Shunyata Research • Theta Interconnects and Speaker Cables

by Vance Hiner | December 23, 2024

© www.theaudiobeat.com

Speaker cables and interconnects are not a subject for cocktail parties. Even at audiophile gatherings, cables can be a tricky topic. Dropping the name of a preferred manufacturer is like flashing a gang sign. And don’t go near online forums with questions unless you have your flame suit on. It’s a shame that this partisanship quells exploration and discussion, because cables are critical to the performance of any decent audio system. Supporting evidence for this is that all reputable designers of high-end equipment have very distinct preferences for cables when evaluating and building their products. Those who aren’t stuck in the double-blind-listening echo chamber know that swapping cables can transform a seemingly boring stack of gear into an inspiring music machine.

With stakes that high, I jumped at the chance to get a taste of the latest cables from Shunyata Research. In honor of its 25th anniversary this year, Shunyata has launched two more-affordable lines of speaker cables and interconnects, Gamma and Theta. “Affordable” is a relative term, so here are some rough numbers to put the price-performance value of these new cables into perspective. At entry level, the Gamma cables are one-tenth the price of the current Sigma-X reference loom. At the next rung up, Theta can be had for one-fifth the price of the Sigma-X equivalent. Shunyata’s sales and marketing director Grant Samuelsen reviewed the components in my reference system and concluded that the Theta line would be the better fit.

I have a second smaller system in my house in which I use a variety of cable brands, so I know that entry-level cables can perform very well in reasonably priced systems. But I’ll admit to having a fair amount of skepticism about whether cables that cost a fraction of reference equivalents could possibly withstand the scrutiny of my Wilson Audio Sasha V speakers. As I mentioned in this year’s review of those speakers, the Sasha Vs are profoundly unforgiving when it comes to weaknesses in the playback chain. Suffice it to say, the Theta cables were going to be playing to a pretty tough room here in St. Louis.

I’ve used Shunyata cables in a variety of systems for the past 14 years and have come to expect a fairly hefty package. So I was surprised when I unboxed the Theta speaker cables and removed one of the lightweight boxes; inside were a pair of straightforwardly braided, 8-gauge cables held together at each end by a small termination module. Compared to the heavy, 1/2"-diameter Sigma-X barrel hoses that were seamlessly melded to their substantial HARP modules (designed to deal with current-mode diffraction) at each end, the Thetas looked downright minimalistic. The Theta interconnects and phono cables are similarly stripped down compared to the Sigma v2, which are equipped with Shunyata’s patented TAP (Transverse Axial Polarizer) devices designed to correct micro distortions and reduce what the company calls "sonic glare." The upside of shedding this tech is a far easier-to-install loom that fits nicely behind my crowded SolidSteel equipment rack.

Like all Shunyata cables, Theta utilizes continuous-cast Ohno copper, which is an ultra-pure copper produced by drawing the metal through heated molds to form a single crystalline structure. This copper is then manufactured using Shunyata’s proprietary ARni process, during which the wire is formed into virtual hollow-body tubes, and which the company claims eliminates skin effects and eddy-current distortions. Shunyata coats this wire with a fluorocarbon dielectric and then goes a step further in the Theta series by applying custom shielding elements through the company’s exclusive Precision Matched Impedance (PMZ) process. PMZ was first introduced in the company’s much-lauded flagship Omega digital cables. Applied now for the first time to analog cables in Shunyata’s Theta and Gamma lines, this new process enhances the precision of the conductor surface, dielectric, and shield placement by operating the extrusion and braiding machines at one-quarter of their normal speed. The result, according to Shunyata, is a dramatic reduction in micro distortions that occur along a wire’s surface. These micro distortions are an enemy to natural sound reproduction because they noticeably increase a wire’s signal impedance.

Like the Sigma-X line, Theta cables utilize hollow core and VTX-Ag conductors with a pure silver center, both encased in an outer layer of ultra-pure OFE copper for superior performance. All cables are then terminated with Shunyata’s custom-designed connectors and cold-soldered terminals.

Another important innovation that sets the Theta cables apart from Sigma-X cables is that they are treated for four days using Shunyata's new v2 of its Kinetic Phase Inversion Process (KPIPv2), which conditions conductor metals at a molecular level. According to Shunyata, KPIPv2 drastically accelerates the once lengthy and laborious process of cable burn-in and enables customers to hear peak performance after a minimal day or two of what the company calls “settling time.” Shunyata claims that the new KPIPv2 process yields a performance boost comparable to a component upgrade when compared to cables treated by the older version.

