SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH SRX AC
Power cables
The SRX power cable epitomizes the ‘current best’ from the Synergistic Research’s kitchen. Essentially it is a full silver cable where nothing is traditional, and it provides all you need in one package, be it noise filtering with unhampered dynamics, smart grounding, and adjustability in voicing. The SRX is exemplary built and - at least for my ears - it is the best power cord to date that has visited my listening room.
Funkce a forma
The SRX AC is a limited series - 1000 units worldwide - power cable, a direct descendant of another limited series cord, the SR25, that was launched to celebrate company’s 25th anniversary in 2017. This year’s SRX celebrates the 30th anniversary, obviously.
For the hot and neutral legs of the cable, pure silver ribbons in Teflon (PTFE) are used, in flat geometry. The cable’s rather complex EM shielding is active, which means that a mesh of 8 pure copper conductors is flat-laminated with silver EM Cell ribbons (running the entire length of the SRX), that are fed by 30V DC from the power supply hidden in the carbon housing (that’s what you see as a cylinder on the cable). The idea is not unsimilar to AudioQuest’s dielectric bias DBS system, but Synergistic Research makes it extreme with different execution that is a subject to a patent.
The SRX terminations are encased in carbon fiber housing, the contact points are rhodium plated. The cable also runs a separate silver wire for a “Ground Plane” connection. The wire should connect directly to the wall outlet, alternatively to a Synergistic Research Ground Block. The Block already comes with appropriate cable adapter; if you want to connect to the wall outlet, the safest is to use an aftermarket EU plug and connect the cable to the ground leg of it. The good news is that Synergistic Research people have foreseen it and have added the plug with correct wire termination to the package of the SRX, so there is no need to buy anything else. I love when a manufacturer thinks as a consumer.
Nízké frekvence
Alike other Synergistic Research’s top cables, the SRX is tunable with add-on modules. There are 3 in the package with the SRX, all made specifically for this model. The Black module must be in place all the time as it is a part of the cable’s active shielding. The Gold and Silver modules can be either skipped entirely, or one of them used parallel to the Black module. The modules allow for ‘voicing’ of the SRX and Synergistic Research describes them this way: SRX Silver – refinement, detail, focus, air. SRX Gold – warmth, liquidity, musicality. One can deduct that the modules modulate the frequency response. Even very subtle and virtually non-measurable (at least not by the mic at the listening position) shifts at key frequencies have the power of changing what we hear from the system. Skeptics may say that here we are at the level of the power cable, not a signal or a speaker cable, so how can the power cable step into a frequency (or any other) domain? Well, it does, as it does not communicate with the connected component only - it exchanges energy with the grid because the power cycles there and back, it does not ‘flow’ unidirectionally. And it cycles at a very audible frequency of 50Hz, if nothing else. The cable may remove (or add) noise and other artifacts, it connects to the common ground of the system… there are may ways how a cable can interact and affect the sound we hear from the speakers. Yes, I agree it would be great to have one ‘final’ cable that would work the best with any audio system and would eliminate the zillions of audio cable manufacturers from the market. As there is no such a thing, power cable business keeps flourishing, and rightfully so. The good news with the SRX is that it provides 2 voicing characters in one product.
Čistota rozlišení
There is a track called Dust, Flesh and Bones from Aglaja Camphausen (Underwater Calling, Meyer Records), a German soprano singer and cellist. Accompanied by Thomas Falke on double-bass, the track is a jazzy simplicity of two (bass) instruments and a haunting human voice. The mix balance and clarity are beyond reproach, although the track is almost mono with very little stereo information in it. No problem, the mono-view is what you get when seated 20 meters from the performers, and because ambience is present on the disc in abundance you get the idea of the recording space. Both the bass and cello dig deep and contrast beautifully with the perfectly sung vocal. The SRX power cord meant an incredible leap in my system’s performance, that without any module (except the Black one) attached. The music acquired a sense of purity and three-dimensional articulation which was hard to describe, but completely captivating. It was like the sound ceased to be generated by electronics, rather the whole performance was recreated in its original acoustics, however in my room. The SRX was a dead-quiet cable, which helped nothing but recorded sounds stand out against the utter blackness of the background. Something I have not heard with already gorgeously quiet Shunyata Omega XC2 and NR2 cables.
