2022 Golden Ear: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 Power Distributor

Shunyata Research Everest 8000 Power Distributor

$8995

I have had the pleasure of using the Everest 8000 power conditioner—I mean, power distributor, as Shunyata calls it—for about a year, and the more I’ve used it the more it has impressed me. When paired with Shunyata’s Omega XC power cord ($7000), which is pretty much how most people deploy the Everest, my system makes music sound both more dynamically alive and more at ease. Because the noise floor is lowered so dramatically, greater contrasts in dynamic and timbral shadings allow for a more complete rendering of recordings. Imaging and soundstaging are also more three-dimensional and lifelike. Unlike many power conditioners that can inhibit power delivery, the Everest has a patented power-reservoir technology (called QR/BB) that delivers extra power on demand. Shunyata deploys several other unique technologies, but limited space does not allow for a complete accounting. Build-quality is first rate, and the form factor (an elongated truncated-pyramid shape), equipped with “cradles” to support the cable plugs, makes it easy to use. I believe other reviewers have also given the Everest 8000 awards, including a Golden Ear Award by Robert Harley in 2020. It is so good that I must join the chorus of those who have already praised it. An easy GEA this year, too.