I already had the Shunyata Sigma power cords, so I saw no reason to take them out. To be honest, I haven't compared the system with and without them since I got the Denali. I like what I'm hearing, and that's enough for me.

Yes, I tried several different versions of the Equi=Tech balanced line conditioners. I felt they slightly leaned out the sound and reduced dynamics. A friend has one of their huge wall panels, which should swing more current and help with the dynamics, and he used to swear by it until he tried an Audioquest Niagra 7000, which he feels made a big improvement. I have to believe that if the Equi=Tech did everything right, I doubt he would've noticed such an improvement when he added the Niagara.