Tonální věrnost
Ted Denney of SR suggests that after auditioning you will know immediately whether you prefer the Silver or Gold module. He may be right. Although the differences are subtle, the shifts are easily noticeable. With the Gold module in place the double-bass acquired a kind of steeliness, it got thinner and overarticulated. The same quality applied on the cello and the voice. Although the recording was seemingly even cleaner and more transparent than before, it was too much of the good thing and the sound was clearly top down balanced. I didn’t identify any of the warmth and liquidity in my system. With the Silver module the ambience became more spacious, as if the sound was recorded in a bigger acoustics, the vocal was sweeter and more natural. Although the bass and the cello kept being maybe too dry to be natural, the steeliness disappeared, and the sound became more relaxed. No matter what, I preferred the cable without the extra voicing modules. Synergistic Research explains that there is nothing wrong with it, the three tuning modes the SRX cable provides mean extra degrees of freedom in how to match the cable with the rest of the system, and your preferences. You can have it one way, or another, system by system, listener by listener.
Prostorovost
I tried to catch the SRX in the act of doing something wrong, so I reached out for the arsenal of recordings that can be even nastier than they already are, if the system is over the top. Like my favourite Alison Krauss and her duet with John Waite in Missing You. The track has a wonderful balance except vocals – these are rather sibilant and forward in the mix, and if a system is tipped towards the treble (and many systems are, in the quest for air and detail), they can be piercing. The SRX cable did not accentuate any of the recording´s issues; on the contrary, it worked wonders in instrumental separation, as if every single instrument had the luxury of its own ultra-high-end playback chain, and my ears were treated with the synthesis of it. Through the SRX I was not listening to Missing You that was tonally different from the system powered by SR’s Atmosphere 2, Ansuz Mainz C2, and AAI Maestoso mix of power cords, yet I was listening to much higher level of sound organization, to fleshier images in more transparent air, to massively improved three-dimensionality, and more explosive dynamics.
I tried Anthrax and their Imitation of Life (Among The Living, Island/Megaforce). It is a great piece of metal music, but it screams for an improvement in the mix that can be ear-splitting if played loud. None of its later (remastered) versions fixed the issue, so I guess it is the original mix the balance of which is what it is. It makes up for it with 13dB of the dynamic range, which is as rare as unicorns nowadays. The SRX made the mix a tad heavier, as if the bass content resurfaced out of nowhere and the bass guitar was better fleshed out. Once again, I had the impression of much better organized sound, a much higher level of seeing into how the music was laid on the tape. Interestingly, with the Gold module in, I liked the sound better. It was slightly fuller, and… um… more liquid.
No matter how hard did I try, the results of using the Synergistic Research SRX power cable were consistently phenomenal. Always improvements, no tradeoffs. I am wondering why there is such a performance gap between the already great Synergistic Research Galileo SX power cable, and the SRX. At least in my system, these two were completely different animals. If the SRX is a sabre-tooth lion, the other power cords (including the SR’s own) are more like all other cats to it. Yes, there is a lot of variety and beauty too, but there is only one real predator. The SRX.
Doporučení prodejci
CZ: Roth Audio, Praha, tel. +420 777 674 381
SK: Platan Audio, Hlohovec / Bratislava, tel. +421 905 409 802
Web výrobce: http://www.synergisticresearch.com
Připojené komponenty
- Sources: Accuphase DP-720, xDuoo x10T II, Ayon CD-35 HF Edition
- Amplifiers: TAD M-2500, Ayon Epsilon monoblocks
- Interconnects and speaker cables: AudioQuest Dragon Bass | Zero, Krautwire Numeric Digital, Krautwire MAX-S, Ansuz Signalz C2, AAI Maestoso, Stealth Audio Metacarbon, Roth Audio, Krautwire Super Symetric
- Reprosoustavy: TAD Evolution One E1, Sonus Faber Gravis I, Synergistic Research Black Box, Perlisten S7t, Legacy Audio Whisper XDS, Silent Laboratories - prototype
- Filtrace a síť: Block Audio Snakeblock, Shunyata Research Denali, Synergistic Research PowerCell SX, Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level 2 & Galileo SX, Nordost Qv2, Qk1, Roth Audio, AAI Maestoso
Galerie
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