New Helix PowerSnakes Cable From Shunyata ?

Guido,

I like your thoughts on the variation in sound between the two powercords.

I also noticed that you used an Exact Power EP15A ... why not a Hydra 8? ... I have some friends who've auditioned the 2 against each other and they greatly prefered the hydra in the system used ... just a thought on synergy, since shunyata does all cord testing with the hydras in the system.

Furthermore, Samuel brings a very good point in his posting ... let them settle in ... I can tell you from my own experience with the older anaconda vx, that even if it's fully broken in, it still needs about 1 to 2 weeks to fully settle in before it shows what it's trully capable of ... the vx is a cord that gets better and better as time goes by. Some previus owners have complained about the bass and the lack of body present in the anacondas ... that is not something I noticed in my system after I allowed it to settle in (I also use the hydra which may be a reason for my findings) ... of course now I'm curious to hear the Helix series ... Samuel is not a person that likes to throw words around in order to market his products.

Amperidian, good point about settling in. The Epiphany had been on the system for a few months, while our application of the Python lasted 3 hrs from start to end. In spite of the disfavorable test conditions I do prefer the Python Helix to the Epiphany. Yet, these are both amazing chords, and Babybear preference for the Epiphany on his own system is as valid as mine for the Python. When we finally test the Anacondas, I hope to do it also on my own system, without any power conditioning. My final testing will take place in several more months, after acquiring and dutyfully breaking in a new line stage, probably an ARC Ref 3.

Guido

I had a recent opportunity to compare the original Anaconda Alpha with the new Anaconda Helix Alpha. The 6 ft long chords were used to power Babybear's Teac Esoteric X-01. To test the effect of the chords we used several SACDs of Jazz music to gage transient response and staging, as well as three CD disks of string music to gage behavior on sostenuto extension and micro dynamics throughout the spectrum: Edgar Meyer playing Bach's Suite No. 5 on double bass, Georg Piatigorsky on cello playing Dvorak's cello concerto, and Lara St. John on Bach's partita No. 3 for violin.
As some of you know, the Anaconda Alpha has been my favorite PC for c.ca 16 months, since I heard it for the first time in NYC during the summer of 2004. No longer so: it has been super seeded in my heart by the Anaconda helix Alpha. . . and the difference between the two chord was quite remarkable on all cuts. As much as I love the original Anaconda, it was still creating some residual sheen or glare on treble and mids, as well as some 3rd harmonic distortion or overpressure in the lowest register of the double bass which was perceived as a 'wolf' note.
Changing to the Helix was as if we had illuminated the instruments with a polarized light source, or if the image of the instruments was now coming to us through a polarizing filter. The residual sheen was gone, and the overpressure on some bass notes was gone as well. There was now much more the sense of being in front of actual performers in a venue with well controlled acoustics with even more subtle nuances becoming real and solid, rather than in front of a terrific recording of the same.
It is very difficult to categorize the Helix as either neutral or warm, or in between. Rather, it sounds exceedingly transparent or unburdened and it caused me to sink deeper into the armchair with the increased suspension of disbelief.
With Helix, initially we had the superficial impression that we were hearing less treble detail, yet to closer examination, this initial impression appeared to be deceptive: there was in fact plenty of treble detail, even more than with the original Anaconda, yet we were feeling at the same time that with the Helix notes were not thrown at us through an artificial overpressure. True enough instrument images with the Helix were slightly smaller and more 'solid' than with the original Anaconda, in the same way that a well focused image in a photograph looks slightly smaller and sturdier than its out-of-focus counterpart. A final analogy I can make is that of watching an aquarium filled with exotic fishes from the room it sits in: with the Helix you would have the sensation that all lighting in the room is turned off, and you would see the inside of the tank as if there were no intervening glass panes. With the original anaconda the image of the fishes would still be vivid, but it was as if moderate lighting had been turned on in the room, so that the crystal walls of the tank had suddenly become real, and because of their soft reflections of the room lighting they were somewhat inhibiting your enjoyment of the view of the marine life.
The Anaconda helix Alpha appeared to produced slightly softer transients than the original: while I call these more realistic, some may prefer the more explosive nature of transients in the original. And finally while I much prefer the completely unadorned view of the music of the Helix, so largely devoid of any sonic 'lensing' effects, I am sure that some will prefer the slightly more hifi-ish presentation of the original, or the even glittery presentations of other chords.

Thank you for the post Guidocorona, I enjoyed reading it and consequently I will look to try some helix series powercords in the future.

Thank you Amperidian, my next listening test in the -- hopefully not too distant -- future will be performed on the Shunyata Anaconda Helix Alpha versus its VX counterpart, both used to power the mighty Teac Esoteric X-01. It should be fun. . . stay tuned!