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Review 1 of 5
Price Paid:
$150.00
from Used/Audiogon Summary:
Worked best with amps/preamps in my system, but particularly tubed power amps. Also good for feeding main power conditioner/distributor from the wall and for turntable motor drives. Not as successful for digital sources, but Shunyata makes other cords for that. Although this cord has a definite sonic character and is not without flaws, I did like it better than the newer, closest replacement for this now-discontinued model in the Shunyata lineup, the less expensive ($175 new list) but lighter-guage Diamondback, making the Sidewinder a good used buy for those desiring its strong suits. Strengths:
Very dynamic, clear and incisive cord. Up-front presentation but with good depth and delineation of the rear of the soundstage. Very tight and defined in the bass, with good pitch and tonality, but not achieved by 'leaning-out' the bass balance - bass lines are taut, 'bouncy', and easy to follow, without compression or mudiness. Impressive 'blackness' of the atomsphere surrounding sonic images, with high resolution of details, image solidity, and dimensionality, plus reasonably good 'palpability' (though this is compromised to some degree by a less than perfectly natural recreation of timbre - see below). Does not recess the midrange, or sound 'phasey' or rolled-off in the treble. Revealing of micro-dynamic 'action' that makes players seem to 'come alive' - does not blunt natural explosiveness or add obscuring overhang that makes performances sound veiled or slow. Nicely saturated tonal colors, though not completely neutrally balanced (again see below), but mostly coherent top to bottom, without narrow-band colorations like nasality, boom, or sizzle. Overall, lends definition and a 'springiness' to amps or systems that could use those qualities, but are not themselves inherently balanced too much on the lively, 'present' side for the combination to work. On the right gear, can make many other cords sound 'boring' and like they're muffling information, especially dynamically, but in the wrong context, or used too liberally, can be a source of irritatingly unbalanced sound, so experimentation is advised. Give this a try for tubed amps driving speakers that are politely balanced and needing some bass control. Weaknesses:
Not the most refined-sounding cord out there - it's a little raw-boned in its exuberance. The treble isn't especially grainy, but is not as 'feathery' or delicately extended as some others, sounding a touch cooler and harder, with more mid-treble metallic 'sheen'. 'Air' is not significantly curtailed, but is not as wide-open in this region as the octaves below. Biased toward the leading edges of transients, and not as full in the presentation of trailing decays that give a sense of instrumental 'body', so the effect can be a little 'skeletal' in the wrong mix. Good for tightening up flabby bass, but if you don't need it, will not give the feeling of 'plushness' prefered by some. Similarly, the bold presentation may not be for those who value the type of sound that 'invites' you to 'relax' into the music, rather than having it 'grab' you. Texturally and harmonically, this cord is not as neutral as can be had, instead favoring the midrange, upper midrange, and low treble, and imposing somewhat of an 'electronic' timbre that can help rock 'cut through', but is less convincing on well-recorded and -mastered acoustic material. For instance, piano can acquire a bit of a 'clangy' edge to it, slightly reminiscent of upright tack-piano as opposed to a truer grand-piano sound. In the same vein, voices can sound more like what you may imagine are the microphones and less like unamplified natural voices than with some other cords. Won't bring out latent 'warmth' in solid-state electronics - although it doesn't itself sound overtly 'cool' or 'whitish', just a little on the 'hard' side, which in the wrong mix can contribute to some 'glare' developing at higher volumes - and is a bit constrained in the lower mids. Not for those prefering diffuse over focused imaging, or who seek to tame 'edgy' components, though these aren't faults of the cord. Be careful using more than one Sidewinder in an all-solid-state system, but I do like this cord overall for what it does best. Similar Products Used:
Shunyata Diamondback
Harmonic Technology Pro AC-11
Custom Power Cord Company Top Gun
Synergistic Reaseach Master A/C Coupler
van den Hul Mainsstream Hybrid
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