Product Description
The ALPHA-X is the entry point to Shunyata Research’s “Reference Series” power cords. The Shunyata Research Alpha-X NR, along with the other X cables, represents the culmination of a 25-year quest to produce the absolute finest performing power cables available.
The ALPHA-X elevates the performance of recording and playback systems beyond the most optimistic expectations. They feature patented and proprietary technologies not available in competing products. Shunyata Research’s NR technology measurably reduces power line noise and has been proven effective in the most demanding medical and professional recording applications.
What’s New? –
TAPc Technology
The ALPHA-X features the all-new TAPc technology. TAP (transverse axial polarizer) is a patent pending technology that Shunyata Research developed to improve the performance of its reference signal cables. The TAPc technology is a radical advancement of the TAP technology that enables a significant reduction in the size of the modules – and for the first time allows this technology to be applied to power cords.
The sonic results of TAPc are a cavernous drop in perceived noise floor, effortlessly portrayed dynamics and a superb sense of timing and coherency. The sonic benefits of the TAPc technology are quite simply unique and cannot be replicated by any competing product or technology.
Even to an untrained ear, the effects of the TAPc are immediately apparent and repeatable across a variety of components and systems. In essence, the TAPc modules are force-multipliers that elevate the listening experience to unprecedented levels.
NR – 3rd Generation Noise Reduction Circuit
Perhaps no technology has been more thoroughly researched, measured and third-party tested than Shunyata Research’s power line noise reduction technology. Gen-2 NR technology, as used in the Gamma and Theta power cord lines, has been proven effective in heart surgery labs across the U.S. and Europe. Countless iconic recording engineers, mastering studios and musicians are proponents to the efficacy of the NR power cords.
The Gen-3 NR circuit, as used in the ALPHA-X and SIGMA-X power cords, improves upon the sonic performance of the Gen-2 circuit. Transient speed, transparency and purity are all significantly improved along with an improvement in micro-dynamics. The new NR circuit is also more compatible across a broader spectrum of electronic component types; including preamplifiers and power amplifiers. Even amplifiers operating in pure Class A will realize a significant benefit when using the ALPHA-X NR power cable.
(The ALPHA-X XC power cords are now, primarily, recommended for use with power distributors.)
KPIPv2 – Kinetic Phase Inversion Process
Shunyata Research’s update to its proprietary KPIP processor represents a significant advancement to a process that permanently preconditions cables and power distributors. It dramatically enhances the sonic performance of the cables to which it is applied and significantly shortens the break-in cycle. All cables, conductors, connectors and outlets undergo a multi-day conditioning process that is an integral aspect to the extraordinary performance of Shunyata Research products.
Dropping the Hammer
The profound ability of the ALPHA-X power cables to eliminate electrical noise and reduce micro-distortions unveils multiple layers of previously obscured musical cues within the recording – forging a more immersive and lifelike connection to your favorite music. ALPHA-X imbues the music with a greater sense of timing accuracy, dynamic contrast and dimensional impact. They impart an unmistakable sense of living presence and coherence to reproduced sound and imagery. The ALPHA-X’s immediate signature is apparent as an ineffable sense of quiet within the sound, along with an almost paradoxically startling punctuation of dynamic contrasts.
A system of ALPHA-X power cables will remove a large portion of the compression and artifice that separates the live listening experience from that of electronic reproduction.
