Duelund conversion to DIY Helix Geometry Cabling

@mawe - There appears to be some interesting articles on the web on this topic

• some say yes - all three have to be the same size
• some say the neutral can be bigger than the Live wire
  • but definitely NOT the other way around
• some say the ground wire can be larger or smaller than either Live or Neutral

So the Helix basically has

• the Live wire being smaller than the neutral wire
  • which appears to be acceptable
• The Ground wire is smaller than both the Live Wire and the neutral wire...i.e.
  • 12 gauge ground (for HD cables)
    • with an 11 gauge Live and a 9 gauge neutral
  • 14 gauge ground (for source cables)
    • with a 15 gauge Live and an 11 gauge neutral
• both of which appears to be acceptable

I do think this is where common sense has to be applied to the ground wire.

It’s purpose is to carry electrical current only under short circuit or other "conditions" that would be potentially dangerous.

However - that ground is not there to allow the component to continue functioning normally.

• in the event of a catastrophic failure somewhere within the component
  • it is designed to prevent the case/chassis of the component from becoming "LIVE"
  • Generally, if this occurs with a properly connected ground wire, then the current draw should exceed that of the fuse in the component,
    • which will break the live feed to the component
  • OR trip the breaker on the supply panel.
  • I believe the ground wire in either of the Helix cables should be sufficient to protect from electric shock and be of adequate gauge such that the breaker will trip (or the fuse will blow) long before the ground wire is compromised to the point of physical failure

The only other instance I am aware of where wire sizes of all three wires MUST BE IDENTICAL is

• In those countries, such as Norway, that has a balanced power distribution network where both live and neutral carry the same voltage, with a 180 phase difference
• or balanced power supply/conditioners popular with the audiophile community
• My web site warns of both of these situations and recommends NOT using the Helix cables.

Having said all of that - it you are concerned about the different gauges used

• then please make all three conductors the same gauge
• There may be a very slight impact to performance, but it would be minimal

Regards - Steve

@duffyd - definitely food for thought for sure

So in my case I used s twisted pair, so I might take this approach...

• I would apply this coating after the wires were twisted, because the twisting could remove the coating
• keep the coats very thin by wiping off any excess between coats
  
• apply 2 thin coats

Now ...

• applying any type of coating will increase the Dielectric Constant when compared to the naked wire
• but to what level would be he question
• but the effect of a couple of thin coats should be negligible

Personally, from what I am observing, i.e. by comparing my "naked" wires inside the sealed tube to the piece of naked wire I have sitting on my audio rack - I’m not ready to add this step to my cables just yet

It might be easy to achieve for 1 - 2 meter cables, BUT for my 10 ft speaker cables, it would present significant challenges, especially in my cramped winter work space at present

One member had suggested wiping the naked wire with WD40.

• easy to do in almost any space
• readily available
• and very affordable
• I just don’t know how effective this is - just yet :-)

Keep the ideas coming - Steve

@debjit_g - I tried a full Duelund Signal and Duelund neutral interconnect probablby last year and it was identical to the same cable with the Mil-spec neutral.

Others in Europe have tried some very good wires for the Neutral on speaker and interconnects and found it made no difference, hence why I still recommend the Mil-Spec for the neutral

As for the signal/live wire - my pref’s in descending order (for all cables)

1. Neotech Solid UP-OCC copper (Naked)
2. VH Audio Solid UP-OCC copper (Naked) no difference from #1
3. Neotech solid UP-OCC copper (Teflon)
4. VH Audio Solid UP-OCC copper (AirLok)
5. Mundorf solid silver/gold (in cotton sleeve)
6. Duelund stranded tinned copper in cotton/oil (interconnect and speaker cables only)
7. Duelund stranded tinned copper in Polycast insulation for live wire in power cables

The gauge and umber of wires used are as follows

• for IC’s 2 x 18 gauge for Neotech, VH Audio, Mundorf and Duelund was 1 x 18 gauge cotton oil
• For speaker cables using Neotech 1 x 14 gauge
• For speaker cables using VH Audio, 2 x 18 gauge
• For speaker cables using Duelund, 1 x 16 and 1 x 12 gauge
  
• For power cables with Neotech 1 x 12 gauge
• For power cables with VH Audio 4 x 18 gauge
• For power cables with Duelund 1 x 12 gauge with Polycast insulation
  

What difference are there between these wires?

• all are very good wires to use for the signal wires but as you apporach my #1 - the image gets bigger and more focussed, the dynamics are faster and the clarity and details improve.
• Duelund is not as fast as the UP-OCC copper or the silver, so dynamics are a little slower, but that translates to being less aggressive and more "laid back", so it really depends on the ears of the listener and the music they listen too
• Also, my system is all solid state, so there would very likely be a slight change in my order if I were to hear the wires on an all tube system.
• But I stress these are MY PREFERENCES on MY SYSTEM in MY LISTENING SPACE.

