
- Wireworld Eclipse 8 XLR - It's in my system but I wasn't impressed when I first plugged it in ((There was a misunderstanding with this cable, otherwise excellent)
- Power cord for digital components;
-Supercord Gold MKII-good -recommendation
-SwissCables Evolution - exellent - recommended
- For the amplifier; Tellurium Q Black - excellent - recommended
These are the cables that are currently connected in my system

looking for some nice power cables for my desktop system, came across with your older post.

i wanted to ask why did you recommend different cables for the amp and for digital components ? why not the same for all ?

thanks

 

[RobertSM]

So the Shunyata Research Alpha v2 NR power cord has arrived.

Took advantage of the 20% on all Alpha and Sigma promotion running now. As I've said this is replacing the Shunyata Venom NR V10. So a two level upgrade and at the maximum of what I'm comfortable spending.

An interesting point that Scott at Shunyata shared with me when I called to ask about the difference between the Delta and the Alpha.

On a DAC, which is where is cable now sits, people think that a power cable doesn't help as it's "just" converting digital to analog. But the point that people overlook is that it can and does help in a huge way in the analog output post conversion and in the always seemingly forgotten power supplies. The Alpha is a huge and thick cable it almost looks silly on the small Weiss DAC501-4CH. But the Weiss uses two separate potted toroidal transformers one for one for digital and one for the analog section. And don't forget there is alot going on post conversion including OP-AMPS and a whole discrete section that is now voltage that gets sent out to the outputs. Scott also reminded me that what a thick 8 gauge cable like the Alpha offers is a higher ceiling for optimum analog performance.

Indeed, I now have maybe 8-10 hours on the new Alpha cable. But what I'm hearing is actually sort of shocking. It's the same DAC but it's now really starting to show me what it's actually capable of. The Alpha is a mix of both silver and copper conductors versus the Venom it's replacing being 100% copper. I'll wait to share the audio details for another day after the cable has at least 100 hours of burn in.

I will say that my small Weiss DAC501-4CH is really shining. Really showing alot more of its incredible potential. I'm extremely satisfied and reminded that Shunyata is really designing and building some world class cables.

 

[P+D-MI]

Good timing on this post. I've been thinking thinking about upgrading the power cable to my Denali v2 to either a Delta or an Alpha. Is the Delta shielded and the Alpha not shielded? I thought I read that somewhere.