Pachanko SATA Cable

[AudioPhil]

[h=1]10% Discount on all Pachanko Studio Products[/h]Use the Coupon Code PACHANKO4ALL during the checkout process: Pachanko Cables

 

Promotion valid until may 31th, only one coupon per person.

[highend-pcdoctor]

I recently purchased the Pachanko Signature bi-wire (3 meters) speaker cables.

Immediately it beat the Synergistic Research Signature 10 bi-wire with the Galileo active shielding power supply.

After the recommended 300-400 hours break-in the depth and with of the soundstage was so involving, it was like being at the live performances.

Details are to die for, so much more information was revealed using the Pachanko speaker cables.

I can say highly recommend these cables, they are truly a major improvement in my system.

[Audiotruth]

Re: Pachanko sata cables

 

I recently installed 2 Pachanko sata cables in my server (one to a 1TB SSD - music files the other to a 128Gig SSD - operating system) Additionally, I purchased a Pachanko's dual head usb absolution cable (connected to a recently installed J-Cat usb card).

 

Before describing what I noticed after installing the Pachanko cables in my system, I thought it worth mentioning a friend recently purchased two Paul Pang sata cables. So I should be able to report back on the difference in SQ between Pachanko / Paul Pang /J-Cat sata cables.

 

Back to the Pachanko's sata cables. Although Chan mention the cables would benefit from 200 hours burn-in, I found his sata cables to be very good from the get go. The Pachanko cables transformed the sound of my system. Not only was I hearing greater detail, the background was blacker, sound stage depth and width increased as well as an overall improvement in base. Specifically, the base was better controlled as well as more extended. What was even more surprising was the positive change in timbre and tone of the music. Music had gone from a Hi Fi sound to being more organic.

 

Over the years I have replaced countless numbers of Pre-Amps, DACs, Power Amps, Speakers, Speaker Cables, interconnects etc. etc. Many of the changes made a difference, none timbre and tonal improvements as did the Pachanko cables... go figure! I'm reporting changes I hear in my system, I'm not predicting how the cables will sound in other systems"

[MR2]

This is my first post here on CA but I have been pursuing computer audio for 5 years now. I run dual custom PC’s, linear power supplies etc., etc., etc. I just replaced a 1^st generation JCat sata cable on my audio PC with a Pachanko Black Reference. The JCat had a severe 90 degree bend just past the connector to (just barely) fit inside my low profile Steacom FC5 case. The Pachanko Reference sata has a 90 degree connector and fits much, much better in the low profile case. Currently I have 300 hours on the new cable. It been a few days since the sound began to relax and open up. The cable integrates very well in my system. A certain synergy has occurred that sounds big and powerful as well as nuanced and delicate. The top octave is better defined yet smooth and liquid. Dynamics are a full step up with no detrimental side-effects. As a result, the SQ is very involving and satisfying. The Black Reference is a top flight cable and a welcome addition in my computer audio soup.

[Audiotruth]

This is my first post here on CA but I have been pursuing computer audio for 5 years now. I run dual custom PC’s, linear power supplies etc., etc., etc. I just replaced a 1^st generation JCat sata cable on my audio PC with a Pachanko Black Reference. The JCat had a severe 90 degree bend just past the connector to (just barely) fit inside my low profile Steacom FC5 case. The Pachanko Reference sata has a 90 degree connector and fits much, much better in the low profile case. Currently I have 300 hours on the new cable. It been a few days since the sound began to relax and open up. The cable integrates very well in my system. A certain synergy has occurred that sounds big and powerful as well as nuanced and delicate. The top octave is better defined yet smooth and liquid. Dynamics are a full step up with no detrimental side-effects. As a result, the SQ is very involving and satisfying. The Black Reference is a top flight cable and a welcome addition in my computer audio soup.