The one thing I have come to appreciate about the Helix Deign is that it is very easy to change the signal wires, so you could start with Duelund and easily move to something else later

I would probably skip the Mundorf Solid Silver/gold because the VH Audio Solid Copper wire with the AirLok insulation was better and costs less

I have not included the VH Audio Solid Silver wire because on my system, the Solid Copper was almost as good as the Mundorf at 1/5th the price, but I know others have tried it and love the results on their system

Perhaps @wig and @grannyring - or anyone else - can provide their comments - because different opinions makes for a more informed choice.

BTW - My musical taste is pretty much anything that sounds amazing, so I have lots to choose from, but I can appreciate some genres might sound better with a more "relaxed sounding" wire.

Hope that helps Steve

@debjit_g - here are your answers..

1. NAKED means without insulation.
2. I inserted the naked wire into a larger diameter teflon tube and sealed the ends using adhesive lined heat shrink available from many places on the web
   
3. Two runs of 18 gauge eqauals 15 gauge, so the 14 gauge was thicker, hence the need for only a single strand
4. If you are in the US try https://www.apexjr.com/wire.html
   
5. If you are outside the US then Take Five Audio, Parts Connexion, and HiFi Collective are stores I use for my wires
6. You can search on eBay as well

The problem with finding more affordable Mil-spec wires

• their quality can vary and there are leterally dozens of spec’s they could conform too including
• Quality of copper
• thickness and quality of the silver plating
• The thickness of the insulation
• Most (if any) are not cryo-treated
• The Take Five Audio wire is very good quality AND it is cryo-treated
• so really - you do get what oyu pay for
• I have only ever used the Mil-Spec wire from Take Five Audio - perhaps the highest quality and Cryo-treated
• Jantzen stranded silver plated wire is another wire I have heard performs very well for the Neutral

For a more budget oriented cable that performs very well you could use a solid copper with Teflon sleeve

• I used one when I started this design and it worked quite well -but not as good as the Mil-spec
• however I was not using the same signal wires as I do today, so it could prove to be very good and much more affordable

Granted - the wires we are using today makes the Helix cables more expensive than most other DIY solutions to build, but as @grannyring has pointed out - they are outperforming commercial products that cost thousands of dollars

But the nice thing with DIY - you get to use the wires/connectors that suit YOUR budget

Regards - Steve

@ketchup - it is the best wire of the many wires I have tried over the past 6 years of Helix development, specifically for the neutral wire of the Helix Cables

Perhaps it's more the silver plating, but the thickness of the Teflon, thickness of the silver plating etc. etc. also plays a role. 

As I have stated many times - the nice things about DIY is that the person building the cables get to choose the wire of their choice

I am simply conveying what I have found to work extremely well and the Mil-spec wire from Take Five Audio is my particular choice

Regards - Steve

I just found this place - they have 10, 12 and 16 gauge and sell by the foot - it’s NOT mil-spec, but it is stranded silver plated copper that should hold the helix shape quite well

FEP Teflon Silver Plated Copper Wire (Cu/Ag 16AWG) MDY-FEP16 (performance-pcs.com)

Plus - Worldwide shipping

Regards

@debjit_g - I believe @grannyring prefers the Silver VH Audio over the VH Audio copper.

I tried the silver on power cables for source components and preferred it over the VH Audio copper

But if you are planning to use a "naked" signal wire in teflon tube / cotton tube / silk tube then for me the VH Audio Copper is extremely good.

Otherwise I found the Neotech solid copper with Teflon to sound better than the VH Audio copper with AirLok insulation

But again, others preferred the sound of the VH Audio Solid copper.

You hear some of us extol the virtues of the various wires but there really is not a great deal of difference between them, Personal preference plays a part and different systems plays a part, but in the end they all sound extremely good.

There is a $limit to my "insanity" so I'd go for the copper and use the savings to fund the next cable :-)

Hope that Helps Steve

@rx8man - I just took a look at the CEC lineup and they are very nice units - which one do you have?

You should hear significantly more details with improved clarity, better dynamics and more spacious imaging.

But sometimes the amount of improvement depends on how good the power supply in the component is.

Having said that - my Bryston B135 integrated, that has three independent power supplies for preamp and L/R channels, surprised me by improving significantly across the board.

Also, Bryston is a company that is known for its quality power supplies, so you can never predict the outcome - you have to listen

Keep an ear out for what I call "venue acoustics" those little reverberations and echoes of the instruments.