During my conversations over the years with Shunyata’s Caelin Gabriel, he has always struck me as being a passionate music lover who understands that laboratory results aren’t worth much if they don’t create a better listening experience. In an e-mail exchange and during a lengthier phone call, I asked him to elaborate on the new Theta line. “My design intent for the Gamma and Theta cable lines was to create entry-level cables that can legitimately compete with competitors’ cables that cost two, three or more times the price,” Gabriel wrote. “This made it impossible to use some of our patented or proprietary technologies like Xtron, TAP and HARP in the construction of the cables. But it was possible to create cables that exhibit exceptional performance using conventional designs by paying attention to the specific type and quality of the materials. This includes the type and quality of the conductor’s metallurgy.”

Gabriel explained that Shunyata uses OHNO single-crystal copper because he believes it has a “more pure and transparent quality.” When it comes to the type and quality of cable dielectric (insulation), Gabriel says choosing the right materials “has a dramatic effect on the transient speed, harshness and other distortions.” According to Gabriel, some dielectrics (i.e., PVC) are “polar” materials that can impose a charge within the dielectric and cause a form of micro distortion that tends to round over transients as well, producing a sound that has a grainy and gritty quality. “I have tested all the various types of dielectric materials and have chosen a type that is a 'non-polar' type, which means that it is resistant to the absorption of electric fields and associated negative sonic characteristics. You will notice in our specifications that we list the dielectric for the Gamma and Theta as a fluorocarbon. We don’t list the specific formulation since we consider it to be proprietary, but PTFE (Teflon) is a well-known fluorocarbon type that has exceptional dielectric strength and a low dielectric constant. While fluorocarbons are much more expensive than PVC or polyethylene, we have found the sonic benefits are essential to achieve a transparent and crystalline sound quality.”

Even though the improved KPIPv2 process and PMZ innovations were game-changers when it comes to Theta’s ability to punch above its weight class, Gabriel stressed that “the performance of the Gamma and Theta lines is not caused by a single "magic bullet." It is rather the culmination of years of engineering experience in the selection of specific materials, production methods and proprietary processes.

Based upon my evaluation and use of Shunyata signal cables and power products over the years, Gabriel’s methodical and incremental approach to product refinement has resulted in a consistent sonic trait that I would call transparency-to-source. This is shorthand for equipment that adds a minimal amount of color and distortion to the audio signal. Designers whose goal is transparency are trying to make equipment sonically "invisible," allowing the original intent of the artist and recording engineer to come through. Clearly, no designer ever ultimately achieves this, but I admire Caelin Gabriel and other designers who keep shooting for the target.

As a reviewer, I’ve become fairly inured to performance claims. Whether these assertions come from manufacturers or from listener forums, I have a wait-and-see attitude. My experience has shown me that a brand’s long-range track record is more reliably predictive than what a company or it adherents say about its products. During the past decade and a half of using Shunyata products, what I’ve noticed about Caelin Gabriel is that he’s always been in competition with himself, ever striving for a way to innovate at the entry level, putting pressure on his reference creations. And that’s precisely what I hear with the Theta speaker cables and interconnects. In a number of respects, they equal and even outperform my reference Sigma v2 cables.

For example, after living with the ultra-revealing Wilson Sasha Vs being fed by the Sigma v2 loom, I gradually became aware of a slightly grainy texture in the upper frequencies of a number of my favorite recordings. I'd never noticed this while using the Sigma v2s with Sasha W/P 2s. When the Thetas were installed, that grain immediately disappeared and my system began delivering upper-register notes with a strikingly smooth liquidity. Right out of the gate, the Theta cables imbued my system with an effortless elegance in the upper midrange and high frequencies that was addictive.

I'll confess to being very susceptible to the initial adrenaline rush of something novel or distinctly different. This tendency to be impressed by changes has led me to take a considerable amount of time evaluating equipment. What I've learned over the years is that what starts as a crush may eventually lead to that awkward pre-breakup stage when what initially appealed to you begins to get on your last nerve. So I wasn't quite prepared for what happened over the course of several months while listening to the Theta loom. What surprised me most about Theta was that there was no honeymoon period followed by the gradual awareness of flaws. I wasn't once tempted to don my well-worn critic's thinking cap. I was too occupied with searching for another album and falling down one musical rabbit hole after another. I kept losing track of time as one selection's charms washed over me followed by yet another performance twist.

