Price Paid:  $475.00 from Used

Summary:
If you have not heard the Shunyata Cobra you may just be missing how good your system can sound. I never believed a power cord could have this effect on my system. Bass and musical timbre, an accuracy and musical beauty that is truly awsome. The clarity allows you to listen deep into arecording and hear all of the nuances of a performance. The entire Shuyata line is amazing.

Strengths:
Bass, clarity, Treble, everything!

Weaknesses:
Big as allout doors

Similar Products Used:
JPS Power AC, Synergistic AC Master Coupler

Summary:
I came to find out that power cords DO make a HUGE difference IMS. SOmetimes the PC will make a more dramatic impact on the system than ICs or digital cables and will approximate a component upgrade. Who Wouldda THUNK it???
The Cobra is a wonderful power cord. I found that on my Theta Data Basic II transport it brought out more detail and music than any other wire upgrade. Sounds silly, but I was not only hearing more music and inner detail than before, but the MUSIC I HAD BEEN HEARING NOW SOUNDED MORE REAL! I found this especially true on chimes, bells, cymbals and such. The shimmer and stikes were so natural sounding.
I had tried a Black Mamba on my transport a few months ago that someone loaned me and feel in love w/ the vocals that it presented. The Cobra is a different animal altogether. The mid range richness of the BM is not there but the transparancy and naturalness of the sound is breathtaking. So I just bought a Black Mamba of my own and am burning it in to give me the best of both worlds! Where the BM can be sort of laid back in certain applications the Cobra is muchmore dynamic and easier to find a great matching location in your system.
According to the phone conversations I have had the Cobra is essentially a King Cobra in all parameters w/ the exception that the KC is 8 awg and the Cobra is 10 awg. Wire geometry, ratio of copper to silver, amount of stardust, all these things are the same except for the AMOUNT of wire used on each run. Due to this the Cobra was just not really a wise product line to continue and thus it's short product run. This makes the Cobra a favorite for digital components and other front end gear and represents a great bargain. If you find one for $600 or close to it used GRAB IT NOW!!!!
One last bit of info here. I have a lot of power cords. The Whale Elite & CObra are two of my best, but even there the MATCHING OF PC TO COMPONENT IS CRUCIAL! If you get a Black Mamba for instance and place it on a low power SET amp you may be very disappointed? Move it to the DAC and it may be better? Try the transport and you may be in heaven? While the Cobra is much easier to find a location for than the BM, it is still very important to try it in various locations to maximize the cord's ability to synergize w/ your rig!

Strengths:
Transparency, dynamics

Weaknesses:
price

Similar Products Used:
Gutwire, JPS Power, JPS Digital, Whale Elite, BMI Eel, Acoustic Zen Tsunami, Syn Res. AC Master Coupler, ESP Essence, PS Audio Mini Lab, MIT Z-II,Stealth HAC, many others