Product Description
RAISING THE BAR
Theta Series signal, digital, and power cables were created using scientific innovation that has established Shunyata Research as a key contributor to the world’s top recording studios and heart-surgery labs. Each component, material, and conductor within the Theta Series is custom-designed to extend the boundaries of signal resolution, even when compared to cost-no-object products. Theta Series products further expand upon Shunyata Research’s legacy of delivering uncompromising performance at prices that raise expectations for all products in their category.
ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY
Theta Series signal and digital cable products feature continuous-cast Ohno copper. Ohno copper is an ultra-pure conductor drawn using heated molds that cast the wire into a singular crystalline structure. The Ohno conductors used in the Theta Series are then extruded with a fluorocarbon dielectric and custom-shielding elements using Shunyata Research’s exclusive PMZ (Precision Matched Impedance) process. This extrusion method tightens the tolerances of the conductor surface, dielectric and the precision placement of the shield. To achieve these finely drawn tolerances, the extrusion and braiding machines must be run at one-quarter normal speed during the manufacturing process.
Theta speaker cables and power cords feature VTX™ (hollow core) and VTX-Ag™ (pure silver center) conductors, both with an outer layer of ultra-pure OFE copper for enhanced performance. Finally, all Theta cables are conditioned for 4-days using Shunyata Research’s advanced Kinetic Phase Inversion ProcessTM (KPIPv2TM), which conditions conductor metals at a molecular level. Theta Series cables are terminated with Shunyata’s custom-designed connectors and cold-soldered terminals. These custom-designed attributes elevate Theta Series performance far beyond expectation, regardless of cost.
THE SOUND AND FURY
Theta cables disappear, allowing the system to express sudden dynamic shifts in timing and frequency extension with effortlessness and nuance. A loom of Theta cables allows a complex system of electronics and speakers to speak with a single coherent voice.
Like their more affordable Gamma Series counterpart, Theta cables imbue the system with an unassailable sense of coherence, as if everything is in focus, without distortion or hard transients. There is an absence of perceived noise, allowing spectral and textural subtlety to come to the fore. Unlike common copper cables, Theta Series cables deliver explosive dynamics and pitch perfect frequency extension, even when compared to far more expensive cables. Theta’s larger gauge VTX™ conductors add weight, dimensionality and an expansive, room-filling sound-stage.
TECHNOLOGY
Shunyata’s VTX-Ag cables are uniquely constructed with both an inner, center conductor made of pure silver and an outer concentric ring conductor made of pure copper. It’s made using the finest fluorocarbon insulation to minimize dielectric absorption and re-radiation which translates to an improvement in resolution and clarity. VTX-Ag delivers the speed and clarity of silver and the midrange warmth and three dimensional power in the lower octaves of copper without imparting any of the negatives associated with either metal. – The best qualities of silver and copper combined
ArNi® is a type of wire created by Shunyata Research designed to be the finest quality wire available for audio purposes. It begins with the highest purity of copper available – OFE C10100 or Ohno (single crystal). Then it is formed in virtual hollow tubes eliminating skin effects and eddy current distortions. A premium fluorocarbon insulation minimizes dielectric absorption and re-radiation, greatly improving resolution and clarity. In addition, the wire undergoes our proprietary KPIP™ process.
Shunyata Research uses only the highest purity of copper available for the production of its wire products. OFE Alloy 101 or C10100 is the highest grade of copper with a minimum 99.99% purity and a conductivity rating of 101% IACS. OFE stands for oxygen-free electrolytic and supersedes the term OFHC (oxygen-free high conductivity). C10100 is the only grade of copper that comes with a written certification of purity. Certified by ASTM F68 C10100.
Fluorocarbon dielectrics are usually only found in wire used in the aerospace industry, satellites and only the most expensive audiophile cabling. It has special electrical characteristics; very low dielectric absorption, high dielectric strength and exceptional heat resistance. When used in audio and power cables is reduces the perception of dynamic compression and it improves sonic low-level resolution and clarity.
Crystal clear transient detail.
Audiophile Grade Connectors
Shunyata’s audiophile-grade AC connectors are specially crafted from high-grade solid brass to accommodate large 10-gauge conductors and feature gold-plated pure copper contacts in the IEC connectors. This combination results in lower resistance and ensures a lifetime of exceptional sound.
Hermetically Sealed
Within robust polycarbonate head-shells, the connectors are hermetically sealed with an electrically inert compound that protects the contacts and wires from corrosion. The compound also ensures that the wires cannot become loose, fray, or pull out from the head-shell. This guarantees reliable performance that does not degrade over time.
KPIP v2™ PROCESSING
Shunyata Research’s proprietary Kinetic Phase Inversion Process includes four days of continuous KPIP v2™ processing which refines conductor metals at a molecular level. This dramatically reduces burn-in time and significantly improves sonic performance, delivering a relaxed and life-like presentation. When compared to the original process, KPIP v2™ represents a dramatic performance upgrade on par with a component-level upgrade.