 

Hello MR2,

Your observations re SQ were consistent with mine. Specifically, you mentioned "nuanced and delicate", I found not only micro detail and base improved, but there was an improvement in tonal accuracy / timbre. With Pachanko SATA cables in my server, the music sounded more organic. I was so delighted with the improvements to SQ, I contacted Chan to ask if he supplied other insulated computer cables. To my delight he said he does. So I've ordered the following shielded cables

 

• 24PIN MOBO ATX cable (LPSU to Modular Bridge)
  
• 24PIN MOBO ATX cable (Modular Bridge to 24 pin connector on MOBO)
  
• 8PIN EPS 12V cable (CPU from LPSU to Modular Bridge)
  
• 8PIN EPS 12V cable (CPU from Modular Bridge to CPU power connector on MOBO)
  
• 4PIN SATA Power cable (LPSU to Modular Bridge)
  
• 4PIN SATA Power cable (Modular Bridge FOR *3 X HDD/SSD SATA power connectors)
  
• 2 shielded DC cables
  

Will write a post when the above cables arrive, are installed in my server and have burnt in. Cable will not arrive for another two weeks, burn-in might take a couple of weeks, so I'm unlikely to post anything for a month or so.

 

Happy listening.

[MR2]

Audiotruth, I would agree that tonal accuracy has improved as well. I didn't know Chan offered these various DC cables. Mine are from Paul Pang and some are early editions. I've had several custom cables made to order. I'll bet the Pachankos are awfully good. Thanks for the info and best of luck with your build.

[Audiotruth]

What did you notice re SQ when the custom DC cable went in?

 

Regards

[kaka]

Hi everyone

 

Can anyone comment on how the connectors on Pachanko sata cables work? Do they lock in place or just slide on?

And is that the same for the straight and angled ones?

 

I have some Jcat satas, and they did not lock at all which hasn't been ideal

 

Thanks

[Audiotruth]

Hi kaka,

 

I have one JCat sata and two Pachancho sata cables (none are angled) The Pachancho Sata cables have clips at the ends which are designed to hold them in place. The clips aren't highly effective, but I've not had any issues with my Pachancho sata cables disloding from my SSDs or board. Depending on your server layout and available space, I'd suggest angled sata cables. BTW in my system the Pachancho sata cables sound better than the JCat V1. Good luck.

[kaka]

Brilliant, many thanks

 

I will order a set

[Audiotruth]

For me the Pachanko sata cables sounded good from the get go. Chan did however recommend 100+ hours burn-in. Let me know how the cables sound in you server.

 

I've recent added Pachanko's sheilded ATX cables to my server (all ATX cables from HDPlex LPS to Bridge and Bridge to MoBo) as well as Pachanko's DC cables. I can't comment on how these cables sound Vs the stock ATX cables / DC cable, due to a fried JCat usb card. I'm awaiting the arrival of a replacement card ie a Paul Pang usb card. BTW I contact JPlay re do they repair their usb cards, their reply was a simple 'No'. This is the thrid time I've contacted JPlay re a defective product and all I get is their standard reply which is a version of 'Buy another one'. JPlay's customer service is terrible. I will never buy another of their product.

 

Pachanko's customer service on the other hand is quite good. Chan seams to care about his product and his band's reputation.

 

I'm off to watch the Bledisloe cup, best of luck to both countries.

[Marcin_gps]

Watch out!

User Audiotruth did not buy anything from JCAT. He also registered to jplay forum just to post negative feedback on JCAT SATA cables. You've been warned

 

Regards,

Marcin

[Audiotruth]

A good friend Dr D. Lowe, purchased the JCat SATA cable and JCat usb card from JPlay approximately 18-24 months ago. I have all the receipts. My friend decided not to use them, he didn't even open the box / packaging they came in. I purchased them from him, again they were brand new, never used them. I installed them in my server. See photos attached. (my system consists of an M1 DAC, Gryphon Sonata pre-amp and Halro DM 38 stereo power amp) I stand by my comment, I cannot recommend JPlay due to poor service and therefore will never purchase another JPlay product be it directly from JPlay or from audiophile friends.

 

This is my (audio) truth!

[highend-pcdoctor]

The Pachanko SATA have locking clips, that stay securely connected. If yo require angled connectors you only need to let Chan know those are the terminators you need, and he will supply the product with your request.

I have put the Pachanko Red SATA against the PPA Black and also the PPA Sarah and during the shootout the Pachanko Red was the clear winner; as stated by the panel of listeners. The Pachanko Reference Black blows all other SATA out the water, for the price to SQ satisfaction there should be no hesitation to get one or more for your music server(s).

[alba63]

So I will add my own experience report with the Pachanko SATA reference cable that I bougth roughly 10 days ago. Recently I have upgraded from Win 7 to Win 10 and regained my interest in optimizing audio quality, the PC being my main source of music. I haven't got a CD player since many years.

