Better than a decade-and-a-half ago, Synergistic Research’s chief cook and bottle washer, Ted Denney, came out with a cable the likes of which I’d never seen or heard before. It was called the Galileo System. Physically, what set this wire apart was the use of strands of different metals (copper/silver alloy, pure silver, pure gold, and pure platinum) that weren’t twisted or bundled together, as they are in every other brand of wire I’m familiar with, but separated into what Denney called “air strings.” In part because these individually jacketed strands of wire weren’t interwoven into massive braids, crosstalk was reduced, capacitance and inductance lowered, skin effects diminished, and transparency to sources greatly increased. The sonic superiority of its unique materials and geometry made the Galileo System a benchmark. It was the best wire I’d heard at that time and remains one of the most innovative products I’ve reviewed.
Synergistic Research’s new top-line SRX cable is the latest descendant of Denney’s extraordinary original, and it, too, is very special. Like Galileo, each SRX speaker cable uses thin, individually jacketed air strings (two made from a monocrystal silver-copper alloy, four from 14AWG silver, and four from mono-filament silver), that are separated from one another by perforations in an evenly spaced series of carbon-fiber discs, through which the strands run without physically contacting each other (or walls, shelves, and flooring). Where the air strings in Galileo cable were routed, via LEMO connectors, into and out of free-standing electromagnetic power-conditioning/active-shielding junction boxes (called “Active Mini EM Cells”) that themselves were plugged into “quantum tunneled” Mini Power Coupler power supplies (wall-wart-like devices that provided the DC current for the active shielding and EM power conditioning of the cells and the precious-metal “strings” attached to them), the SRXes are, blessedly, simpler in construction. Their air strings run out of and into a pair of barrel-shaped carbon-fiber tuning modules—passive devices which, in addition to providing conditioning and shielding, have two plugs (one each for the positive and negative legs of the cable) that allow you to attach cylindrical gold and silver “tuning bullets” to further voice the system. This provision for voicing, which is very nearly unique to Synergistic Research products, unquestionably works—and works in the ways that SR claims it does, with the gold bullets adding warmth and body to the sound and the silver bullets resolution and extension. For anyone with a difficult room or picky componentry or a marked preference for acoustic or electric music, SRX’s “tuneability” can be a blessing.
Like the speaker cable, SRX interconnect uses thin, individually jacketed air strings (one of 10AWG monocrystal silver-copper and five of monocrystal silver), each separated from the others by perforated carbon-fiber discs. In addition to a provision for attaching tuning “bullets,” the interconnects have another set of wires that can be plugged into Synergistic’s active Galileo SX Ground Block—to improve shielding and further lower noise.
The only item in the SRX lineup that superficially resembles products from other manufacturers’ cable lines is the power cord, though even here looks are deceiving. Though it does not make use of “air strings,” each cord comprises a nine-gauge composite of silver conductors for hot and neutral runs, including a long, flat, silver-ribbon EM (electromagnetic) cell and two folded EM cells for what SR claims amounts to a “pure-silver line conditioner in an AC cable format.” Like the cable and interconnect, the power cords can be voiced via Synergistic’s tuning “bullets,” and like the interconnect it can be connected to an SX Ground Block for lower noise and better shielding.
A few months ago, I reviewed Crystal Cable’s very pricey, top-of-the-line Art Series Da Vinci cable, interconnect, and power cords, which for me set new standards of fidelity. Since then, I’ve been able to audition a complete loom of SRX in my upstairs MBL reference system, and while the Crystal and the Synergistic aren’t sonically identical, they do sound an awful lot alike, clearly sharing a property that is key to their excellence. To wit, they are both extremely low in noise (and high in resolution).
As Robert and I have said in print (and Alan Taffel talks about in his Metronome DSC review in this issue), the lowering of noise is, across the board, the chief improvement in today’s high-end offerings. For examples, the elimination of RF in DS Audio’s optical cartridges, the lowering of jitter, phase, and quantization errors in DACs from Wadax, MSB, Soulution, Berkeley Audio, etc., the reduction of EMI, IM, TIM, and THD in high-bandwidth solid-state electronics from Soulution, CH Precision, darTZeel, etc., the use of aluminum, carbon-fiber, stone, acrylics, and other non-resonant materials in speaker cabinets from companies like Magico, Stenheim, Estelon, Rockport, YG, etc., and the application of carbon fiber, synthetic diamond, ceramic, and other low-resonance/high-stiffness substances in dynamic-driver diaphragms have, independently and together, reduced distortions and colorations that we simply took for granted in the old days, elevating what I’ve called “completeness” and “neutrality” to new heights.
