Check my thinking...

[Zero]

Hey boys,

OK, so here's the situation... I recently decided to treat my PC-rig to a couple snazzy hi-fi components. The only problem is that I do not have enough outlet's to accommodate all of the goodies. Now if I were like most rational human beings, the solution to this problem would be incredibly simple. I'd just buy one of these: Amazon.com: Furman SS-6B Steel Power Strip, 6 Outlets, 15 Foot Power Cord, Standard Level Power Conditioning: Musical Instruments , then BOOM, problem solved!! But no... I'm an audiophile. Which means I'm pre-dispositioned to throw rational and money to the wind in an attempt to maintain even the slightest nuance of perceptible sound quality.

That said, here is a list of my 'needs', along with a number of possible solutions that I've come up with to fulfill said needs. So if you're down with this kinda nerdy stuff and have some time to kill, then please take a look! I'm open to any and all kind of suggestions that do not ultimately lead to thousand-dollar suggestions! Alright, so getting straight to it:

A) I need a decent power extension cable - and I'm trying *NOT* to step into a typical power strip. Why? Because I want something that will not *completely* suck the life outta my amplifier. The way I see it, the best solution will feature a nice cable and a couple of outlets with very minimal circuitry. Here's what I'm thinking insofar as the extension cable is concerned: Magic Strip

B) Since this rig connects to my PC, I will need something that will protect my PC against shitty power/spikes/etc. Now because my PC uses a PFC power supply, I figure I should get a UPS that can output either a pure or adaptive sinewave. So I was thinking about picking up one of these: Amazon.com: CyberPower CP1350PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS 1350VA 810W PFC Comaptible Mini-Tower: Electronics

C) I chose these two items because they are affordable. Yes, I value sound quality. And yes, I value protection. But at the end of the day, this is going towards a PC system. A somewhat expensive PC system, but a secondary rig all the same. To be honest, I think it's crazy that I'm seriously about to drop $100 on a freaking extension cable. But.. you know.. Hi-Fi.

Anyways boys - that's where I currently stand right now. I'm posting this because I'm hoping somebody will come up with a better solution. Preferably a less expensive one. That said, I figure what I posted is a solid compromise in terms of maximizing current delivery to the Hi-Fi gear while at the same time protecting ye ole' PC. Thoughts? Constructive criticisms? Anyone??

 

[Petro85]

How about one of these . Add your own power cord . I think I might try one out soon. It's hundreds not thousands lol!!

Shunyata Venom PS8 Power Distributor

Affordable Power Distributor Loaded With Features and Technology Previously Only Available in Benchmark-Setting Triton: Venom PS8 Will Change How You Hear Music

Overbuilt to Deliver up to 20Amps of Continuous Power and Serve as the Heart of Your System

Shunyata's new Venom PS8 power strip will revolutionize the way you hear music. At this price, the PS8 stands to bring outstanding power distribution to thousands of listeners that previously couldn't afford prior Shunyata products and refused to compromise with competitors' lesser-made models. In terms of looks, quality, value, and performance, the PS8 outclasses every other under-$2k product in its class. It uses the same SR-Z1 outlets, ZPDS buss-bar system, and 20-Amp IEC as Shunyata's benchmark-setting HYDRA Triton power conditioner. That's right: Reference-level technology, premium materials, and Shunyata's renowned performance for a very affordable price.

Reference-Level Technology and Features Unheard-of at This Price Point
The US-made Venom PS8 is loaded. Featuring eight outlets, dual 12-gauge Cyrogenic conductors, a C-19 IEC inlet, Carling Hydraulic Electromagnetic Breaker, massive all-steel construction, and brushed stainless-steel appearance, it boasts a powerful 20-Amp continuous rating and unlimited instantaneous current capability. It grants high-power amps and power-hungry video systems their required current headroom. Such characteristics are unheard-of at this price point.

