Shinpy Red Devil 2 - speakers cable

Shinpy Red Devil - speakers cable

Product: Shinpy Red Devil 2 speakers cable
Manufacturer: Shinpy srl, V. Delle Mura Nord, 10 - 54100 Massa - Italy
Approx. price: 350 $, 3 + 3 meters pair with forks

Shinpy cables are well known in Italy because of the unique and high technology involed in the top of the range models: instead of making use of metallic conductors the top Shinpy cables use a liquid conductor (patent pending).
This technology doesn't come cheap and for this reason Shinpy cables are always referred to be extremely expen$ive, so that audiophiles don't even know Shinpy makes some pretty down_to_Earth cables.
For example, here's the Red Devil 2: a metallic speaker cable that costs around 500 $ for the standard 3 + 3 meters lenght.
I don't know anything about the Red Devil 2, since I've not "opened" or "stripped" it. It is not particularly big or oversized, especially when compared to its bigger (and I say, BIGGER) brothers. Though it is reasonably sized it is not very flexible so that I suspect it makes use of solid core conductors.
Is it the cheaper speakers cable made by Shinpy.

The Sound of the Red Devil

Probably this means nothing to you, but the Red Devil 2 possesses a bit of the Shinpy family sound which is a plus, since it means all the cables made at Shinpy, even the cheaper (?) ones, have been designed with a clear and precise goal in mind.
So, let's take a closer look at the sound of this wire.
First of all you'll be able (hope so) to notice the presence of this cable into any HiFi system since it gives something of its own to the Sound: a brilliant and crystal clear mid range that adds "presence" to the whole reproduction. The voices, for example, are a bit "forward", making the "cantato" so easy to understand and it doesn't matter if it is opera, rock or folk.
Don't think it is just a "forward" sound because it is not. Keep on reading and you'll understand why.
To counterbalance this forward attitude of the mid range the Red Devil possesses a warm high range, with a sweet roll off in the upper highs.
So, I can't say the overall balance of the sound is warm nor I can say it is cold: it is a very brilliant mid range (sometimes edgy with some recording) matched to a warm and relaxing, yet precise, high range.
The mid bass range is taut and solid while the bass is very deep and controlled. There's something of the character of the mid range here, again.
This cable sounds precise and analytic, even when large amounts of energy are required (pipe organ pedals, for example).
The harmonic richness of the cable is very good, indeed, and it can make the acoustic instruments shine and breath at the same time.

Dynamics

The dynamic performance is nothing but excellent in the bass, especially with the kick drum, the (jazz) double-bass and the electric bass guitar.
Some compression is audible in the mid/high range, though, and, for example, the cymbals aren't so "splashy" as they should be. When huge amounts of dynamic *kick* are needed (a drum solo, for example) the Red Devil seems to lack some of the extra energy required: it is not a compression caused by distortion...it is just a relaxed performance.
Though this kind of behaviour can be your cup of tea with easy listening and classical music (not the symphonic kind, though) with rock this cable doesn't seem BAD enough. Even when it should sound aggressive, it plays like a gentlemen.

3D imaging

I knew what to expect, given the tonal balance of the cable, and careful listening tests proved my theory. The soundstage is wide, with singers slightly "forward" and the back stage very far from them. The contours are well defined and focused and it seems there's a soft spot of dark-yellow light that gives life to the whole soundstage. The best performance is attained in terms of depth of the image, which is really amazing.

Conclusions

The Shinpy Red Devil 2 is a well designed and carefully manufactured speakers cable with some peculiar aspects: a crystal clear mid range, a warm high range and a powerful and deep bass. It can easily add "life" to some "loudness" set-up, bringing new light to the mid range and cleaning the bass range. A careful listening test with your own set up is a must, as it should always be, when dealing with not_so_cheap cables.
The reason is simple: these are not top-end super-duper cables so you can't expect the top performance in every aspect of the musical reproduction. The Red Devil 2 isn't actually a top performer (as its bigger brothers are), but it gives you a lot of value for the money. It should be carefully evaluated and tested (not for five minutes!) because, on right set-ups, it can sound extremely good.

A warm THANK YOU to Sergio Benassi and Eddy Bianchi of Shinpy cables for having sent us these cables for reviewing. Their web site is still under construction (it should be something like www.shinpy.com), in the meanwhile you can contact them at the address on top of this article or by phone at: +39 (585)254756

How to print this article