This does not mean that pieces of high-end gear are without sonic “characters” of their own—i.e., that all of today’s components sound alike. What it does mean is that the differences in sonics among the best high-end products are, for the most part, less marked than they once were and that rather than reflecting unique distortion profiles they are the results of deliberate decisions about parts, materials, layout, manufacture, and voicing. As similar in sound as they are in many ways, the presentations of amps from Soulution, CH Precision, and Constellation are still easily distinguishable from each other, but that is not because one or the other of the trio has more (or less) THD.
This same paradigm holds true for Da Vinci and SRX cabling. Where Crystal’s top-of-the-line achieved its astonishing vanishing act primarily through metallurgical advances, Synergistic SRX earns its laurels primarily through the unique geometries I’ve discussed above. This is not to say that either cable shortchanges the other’s areas of strengths, just that their designers’ foci are slightly different, including their respective ideas about what best constitutes a replica of the absolute sound. Crystal’s Edwin Rynveld has what I would call a “fidelity to sources” (or accuracy-first) mindset. For him, the object is to lower noises that alter and obscure the original signal, and measurable differences are his primary standards of comparison. Synergistic’s Ted Denney has more of an “as you like it” (or “musicality-first”) slant. As his provisions for markedly different voicings show, his intent is to provide the listener with a sound that can accommodate individual tastes, rooms, and ancillary gear. Ironically, perhaps, both approaches end up in the same sonic ballpark, which, to reiterate, means that Da Vinci and SRX sound more alike than different—especially on an initial audition. Over time, however, each reveals its own character. Which of them you’ll prefer may be more a matter of taste (and pocketbook) than across-the-board sonic superiority.
For example, Da Vinci has a density of tone, particularly through the low end, midbass, and power range, that I simply haven’t heard to the same lifelike extent from any other wire. Like Soulution amplification, there is a timbral richness and three-dimensional solidity to its bottom octaves that is quite natural and appealing. I should note, however, that (as with Soulution electronics) this exceptional low-end color and weight tend to give Da Vinci a slightly “bottom-up” tonal balance, a bit of a “darker” overall character (though, as you will see, nothing is scanted in the midband or on top).
Though voicing with gold bullets can bring the SRX quite a bit closer to Crystal’s darker, more granitic presentation, the Synergistic wire is fundamentally less bottom-up in character than the Crystal Cable offering. This is not to say that SRX is anything like “thin” sounding; it is not. Indeed, its bass and power-range timbre are downright gorgeous; its focus and grip in the bottom octaves may even be very slightly higher than that of the Crystal Cable. As a result, details about Fender guitar performance-technique—picking, fingering, plucking, and slapping—are (sometimes) a bit clearer.
There is an irony to this, actually, because up until Denney’s last generation of Galileo from several years back, Synergistic cable, too, had a “bottom-up” tonal balance, a slightly “dark” overall character. Not anymore. Indeed, “unvoiced” (without bullets) it is the most neutral wire that Denney has yet produced—and certainly, as noted, the lowest in noise and coloration and highest in resolution. I’m not going to claim that it outdoes Da Vinci in this last regard, but it is, as I’ve said, a bit more tightly focused, which (minus the somewhat fuller power-range/bass weight of Da Vinci) tends to clarify transient detail.
In the midband there is little to choose between these two remarkable wires. They are both exceedingly realistic sounding, capable (with the best sources) of fooling you into thinking you are in the presence of actual musicians. Not only do they reproduce timbre with lifelike density; they also reproduce the dynamic/harmonic envelope (from starting transient through steady-state tone to decay) with lifelike duration, without adding, for instance, “zip” or ringing to hard transients, sibilance to frictatives of higher pitch or amplitude, or smearing to decays. This is the very essence of “completeness”—and the reason why you can not just readily visualize singers like Sinatra on Sinatra at the Sands through both wires; you can also tell the way he is using his mic (like that geisha fan he compared it to) to shape, punctuate, and convey the emotional power of his delivery.
On top, the Synergistic and the Crystal Cable are, once again, very similar. With the best sources, both are extremely finely nuanced. When two things come this close to identity, it’s hard to distinguish one from the other. Having said this, I would guess that Da Vinci (or Crystal’s also superior Ultimate Dream) is just a smidgeon softer and sweeter at the very top, and that Synergistic’s SRX is just a bit airier and more extended.
Both are superb imagers and soundstagers; both reproduce the dynamic range of recordings with high accuracy; both are astonishingly realistic sounding with great tapes, LPs, and streams; and both lower noises and colorations to unprecedented levels.
So…where does that leave you?
Well, to begin with you’ve got to be rich to afford either one of these extraordinary looms of wire. However, for what it is worth, SRX is a good deal less expensive than Da Vinci (e.g., an eight-foot pair of SRX speaker cable costs $29,995; a two-meter pair of Da Vinci speaker cable is a staggering $46,500). If a $16.5k difference means anything to you (and if it doesn’t, my congratulations), then I’d certainly opt for the SRX. If, on the other hand, you’re rolling in dough and have a near-psychotic lack of self-control when it comes to spending it, well…Da Vinci is a hair richer in the bass and power range.