Venom PS8 is First Thing Your Components Will See: Up to 20Amps of Continuous Power
Outside of room acoustics, there's no more important chain in a system than power. The PS8 is the ideal low-impedance pathway for power to get to components. Your gear lives and breathes on current. The PS8 should be seen as the brains of your audio system, delivering up to 20 Amps of continuous power. The PS8 is the first element of the power chain your components will see. True to their unique philosophy and unsurpassed electrical knowledge, Shunyata built the PS8 to un-complicate instantaneous current delivery. Designed for use with other Venom series products such as Shunyata's Venom Defender and Venom Power cords, the Venom PS8 represents the cornerstone of a great power delivery system.

Made for Power-System Expansion, Audiophile Systems, and Home Theaters
Developed using Shunyata's DTCD Analysis tool, the PS8 is designed for three different applications: Home-theater systems (particularly those with multiple amplifiers), existing reference-grade power-system expansion (here are the extra outlets for your existing power conditioners), and purist audiophile setups (power distribution without surge protection or noise filtration). Its superior contacts and outlets--combined with a breaker that provides lower noise and exceptional high-current performance--mean your components will perform at maximum levels when plugged into this wonderfully narrow device.

Scalable Performance Adds to Flexibility, Versatility, Performance
Want more flexibility and versatility? Take the PS8 to even greater lengths by adding the optional $195 Venom Defender, a plug-in version of the MPDA 30-Element power conditioning used in Triton. Defender allows modular upgrades to the PS8, a power strip, or even a wall outlet. In addition, Shunyata's optional SSF (stainless-steel feet) from the HYDRA line improves vibration control and overall performance. Also, the PS8's power cable can be upgraded to a Zitron power cord for even better sound.

Backed by Music Direct's 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
The Venom PS8 is one of the most exciting, accessible, affordable, and essential components Music Direct has offered in its 20-year-plus history. Call one of our audio consultants now, or simply order online, to secure yours now and hear what you've been missing!

Features
Sets New Benchmark for Price-Performance Ratio
Uses Same Outlets, Buss-Bar System, and 20Amp IEC as Triton
20-Amp Continuous Rating and Unlimited Instantaneous Current Capability
Narrow Design and Optional Defender Plug-In Provides Incredible Versatility
Eight Outlets (Hubbell's best with Shunyata Research Alpha Cryogenic Process)
Dual 12-gauge Cryogenic Conductors (CDA-101 OFC Copper)
Carling Hydraulic Electromagnetic Breaker (Lower noise and superior high current performance)
Massive all steel construction (will last a lifetime)
Stunning Brushed Stainless Steel Appearance




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Zero]

Pedro,

Thanks for the recommendation! That said, once you slice away all of the advertising jargon, it looks to me like a glorified (albeit well-built) 20 amp power strip.

 

[sharkmouth]

Pedro,

Thanks for the recommendation! That said, once you slice away all of the advertising jargon, it looks to me like a glorified (albeit well-built) 20 amp power strip.

That I'd highly doubt. Caelin Gabriel has some pretty good credentials & the team he has around him are known as passionate & resourceful too. There is nothing glorified about Shunyata except about the fact that any product at the price they give it punches way above it's weight!

 

[Zero]

Sharkmouth,

I'm familiar with Shunyata, and I have no doubt that Caelin knows his shiz. So to be clear, I am NOT knocking on the company or company's product. The 'Venom' power distributor looks like a fine component. But when you get past all of the fantastical "OMFG YOUR WORLD WILL CHANGE AND IT JUST MIGHT MAKE YOU BREAKFAST IN BED" bombast, what you're essentially looking at is a powerstrip that uses high quality parts that are designed to deliver maximum current flow. This isn't a bad thing! Not at all. I'm simply calling it what it appears to be. If there's something more to the Venom, then I sure as heck don't see it in the product description.

Anyways, I'm nonetheless thankful for Pedro's suggestion. I'm open to anything that may offer a better solution (for the dollar) than what I've come up with.

