Owner Report



Synergistic Research

Galileo PowerCell SX Power Conditioner 

&

SRX Power Cable

This write-up is about the differences between two Synergistic Research PowerCell units and their representations of music, via a unique system and room, as interpreted by me.

Cost differentials and absolute costs are not factored in.

Setup Notes

[I'm assuming the reader has familiarity with SR's product line. Therefore, I've chosen to drop the use of SR in most instances to prevent an alphabet soup. If a 'Brand Name' is missing, assume it is Synergistic Research]

[The Galileo PowerCell SX comes bundled with the Galileo SX PC; the SRX cable is an upgrade option; both are terminated with a Neutrik 32 amp PowerCon connector]

[Abbreviations: Synergistic Research = SR;  Galileo PowerCell SX = GSX;  PowerCell 12 UEF SE = PC12]

[Links to the reviewed products at the conclusion of the review]


System and Room Specifics here  >>>  System


20 amp dedicated line to a Quad.

Outlet used: Blue Duplex. Adjacent outlet is a Black Duplex.

HD Ground Cables from the dedicated Ground Connection on the GSX unit and from the SRX power cable to the Active Ground Block SE.

Both PowerCell units (with stock footers) were placed on a Tranquility Base UEF sitting atop MiG 2.0 footers (in pin point soundstage configuration) on a hardwood floor.

The evaluations were finalized after the 3rd full week of active energized time on the unit (including cables) and over 300 hours of active music playing time.


The comparison is versus my SR PowerCell 12 UEF SE (Black Outlets) with the Upgraded Galileo UEF AC (32 amp with PowerCon connector) power cable using the Silver Module.

[Note: the SRX cable was evaluated both without a passive Module and with the Silver Module]

The PC12 does not offer a dedicated ground. A 3-point male AC terminated HD Ground Cable was plugged into one of it's outlets. The Galileo UEF power cable was grounded via a 'Basic' ground cable. Both into the same grounding block, as above. The PC12 unit has been in my system for over a year.

I conducted five comparisons (A/B, B/A,...). The first A/B at the two week mark and the last one at the beginning of the fourth week. Downtime between swapping one unit for the other was around 15 minutes, due to ease of accessibility. The units were on the floor, in front of my rack, between the speakers.

Each A/B lasted at least 1 full hour (or more) and utilized the same recordings. The recordings did change (though with some overlap) for the next comparison.  A number of music genres were represented.

System / Chain differences were simply those between the two PowerCell units and the specific power cord that accompanied each, grounding exceptions aside.

This is an owner review of a purchased unit. I did not receive any accommodations or concessions, in lieu of, from SR or the SR dealer.

Results

What follows is focused on what I gained, what differed, and what held significance (mattered) for my needs and preferences within the context of my system, as a result of adding the new GSX unit and SRX power cord.

The reader should not consider this a complete or thorough review. It isn't. My goal was to determine if the new unit was worth purchasing for my needs. The points in this comparison track my needs and are limited as such. Please keep this perspective in mind.

In addition, I want to make it fully clear that this is not a put down of the PC12 unit. In fact, the PC12 is damn good. I will continue to recommend it.


An abbreviated version of my findings...


- Enhanced information retrieval and a truly amazing expression of the musical information.
- Exceptional clarity. Cleaner sound without a loss of life and emotionality...in fact, the very opposite. Descriptions of those gains, follow below.
- Low level background, reverb, decay, venue cues, etc are no longer low level! The ability to express this level of information with not just clarity but with muscularity and impact is phenomenal. The information is now clearly heard AND understood (it's role in and importance to the recording).
- More Refined. More defined. More precise. Sharper. More incisive. Much tighter control in the representation of the musical note. The grasp and control over the length of the musical note is outstanding.
- Music bursts forth with energy and verve. Harmonics and resonances are expressed with beauty and substance.
- Greater dynamics, impact, weight, fullness, density and body.
- Greater dimensionality, "3-D'ness" and spaciousness. A larger stage, in all respects. A bigger sound.