 

After trying and buying Audio Optimizer, Fidelizer and Jplay I was already quite happy, then started to look at some hardware optimizations and I decided to give the Pachanko SATA cable a try.I was hesitating for a while, because I hadn't hear of any of those (cable) companies before: Chan from Pachanko recommended me to start by replacing the OS disc cable with their "SATA Reference" cable. Not an easy decision, with more than 200 Euro for 20cm of cable, but - to make it short - this must be one of the most surprising investments in HiFi I have made in many years.

 

From the first minute I could hear better clarity, added space and a more solid and dry bass. After the recommended first 100 hours of burn- in the cable added a smoother sound, and even more "air". What used to be a more 2- dimensional music stage has now become much more 3-dimensional and so much more natural. I now hear no longer a "big HiFi sound", but a bunch of musicians making their music. Most impressive!

 

I also swapped the cable yesterday for the standard one, to compare the sound: It was still a good "HiFi sound", but the magic was mostly gone.

 

The described effects are only fully audible on my Win 2012 server installation (I run a dual boot PC), on my everyday Win 10 installation (which is only partly optimized for audio) there is still a lot of added transparency and air, but the sound is quite a bit colder and less dynamic. Nevertheless nice to also hear it there. Heck, even Youtube sounds better now than before :-)

 

The surprising aspect of this is that the Sata reference is currently the only "audio grade" hardware part in my PC, and already it made such an impact. The negative effect is now that I surely want to go further (read: spend more money): Replace the other SATA cable for the music data SSD, and the standard "Be Quiet!" PSU.

 

Of course the impact that such a cable can make will always depend on the total quality of the chain. In my case it seems that the standard PC was the weaker part, and optimizing it allows to show more of what the amp, loudspeakers and the DAC can do.

 

Chan from Pachanko was also very friendly and his advice was spot on.

 

Bottom line: Although this kind of money is a lot for 20cm of cable, I consider myself lucky to have tried it out. A very good investment...

 

Bernhard

[mancubus]

Hello, just wanted to add my personal thoughts about Pachanko cables.

I know cables need "burn in" time so was not listening very critically as soon as I plugged the SATA Reference to my OS SSD. But believe me what I heard from the first notes shocked me. One word - wow

I was not even replacing stock SATA cable. Pachanko SATA Reference cable replaced already very good sounding PPA Red cable so I was in shock because of the difference.

First thing come to my mind - Amazing dynamics. It's like my speakers became more efficient. I'm hearing more bass and it's so tight and good. Micro dynamics in accompany with "inky" black background gives me ability to listen in low volume without loosing any details.

Great depth, no digital glare and super wide soundstage - another synonyms when I think about this cable.

SATA Reference transformed my sound to another level of listening pleasure. I couldn't turn everything off and go to sleep! So engading....

Recently I bought Pachanko USB cable. And as soon as I replaced the stock printer cable I realized that it stays good time. Extended and less harsh highs, blacker background. Overall calmer presentation indicates lower noise floor.

After that another Pachanko SATA Reference cable was plugged to my Music SSD. Again...what a difference in presentation. After switching cables back and forth I understood that the digital signal path from SSD to RAM (memory based playback software) must be shielded good in order to "extract" more music from the files. So SATA Reference do it superbly. Highly recommended. Don't take my word for it. Try it yourself!

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

Watch out!

User Audiotruth did not buy anything from JCAT. He also registered to jplay forum just to post negative feedback on JCAT SATA cables. You've been warned

 

Regards,

Marcin

 

Watch Out Indeed.....for JCAT !!

 

I have mentioned on this forum before how poor I consider JCAT's after sales service and policy regarding replacing defective products. I have had direct dealings with Marcin over the original JCAT card which did not work properly only to get the same reply of buy the upgraded one, "we fixed it". There was a refusal to replace or repair the faulty design flaw in the original JCAT usb card.

 

Marcin did offer various tweaks to alter the BIOS settings to see if the card would work. It didnt. Still no satisfaction from Marcin! I am guesiing that this is because there were many such complaints on his own forum about the product and going on for over a year if I recall correctly.he would have had to replace a lots of JCAT usb cards!