 

[CGabriel]

Sharkmouth,

I'm familiar with Shunyata, and I have no doubt that Caelin knows his shiz. So to be clear, I am NOT knocking on the company or company's product. The 'Venom' power distributor looks like a fine component. But when you get past all of the fantastical "OMFG YOUR WORLD WILL CHANGE AND IT JUST MIGHT MAKE YOU BREAKFAST IN BED" bombast, what you're essentially looking at is a powerstrip that uses high quality parts that are designed to deliver maximum current flow. This isn't a bad thing! Not at all. I'm simply calling it what it appears to be. If there's something more to the Venom, then I sure as heck don't see it in the product description.

Anyways, I'm nonetheless thankful for Pedro's suggestion. I'm open to anything that may offer a better solution (for the dollar) than what I've come up with.

Yes it is power distributor. You could refer to it as a power strip if you wanted to subtly diminish it in some way. A power strip has a connotation of something cheap that costs $15 bucks at Home Depot and is made from cheap wire, thin contacts and shoddy mass production quality with a flimsy plastic chassis.

I think there is a tendency to think of power products from an additive perspective. Meaning that there is something in it that improves performance. Actually power distribution products, from cheap power strips to expensive audiophile products ALL degrade DTCD (dynamic transient current delivery). The design goal for a superior power distributor is to minimize losses in DTCD. There is also a tendency to look in a product like the PS8 and say, "Hey, there is nothing in the box." An understandable reaction if you don't understand the significance of the parts that you are ignoring. The losses in DTCD occur in the parts that are in the current path. Those parts would be the inlet connector, the internal wiring, the over current breaker and the outlets. It is these parts that ultimately determine the distributors performance. A power distributor's performance in an audio system is also affected by vibration so the chassis and its vibration characteristics are important.

Many people have a high-end power conditioner like a Hydra and need more outlets. They understand that the quality of the current path is critical to prevent a significant loss of performance. The Venom PS8 is good solution to expand distribution capacity with minimal loss of performance.

Other people that don't have a high end conditioner and don't understand the significance of DTCD are liking using a computer power strip and are blissfully ignorant of the impact that it has on their system performance. This is understandable because it is difficult to hear what that power strip is doing to performance. After all if you have four components - you have to get them powered up just to listen to the system. If you are one of these people and you try a product like the PS8 - you will hear a very significant improvement in performance. This is not because the PS8 has added some filter to the system but rather because it has minimized the loss of DTCD created by the power strip that it is being comparing to. Then you may be tempted to go online with your audio buds and enthusiastically report your experience. Unfortunately, you may than be subjected to the ridicule by some people that really don't understand the technical reasons why a seemingly simple device could possibly improve the system.


Caelin Gabriel
President
Shunyata Research

 

[dlb2]

Great post. Thanks, Caelin.

 

[Zero]

Caelin,

Thanks for taking the time to chime in.

First and foremost, I agree with every point that you made. Second, it's kinda refreshing to see somebody who has vested interest in selling high-quality power distribution units to concede to the fact that your product (the Venom) won't completely replicate the 'DTCD' that one gets when a component is plugged directly into the wall. I wish other manufacturer owners/presidents/representatives would be as forthright and honest. I also wish a hint of the information that you posted here would have found its way onto the ad that Petro attached to this thread. Oh well.... Now about that Venom...

As I said earlier, it looks like a great product, and I'm sure it's made many o' audiophiles happier than a fat kid at a pizza buffet! If it seems like I've been out to 'diminish' the credibility of this particular power distributor/strip/conduit of the Gods, then let me take this opportunity to say that this is not my intention. I'm just an a$#@@e who scribbles down whatever happens to cycle through my brain at a given moment. Truth be told, if I had a use for 8 outlets (I only need 4), then the 'Venom' would probably make my short list. But for now, it looks like the best solution for my particular situation revolves around the plan that I originally came up with.