[...this is less about the images being larger and more about the extension of the dimensional axes (in all three quadrants). My speakers have 10 inch single drivers and stand 41 inches (105cm) tall. The presentation, in this respect, now has more in common with large multi-way dynamic speakers. The Nenuphars have never sounded 'small' to me...rather, I was surprised that they sounded 'bigger' than I expected given the size of the cabinet and the driver design. However, I was wrong to assume that they wouldn't or couldn't offer me that 'big speaker sound' that I hear, say with the Rockport Cygnus (in my neighbor's system and also from auditioning at Goodwin's High End, Waltham, MA). I now have big (bigger) speaker sound! An unexpected outcome!]

- Better Timing. Speed stands out. Accurate and correct. Higher realism and believability of the ebb and flow of and changes in musical tempo.

- Musical emotion conveyed with greater realism, fortitude, impact and engagement. It's difficult (nigh impossible) not to be drawn into the recording. Music is so much more dramatic. Sadder. Happier. Joyful. Dread. Ominous. Tension. Sophistication. Sweetness. Intimacy. Playfulness. Beauty of the human voice.

[Stellar gains in emotion. Fans of classical music, opera, etc. rejoice!!!  Also look to the next point!!!]

- Complex music is beautifully separated and rendered as a whole. Amazing in this respect.

- Sound Quality (taken in totality) is spectacularly good.

Summary

The best (and yes, limited) way to describe what the GSX + SRX combination does for me is to say this:

It changes the way music is expressed and experienced. 

It does so in all the right ways. Music is beautiful, natural, realistic, and powerful. Recordings are rendered exquisitely satisfying, engaging, fun, and with provocative emotionality. It transcends 'listening' and moves me into the realm of feeling the music, connecting with it, living it.

Vital writ large!

Beauty and Grace Redefined!

For me, the purchase of the GSX + SRX focused on it's value as a long term investment which, as luck has it, is also paying off in the present. It fits my future goals for system performance and achievement (yet to be experienced and achieved).

Where does this leave folks who are considering a PC12 or other PowerCells within SR's power conditioner line?

Every single time I went back to the PC12 unit, I loved and enjoyed what I heard. Had I chosen to return the GSX + SRX, I would have been happy living with the PC12 unit in my system. It's contributions in making music, in my system, are simply that Good. This held prior to experiencing the new unit and (importantly) after.

Having lived in Upstate NY for most of my adult life, I've spent a significant amount of time hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. One doesn't need to climb to the top of a mountain for a great view and satisfying experience. I think we can agree on this: depending on your mood, ability and health, getting to the altitude and place on the trail where you can enjoy and experience the view, the one you choose or aim for, is what is truly important.

I can't say whether the Galileo PowerCell SX represents 'Summit-Fi.' Nor can I predict the heights or scaling it's capable of. What I can say is that the addition of this unit to my system has taken it to a place and level that I haven't been before nor have experienced in another home system.

My 'for-real-and-serious' audio journey (marked as beginning in September 2018 with the acquisition of Scott Sheaffer's Found-Music 2A3 monoblock amps) has been chipping away at all of my prior reference points. This has progressively accelerated with the addition of the Grandinote Genesi Preamp, followed by the Cube Audio Nenuphar Speakers, and more recently the ADD-Powr Sorcer conditioner (and other standout products) all of which have hammered additional large chunks out of that past reference wall. The addition of the GSX to my system is the moment my 'Berlin Wall' came down for good. It doesn't mean I'm done. It doesn't mean it's the best. What it does represent is a Before and an After for my system's performance and my understanding of what's real and what isn't. It's the birth of my new Reference.





Congratulations to Ted Denney and the Synergistic Research team on designing, developing and introducing a truly special product.

A heartfelt Thank You to Peter Hansen and Robert Stein of The Cable Company for their support of this customer.



Dealer Product Link: The Cable Company

Company Product Links: SR Galileo PowerCell SX    SR SRX Power Cable



Update (10/15/19): 

I've experienced an overall opening up of the sound, increased clarity and improvements in lower frequency performance. At this point, I am going by memory...and cannot directly compare a before and an after. There are now an additional 100+ hours of play time (since the initial evaluation) with current playtime clocking in at 400+hours. 


10/4/19 First Draft. 10/5/19 Second Revision. 10/15/19 'Update note' added.

Additional revisions and edits may follow.