I was unaware of this thread and posted my 100 hours, now 130 hours, impressions of the SnubWay on WBF. I'm reposting those here edited. First, though, I want to say that I use a Puron from Vera-Fi and have appreciated Mark's ear and help along the way (I look forward to tying his SDFB soon). I also want to emphasize that not only is every system different,* and thus so is the effect of a device like this, but also that I've learned from repeated experience to be patient, i.e., not to make final judgments about anything being seriously considered until at least 300 hours of burn in (no matter what a developer says about the time needed).
With that intro, here's what I've found so far (and I did email Mark before posting on WBF):
- Size/Shape: The SnubWay cannot be used in the top outlet of a vertical U.S. pair because its size/shape prevents audiophile size connectors and most similar sized adapters from being plugged in fully underneath it. That includes standard U.S. wall outlets and my Wyred power conditioner and PS Audio Regenerator (P15). I suspect for most audiophiles power inlets are prized and not given up easily.
- Sound: No matter where I plug it in -- wall outlet or regenerator -- the SnubWay's effect is to add dynamic energy and volume (in both senses), greater smoothness, and seemingly a greater sense of body, expressed in what seems like increased bass energy, if not a little more forward sound. Impressive at first listen. However, that energy comes at a price: it seems to overrun or overwhelm the sense of clarity that exists without it. To take a revealing example, while renowned classical pianist Evgeny Kissen's playing is not typically known for its subtlety, in the case of Glinka's Lark his purity of tone and delicacy are a thing of beauty. With the SnubWay, however, they are so far almost completely lost (Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition, RCA Victor, 2002).
The difference is so substantial that for the remainder of the 300 hours I have moved the SnubWay to a wall outlet elsewhere. I'll bring it back and follow up on my evaluation at that time.
* My system is listed in my WBF signature:
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/members/highstream.4861/#about