Now with that being said, there will soon come a time when I'll need more than just two outlets to supplement the 'big rig'. When that time comes around, you can bet your rear-end that I'll be
casting a serious glance at dem Hydra's. Until then, I'll just kick back and enjoy a bit of simplicity of my big system whilst enjoying a whole lotta music!

 

[CGabriel]

Caelin,

Thanks for taking the time to chime in.

First and foremost, I agree with every point that you made. Second, it's kinda refreshing to see somebody who has vested interest in selling high-quality power distribution units to concede to the fact that your product (the Venom) won't completely replicate the 'DTCD' that one gets when a component is plugged directly into the wall. I wish other manufacturer owners/presidents/representatives would be as forthright and honest. I also wish a hint of the information that you posted here would have found its way onto the ad that Petro attached to this thread. Oh well.... Now about that Venom...

As I said earlier, it looks like a great product, and I'm sure it's made many o' audiophiles happier than a fat kid at a pizza buffet! If it seems like I've been out to 'diminish' the credibility of this particular power distributor/strip/conduit of the Gods, then let me take this opportunity to say that this is not my intention. I'm just an a$#@@e who scribbles down whatever happens to cycle through my brain at a given moment. Truth be told, if I had a use for 8 outlets (I only need 4), then the 'Venom' would probably make my short list. But for now, it looks like the best solution for my particular situation revolves around the plan that I originally came up with.

Now with that being said, there will soon come a time when I'll need more than just two outlets to supplement the 'big rig'. When that time comes around, you can bet your rear-end that I'll be
casting a serious glance at dem Hydra's. Until then, I'll just kick back and enjoy a bit of simplicity of my big system whilst enjoying a whole lotta music!

Thank you for a reasoned response. On the internet, you never know if someone is making sincere comments and questions or if they are out to be a bomb tosser.

Actually, I often recommend that people install a quadplex in the wall if you only need 3-4 outtlets. This allows you to avoid a distribution unit altogether and you don't have the expense of an extra power cord to feed the distributor. This may work well for you. If you have a spare outlet, add a VENOM DEFENDER to get surge protection and noise reduction at the wall outlets.


Caelin Gabriel
President
Shunyata Research

 

[NorthStar]

... On the internet, you never know if someone is making sincere comments and questions or if they are out to be a bomb tosser.


Caelin Gabriel
President
Shunyata Research

Always give the benefit of doubt. ...It takes some time to get to know some people.

You are right, the Internet is not like real life. And even in real life too many people tend to judge way too fast.

 

[CGabriel]

Always give the benefit of doubt. ...It takes some time to get to know some people.

You are right, the Internet is not like real life. And even in real life too many people tend to judge way too fast.

i think we can all agree about that.


Caelin Gabriel
President
Shunyata Research

 

[NorthStar]

Yes, and when I said that I was mostly applying it to myself.

____________

Here some pics (by Leo Yeh - CES 2014 - Sin City):

___________
___________

___________

___________

___________

___________

{Can you see the transformer above - top right? ... And look at the power entrance - white circle - washing machine.}

 

[highstream]

On my desktop computer audio setup, I've recently learned the importance of the source feed - wall outlets, power cord and strip. It's not intuitive why the power cord from wall to computer should make such a big difference in sound, but it does - and different cords have different sonic effects - and I just now accept that it's part of the signal path. I'm currently using a Maestro outlet for my computer setup and a Porter one for my TV system, and both are good, but shoulder surgery has prevented any direct comparison for the time being. I'm currently using thre relatively more expensive Triode Wire Labs 10 power cords for the computer system, and have found their reputation to be well earned. About power conditioners/strips, after a couple of tries that I didn't like - Mapleshade and Panamax - I put off that project for the moment and am still using one of those old style computer consoles/surge protectors for the speakers. However, here are some well-liked and lesser expensive options I've come across out that don't get the same play as the major brands (I don't have enough posts here to put up links):