 

In my case I didnt get in before the 2 weeks return policy as I didnt get around to building the server due to delays in the HDPLEX case being delivered. Marcin was unmoved in his position. As before, I continue to believe that such products should come with a twelve month warranty, even toasters do! If the product is flawed by design it should be recalled and replaced!

 

In my experience such a blanket refusal to fix or replace a faulty product is unprecedented in high-end audio.I did by a replacement usb card as marcin suggested. I upgraded to the PPA V3 card and havent looked back! I have since bought other PPA products and have received great service. BTW Larry at HDPlex also gives fantastic after sales service. Any problems and he instantly fixes or replaces the part.

 

I did not support the stance JimH took against JPlay but now I wonder was there more to it than meets the eye.

 

I would never buy JCAT or JPLAY products again. Caveat Emptor, buyer beware !

[tboooe]

Hi guys...just seeking some advice on where to start. I have a 2 PC system with HQPlayer and NAA. In which PC should I upgrade the SATA first for biggest improvement?

 

Also, how big of a jump is it from the standard Pachanko SATA to the Reference? Is it worth over twice the price?

[AudioPhil]

Hi tboooe

 

in my opinion on the os disk of the NAA.

 

best,

Phil

[tboooe]

Hi tboooe

 

in my opinion on the os disk of the NAA.

 

best,

Phil

 

Thank you Phil. Last question...I need to get a right angle connector on the mobo side. Is that possible?

[AudioPhil]

Sure, you can just note it during the checkout process.

[Audiotruth]

Well said. My experience with JPlay’s lack of after sales service mirrors yours. Bloody awful!

 

A few standouts include

 

1. Larry of HDPlex. His after sales service and support has been great. Thanks Larry.

2. Chan at Pachanko also provides great after sales service. As a result of the quality of Chan's products and his positive after sales support, I've purchased the following Pachanko products:

- 2 x SATA reference cables,

- 1 x twin head reference usb cable

- A bunch of shielded ATX cables including; 24PIN MOBO ATX cable (LPSU to Modular Bridge), 24PIN MOBO ATX cable (Modular Bridge to 24 pin connector on MOBO), 8PIN EPS 12V cable (CPU from LPSU to Modular Bridge), 8PIN EPS 12V cable (CPU from Modular Bridge to CPU power connector on MOBO), 4PIN SATA Power cable (LPSU to Modular Bridge), 4PIN SATA Power cable (Modular Bridge FOR *3 X HDD/SSD SATA power connectors)

- 2 x shielded DC cables.

 

So what difference did the above Pachanko cables make to sound quality (SQ)? I don't have the patience or time to A-B every cable in the server, so although not ideal, I added every thing in at once to burn-in (approximately 150 hours) before auditioning. The difference in SQ was very positive. There’s more detail, particularly in the upper mids and lower treble. Base is tighter and more extended. The background is blacker and there appeared to be more space between instruments. The big change however in SQ is that it’s less Hi Fi sounding. It’s like a singer / band is in the room. As a friend once said "the instruments were more there, more organic, more life like". Could not have said it better myself.

 

So when looking for Hi Fi or server components I pay attention to the manufacture’s aftersales reputation as well as the quality of their product.

[Takacid]

Just got my Pachanko SATA MkII Cable. At first, I was worried that the 30cm cable won't fit into my tiny NUC fanless case, but it did! Great sounding cable. Highly recommended.

[thuandb]

I first upgraded sata link on os ssd of audioPC to Pachanko Reference SATA, liked the positive change in SQ, then lately upgraded sata link on os ssd of controlPC, and loved the heightened dimentionality. Besides, Pachanko SATA seems reliable and durable. I've installed and reinstalled ws2016 many times for the last few weeks but experienced none of sata relared errors. Highly recommended.

[Audiotruth]

A friend recommended separating the power supply to the 2 SSDs. Taking his recommendation on board, I use two HDPlex 300 W LPS, one to supply power to the MoBo and the music file SSD, the other to supplies power to a Paul Pang usb card and the operating system SSD. The improvement in SQ was better than expected.

 

BTW unrelated to SATA cable, SSDs and power supplies, I've recently added Pachanko's speaker cables to my system. I've only had them in my system for 30 hours, but already they sound great. Chan says his speaker cale require 500 hours to burn-in. If anyone is interested in knowing how Pachanko speaker cables sound let me know and I'll report back when the cables have clocked up few more hundred hours.