After several failed attempts to clearly identify Theta’s particular sonic signature, I jotted in my late-night notes that the Theta cables “sound like music.” In the cold light of day, I realize that such phrases are a cop out. A more sober account would be that I was never distracted by any aspect of the Theta’s presentation of the sonic spectrum unless it was present on the recording itself. I could use the term neutral to describe what the Theta loom sounds like in my system, but that risks implying that the cables are boring. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The most stunning aspect of the Theta performance was how it revealed the remarkable alacrity of certain musical instruments. I realize that’s a fancy-pants reviewer's term, so I’ll try to explain. With the Theta wire in place, bass instruments have more spring and drums sound tauter and punchier than they did when conveyed by my reference wire. To drag out another reviewer chestnut, the Theta cables bring out more of the pace, rhythm and timing I enjoy from live music.

Instead of making the splashy brightness of the Police’s Regatta de Blanc, from the 2018 Abbey Road Half-Speed Master boxed set [Abbey Road 676 352 2], sound worse, the Theta loom’s reduction of noise and grain actually enabled me to concentrate more fully on the songwriting and arrangements instead of second-guessing production choices. The Theta’s tighter bass and fleshier midrange turned album’s like XTC’s English Settlement [Geffen 2GHS 4036] or U2’s Boy [Tidal 16-bit/44.1kHz stream of the 2008 remaster] into bangers that brought me back to the dance floors of my college days. Prior to adding the Theta, listening to those recordings would send me into an introspective analysis of why Andy Partridge’s and Bono’s vocals weren’t miked better.

At this point, you may be wondering whether cables in this price range really deliver all the detail of a recording. In response to that concern, I would say, “Be careful what you wish for.” In my experience, the more a piece of audio gear focuses my attention on detail, the less likely it is to engage my heart. Yes, I want to hear the full scope of a performance space. But I have no interest in hearing air pass through vents in a recording studio because, in all likelihood, that’s not something the album’s producer really wanted the audience to hear. To my ears, the Theta loom delivered enough of the detail I hear from Shunyata's Sigma v2 cables that I never noticed any missing musical nuances. The Theta cables do not quite match the performance of the Sigma v2 cables when it comes to conveying the full weight of big brass instruments and the room-filling presence of a massive orchestra. I suspect this may have something to do with the much-heavier-gauge wire used in the Sigma v2. That said, the Theta loom brings a speed, agility and clarity that I found refreshing in my system.

Shunyata’s Theta speaker cables and interconnects get me closer to the sense of live performance than any wire I’ve heard in my living room. That’s as much a testament to their harmonic and tonal accuracy as it is to their effortless neutrality. When these Thetas are handling the signal, my heart rate accelerates a bit while taking in the full measure the Sex Pistol’s grit and grime on “Anarchy in the UK” from Never Mind the Bollocks: Here’s the Sex Pistols [Warner Brothers BSK 3147]. By contrast, Theta’s ability to capture the elegant purity of a single oboe line on the Califax Wind Quintet’s The Goldberg Variations [16-bit/44.1kHz Tidal stream] is as impressive as its dazzling presentation of the rich tapestry of tonal colors that emerge when all ensemble members are fully engaged in performing Bach’s complex contrapuntal maneuvers.

I’m a big believer in system synergy, so I can’t predict how the wire I’m auditioning will sound in someone else’s system and room. What I do know is that the Theta speaker cables and interconnects fit very well with the components I’ve acquired. In conversations with the Wilson Audio team, the folks at dCS, and Ken Stevens of Convergent Audio Technology, I hear stories about how each of these innovators constantly strives toward transparency-to-source, while remaining committed to bringing their creations closer to the more subjective target I would call musicality. I’m drawn to the equipment of designers who take a methodical, scientific approach to improving their products.

I often hear audiophiles refer to outstanding affordable gear as “great -- for the price.” In the context of my high-resolution playback system, Shunyata’s new Theta speaker cables and interconnects delivered exceptionally refined and musically engaging results when compared to any cables I’ve heard at any price. Far from being a mere starting point, the Theta cables are good enough to be an endpoint for discriminating music lovers.

Prices: RCA-terminated interconnects, $998 per meter pair; XLR-terminated interconnects, $1198 per meter pair; speaker cables, $1998 per 2.5-meter pair.

Warranty: Lifetime.

Shunyata Research
26273 Twelve Trees Lane, Suite D
Poulsbo, WA 98370
(360) 598-9935
www.shunyata.com

Associated Equipment

Accessories: Degritter record-cleaning machine, Flux Hifi Sonic stylus cleaner, Zanden TPM-1 turntable platter mat, Acoustic Revive RD-3 disc demagnetizer.

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