SIGMA-X QR
OMEGA-X QR - OMEGA-X XC - SIGMA-X QR - SIGMA-X NR - SIGMA-X XC - ALPHA-X NR - ALPHA-X XC - THETA NR - THETA XC - GAMMA NR - GAMMA XC
SIGMA-X QR
Sigma-X QR 1.75m C15 (SIGX/QR-UK/C15): £6500
Sigma-X QR 1.75m C19 (SIGX/QR-UK/C19): £6500
Extra Length (SIGX/QR-LEN): £250/0.25m
Shunyata Research SIGMA X QR: Revolutionising Power Delivery
The Shunyata Research SIGMA-X QR power cord is a testament to over 25 years of innovation in power cable technology. As part of Shunyata's acclaimed Reference Series, the SIGMA-X QR bridges the gap between state-of-the-art engineering and high-performance audio, delivering a transformative experience for audiophiles and professionals alike. Incorporating patented QR/BB technology, previously exclusive to the flagship Omega series, the SIGMA-X QR is designed to unlock the full potential of high-powered amplifiers and premium audio systems.
Key Features and Performance
Patented QR/BB Technology: Acts like a power supercharger, delivering reserve levels of DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery) energy for effortless dynamics and transient response.
Optimised for High-Powered Components: Tailored for amplifiers and premium equipment demanding the utmost in performance, ensuring pristine power delivery and noise isolation.
Unparalleled Noise Reduction: Creates an "island of pure silence," eliminating power-line noise and enhancing detail retrieval, spatial imaging, and soundstage depth.
Dynamic and Effortless Presentation: Provides a perfectly timed and natural dynamic range, free from compression or artificial colouration.
Three Distinct Models to Choose From:
SIGMA-X QR
The SIGMA-X QR is the highest-performing model in the SIGMA-X series, incorporating patented QR/BB™ technology from the flagship OMEGA QR. QR (Quick Release) Technology acts as an electrical charge reservoir, enhancing access to instantaneous current for improved dynamics and reduced strain, especially in high-powered amplifiers. With Gen3 NR noise reduction, the SIGMA-X QR excels with amplification systems and is equally suited for source and digital equipment when peak performance is required.
The SIGMA-X NR delivers reference-grade performance with advanced noise reduction, making it ideal for amplifiers, sources, and line-level components. Featuring NR (Noise Reduction) Technology, its multi-stage filter networks effectively reduce power-line and component-generated noise, enhancing the clarity and purity of sound across all connected electronics. The SIGMA-X NR provides a substantial performance upgrade, whether used with amplification or source equipment.
The SIGMA-X XC is a high-performance wall-connection power cord tailored for Shunyata Research power distributors. Designed with XC (eXtra Current) Technology, it ensures unrestricted high-current delivery, making it ideal for connecting power distributors or conditioners to wall outlets. By omitting NR filters, the SIGMA-X XC focuses on continuous current flow, ensuring power-hungry components receive the energy needed for peak performance while relying on the advanced filtering within Shunyata’s power distributors.
A Transformative Listening Experience
Imagine a film so immersive that you forget it’s not real life—this is the experience the SIGMA-X QR brings to your music. The sound is immediate and lifelike, with an unprecedented clarity that erases the barriers between you and the recording. Instruments and voices emerge with three-dimensional weight and precision, while dynamic intensity ebbs and flows with perfect timing. Its signature attribute is the rendering of a profound, almost gravitational silence, allowing the essence of each recording to shine without distortion or noise.
The impact is anything but subtle. The SIGMA-X QR creates a revelatory listening experience, drawing you deeper into your favourite music with an emotional intensity that feels entirely new.
A Radical Advancement in Power Cables
The SIGMA-X QR represents a watershed moment in power cable design, inspired by Shunyata Research’s groundbreaking work in medical imaging and recording industries. Its development marks the most radical progression since Shunyata’s beginnings in 1998, setting a new standard for what power cables can achieve.
Positioned just below the ultimate Omega series, the SIGMA-X QR stands as a crowning achievement of Shunyata Research’s Reference Series. It embodies a quarter-century of relentless innovation, offering a level of performance that is unmatched outside of the Omega line.
For those who demand the absolute best from their systems, the SIGMA-X QR delivers a sonic and emotional connection that redefines what’s possible in high-end audio.
SIGMA-X QR SPECIFICATIONS
Conductors:
06 gauge VTX-Ag
CONSTRUCTION:
1” tube
DIELECTRIC:
Fluorocarbon
TECH:
QRBB, NIC, TAPc Polarizer 2x
Connectors:
CopperCONN™ Pure Copper
KPIP v2 Processing:
4 Days
COLOUR:
Charcoal carbon
Noise Reduction:
6 dB @ 1 MHz
Standard Length:
1.75 Meters
warranty:
2 Years
TAP™ (Transverse Axial Polarizer) is a device that interacts with the electromagnetic field generated by the signal travelling through a cable. By modifying the behaviour of the electromagnetic wave, TAP™ enhances sonic performance. It blocks longitudinal-oriented waves while allowing transverse-oriented waves to pass, much like polarised sunglasses reduce glare by filtering reflected sunlight. This correction of polarisation micro-distortion reduces what is often described as sonic glare.
The QR/BB™ is a patented device that significantly enhances dynamic impact and timing in amplifiers and other high-current electronics. It uniquely provides a local energy reserve, or Coulomb charge, to counteract the inductive reactance of the AC power line without relying on coils, transformers, or capacitors. Positioned in line with an AC power supply, the QR/BB™ serves as an instantaneous energy source.
— Patent Number: US 10,031,536 —
The Gen3 NR circuit, featured in our reference tier power cords, enhances the sonic performance compared to the Gen2 circuit. This improvement includes significant gains in transient speed, transparency, and purity, along with better micro-dynamics. Additionally, the new NR circuit is more compatible with a wider range of electronic components, including both preamplifiers and power amplifiers. Even amplifiers that operate in pure Class A will experience notable benefits when using Gen3 NR-equipped power cables.
KPIP™ v2 (Kinetic Phase Inversion Process) is a technology developed by Caelin Gabriel after extensive research into phenomena like burn-in, wire directionality, and the effects of cryogenic treatment. Gabriel identified a core principle that burn-in and cryogenics only partially addressed. This discovery led to the creation of a processing technique and machine that virtually eliminates the need for both burn-in and cryogenic treatment.
Shunyata’s VTX-Ag™ cables feature a pure silver inner conductor and a pure copper outer concentric ring. This design combines the speed and clarity of silver with the warmth and powerful low-frequency performance of copper, avoiding their typical drawbacks. With premium fluorocarbon insulation to reduce dielectric absorption, VTX-Ag delivers exceptional resolution and clarity, exemplifying a balance of precision and musicality in cable performance.
Shunyata Research uses only the highest-purity copper for its wire products. OFE Alloy 101 (C10100) is the pinnacle of copper quality, boasting a minimum purity of 99.99% and a conductivity rating of 101% IACS. OFE stands for oxygen-free electrolytic, a standard that surpasses the older term OFHC (oxygen-free high conductivity). C10100 is the only copper grade accompanied by a written purity certification verified by ASTM F68 standards.
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.
Many audiophile-grade connectors use brass or bronze as their base metal, with only a thin plating of silver, gold, or rhodium. However, the majority of current is conducted through the base metal. CopperCONN® connectors feature pure copper contacts, offering significantly higher conductivity than brass, resulting in a clearly audible improvement in performance.