One difference that isn’t a matter of taste or guesswork is convenience. Because of its simpler geometry and lighter weight, Da Vinci is easier to set up and use (and less space-consuming) than SRX. There are no voicing bullets on Da Vinci, no grounding plugs, no multiple strands, no perforated carbon-fiber discs. It is what it is, with no provisions to adjust its sound.
Which brings us to a crux. As I’ve already noted, Edwin Rynveld perfects his products by measurement. The lower the calculable noise floor, the more he feels he’s succeeded. Though he also tests his creations extensively (see the interview to the left), Ted Denney makes his products for real-world users, whose varied systems and musical tastes he attempts to accommodate with voicing options. It’s kind of like the difference between a Soulution amplifier and an amplifier from CH Precision. The former comes with no provision for changing its sound; the latter can be “tuned” to taste via adjustments in feedback, gain, and other variables. Depending on your room, gear, and musical preferences, SRX’s tuneability (which, ideally, requires the assistance of a knowledgeable dealer for setup) may be a real plus.
Assuming you’ve got the moolah (and a spouse without a power of attorney), I can’t tell you which of these sonically similar but physically and functionally different cables to buy. Both Synergistic Research SRX and Crystal Cable Da Vinci are honest-to-God great—along with Crystal’s Ultimate Dream (which the Da Vincis replaced), the best wires I’ve heard. What I can say is this: Denney has long claimed to be able to build cables, interconnects, and power cords that will equal or exceed those of the competition for half the money. In this instance, he has proven his point. Co-winner of TAS’ Cable of the Year Award in 2022, Synergistic Research’s SRX is one of my references—and a worthy successor to Denney’s original, standard-setting Galileo.
Specs & Pricing
Synergistic SRX
Speaker Cable: $29,995 per 8′ pair
Interconnect: $12,995 per meter pair
Power cable: $10,000 per 6′
SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH
synergisticresearch.com
JV’s Reference System
Loudspeakers: MBL 101 X-treme, Stenheim Alumine Five SE, Estelon X Diamond Mk II, Magico M3, Voxativ 9.87, Avantgarde Zero 1, Magnepan LRS+, MG 1.7, and MG 30.7
Subwoofers: JL Audio Gotham (pair)
Linestage preamps: Soulution 725, MBL 6010 D, Siltech SAGA System C1, Air Tight ATE-2001 Reference
Phonostage preamps: Soulution 755, Constellation Audio Perseus, DS Audio Grand Master
Power amplifiers: Soulution 711, MBL 9008 A, Aavik P-580, Air Tight 3211, Air Tight ATM-2001, Zanden Audio Systems Model 9600, Siltech SAGA System V1/P1, Odyssey Audio Stratos, Voxativ Integrated 805
Analog source: Clearaudio Master Innovation, Acoustic Signature Invictus Jr./T-9000, Walker Audio Proscenium Black Diamond Mk V, TW Acustic Black Knight/TW Raven 10.5, AMG Viella 12
Tape deck: Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon T-RX, United Home Audio Ultimate 4 OPS
Phono cartridges: DS Audio Grandmaster, DS Audio Master1, DS Audio DS-003 Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement, Air Tight Opus 1, Ortofon MC Anna, Ortofon MC A90
Digital source: MSB Reference DAC, Soulution 760, Berkeley Alpha DAC 2
Cable and interconnect: CrystalConnect Art Series Da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research SRX, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond
Power cords: CrystalConnect Art Series Da Vinci, Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream, Synergistic Research SRX, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond
Power conditioner: AudioQuest Niagara 5000 (two), Synergistic Research Galileo UEF, Ansuz Acoustics DTC, Technical Brain
Support systems: Critical Mass Systems MAXXUM and QXK equipment racks and amp stands and CenterStage2M footers
Room treatments: Stein Music H2 Harmonizer system, Synergistic Research UEF Acoustic Panels/Atmosphere XL4/UEF Acoustic Dot system, Synergistic Research ART system, Shakti Hallographs (6), Zanden Acoustic panels, A/V Room Services Metu acoustic panels and traps, ASC Tube Traps
Accessories: DS Audio ION-001, SteinMusic Pi Carbon Signature record mat, Symposium Isis and Ultra equipment platforms, Symposium Rollerblocks and Fat Padz, Walker Prologue Reference equipment and amp stands, Walker Valid Points and Resonance Control discs, Clearaudio Double Matrix Professional Sonic record cleaner, Synergistic Research RED Quantum fuses, HiFi-Tuning silver/gold fuses
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