- CablePro Integrity and Revelation II models (described as 'neutral' on the warm-cold continuum (Noisetrapper brand models by Dedicated Audio appear to be the same under a different name)
- Balanced Power Technologies - Pure Power Center and Clean Power Center
- Cullen Cable - The Power Box (am currently evaluating a couple of his power cords)
- Grant Fidelity - RPF-120-MKII-Reference-Power-Conditioner (also see Power Conditioner link on left - Yulong makes excellent audiophile products)

 

[Zero]

Caelin - Thanks for the suggestion. I too like the Quadplex approach! However, since the cables on my PC rig cannot reach the nearest outlet, I figure my next best bet would be to buy a 'quadplex on a stick'. It's not an elegant solution, but it'll get the job done.

North - Agreed on the whole 'internetz' thing.

Highstream - Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with us! You've clearly spent a good amount of time digging through this subject, so I appreciate the recommendations. The Cullen Cable 'Power Box' looks particularly tasty for the money.

 

[highstream]

Yes the Cullen box does, but the caveat is his use of his own power cord instead of providing an inlet to use one's own (Patrick will also make it with his Crossover cord for about $60 more). I haven't asked if he would make an inlet or turn one of the outer receptacles into one - he can add a receptacle too - though as a custom job it might lose the 30-day return. I have two Crossover cords now on audition with about 300 hrs of burnin, so they're ready to test against the Triodes and a couple of Shunyata Venom 3's in different positions in my computer and TV systems. From the get-go, it was apparent that Patrick has a really good hear for tonality, but the rest - bloom, dimensionality, detail - needed time.

 

[Zero]

Highstream,

Interesting. From a business perspective, it would seem advantageous to include an inlet that would allow customers to use whatever power-cable tickles their fancy. Thanks for the words. I look forward to reading your impressions on all three cables.

 

[scb]

Has anyone compared the PS8 to the Balanced Power Technology Pure Power Center (BPT PPC)? I currently have a Bryston Bit-20 (same as Torus RM20) but have to slim down my system and sell it. I'm looking for a solution like the Venom PS8 or the BPT PPC but am not sure which one to get. Thanks

 

[Kt77]

On my desktop computer audio setup, I've recently learned the importance of the source feed - wall outlets, power cord and strip. It's not intuitive why the power cord from wall to computer should make such a big difference in sound, but it does - and different cords have different sonic effects - and I just now accept that it's part of the signal path. I'm currently using a Maestro outlet for my computer setup and a Porter one for my TV system, and both are good, but shoulder surgery has prevented any direct comparison for the time being. I'm currently using thre relatively more expensive Triode Wire Labs 10 power cords for the computer system, and have found their reputation to be well earned. About power conditioners/strips, after a couple of tries that I didn't like - Mapleshade and Panamax - I put off that project for the moment and am still using one of those old style computer consoles/surge protectors for the speakers. However, here are some well-liked and lesser expensive options I've come across out that don't get the same play as the major brands (I don't have enough posts here to put up links):

- CablePro Integrity and Revelation II models (described as 'neutral' on the warm-cold continuum (Noisetrapper brand models by Dedicated Audio appear to be the same under a different name)
- Balanced Power Technologies - Pure Power Center and Clean Power Center
- Cullen Cable - The Power Box (am currently evaluating a couple of his power cords)
- Grant Fidelity - RPF-120-MKII-Reference-Power-Conditioner (also see Power Conditioner link on left - Yulong makes excellent audiophile products)

I can agree with highstream's recommendations on several of these devices, as I've tried and own both the Cablepro Noisetrapper ( yet my versions is refered to as NANA ) as well as the Cullen Cable The Power Box, and find both extremely effective, and take into account as a measure for added noise filtration which some over look, add a device like a Audioprism QuietLine or Isotek System Neoplug directly onto either, which addresses the matter of noisy power lines in general, and you should be very happy.