On one recording I have of a classical quartet recorded in a small concert room, you can clearly hear a bus drive by in the background - something I had not heard before these cables

Looking forward to hearing your observations

I think you are in for a real treat :-)

Regards - Steve

@lionel - I have tried the Mundorf Solid Silver/gold, which is pretty close to the wire you mentioned just from a purity perspective

However, it seems there is something very special about the UP-OCC copper from either Neotech or VH Audio, because it performed better than the Mundorf.Silver/Gold(1%)

Right now the only wire that might perform better than the UP-OCC copper is the UP-OCC solid Silver wire from VH Audio, which is ..99999 purity and it is created using the UP-OCC process  which is definitely proving to provide exceptional performance

However - everybody has a budget to consider and the Riogrande Wire is a very affordable alternative when compared to the Mundorf Solid Silver and even the VH Audio Solid Copper.

I would "guestimate" its performance would be on par with the Mundorf Solid Silver/gold wire.

So - it really boils down to your budget, but this wire appears to be  worth considering

Many Thanks - Steve

@lionel - if the amp has balanced speaker outputs then the Helix cables will not work well with it, but you will not damage the amp to my knowledge

Another word used for this "fully balanced" type of design is "Symmetrical"

One member has tried the Helix with this design and said they sounded awful. Once I found out the reason I added the warning to my web site.

A lot of commercial brands of cable will not sound their best with this type of amp design.

The best approach is to use two individual wires that are NOT joined in any way and keep them about 2" apart.

Silversmith Fedelium Speaker cables might be a very good match - a pair of 10ft cables is $1400, which in todays world is not too bad. A lot of people on this forum like them

Silversmith Audio

You could also try Van den Hul D352 wire and separate the conductors, or there are even better offerings from VanDen Hul.

NOTE: Speaker cables for this design should NOT be twisted together, as with XLR Interconnect cables, because the speakers lack the circuitry that eliminates noise.

A QUESTION FOR YOU: does the manual for the amp explain what type of speaker cable should/could be used?

I have an issue with companies that omit crucial information pertaining to their products that could result in damage - e.g. quite a few solid state high current designs DO NOT like speaker cables with very high capacitance, which can drive the amp to oscillate and damage the amp. NAIM has the same issue but makes their customer aware of it on their web site.

A TOTL offering from Cardas has very high capacitance, but Cardas are not to blame because those cables work perfectly well for Tube Amps

An acquaintance blew an Ayre and a Gryphon using Cardas cables - that's $20k total - all because the amp companies DID NOT make him aware of the issue .

OK - I'll get off my soap box now :-)

Regards - Steve





.

@aniwolfe - the quick answer - Not in the Teflon tube.

I did use the Mundorf 2 x 18 gauge Mundorf Solid Silver + 1% gold in cotton sleeve for IC's a couple of iterations ago

• that was replaced with 2 x 18 gauge VH Audio UP-OCC solid copper with Air Lok Insulation
• and now 2 x 18 VH Audio or Netoech NAKED UP-OCC solid copper in Teflon tube
• both were superior to the Mundorf

Since I now had  surplus Mundorf Silver+gold wire, I decided to recycle it by replacing the1 x 12 gauge Duelund stranded tinned copper wire that was inside my power distribution box with 4 strands of the Mundorf wire in cotton sleeve - which did improve things

• that has now been replaced by 1 x 12 gauge Neotech UP-OCC solid copper with the Teflon insulation.
• which proved to be superior to the solid silver

Each time, the UP-OCC copper outperformed the Mundorf silver+gold wire.

based on those observations I believe the OCC copper provides superior performance over most solid silver wires available 

• with the exception of UP-OCC silver wire from VH audio.
• Neotech also produces UP-OCC silver but in a much lighter gauge

I did try 1 x 18 gauge VH Audio solid silver wire with AirLok insulation in two power cables for my low power source components, which provided better sound...

• but that has now been replaced with 1 x 12 gauge Neotech solid UP-OCC copper inside a PVC tube (but Teflon would have been a better choice).

RE: NUMBER OF STRANDS...
Whilst it appears that a double strand of wire seems to be beneficial, increasing the number of strands beyond two does not appear to provide much more in terms of sonic performance - it just costs more

• at present the VH Audio UP-OCC solid silver is only available up to 18 gauge
• the Neotech UP-OCC is an even lighter gauge
• so to use it for power cables would require 4 (or more) strands to equate to 12 gauge
• this would increase costs significantly
• but would it provide much better performance?

I do have a $LIMIT to what I am prepared to spend on cables and I think I may have reached it.

You also have to consider diminishing returns

• the naked UP-OCC copper in Teflon tube  is providing stunning performance
• so how much improvement would UP-OCC solid silver achieve???

RE: OXIDATON...
SO how much of an impact might the oxidation on the solid copper in Teflon be???

• to this point that is the BIG unknown
• but if I think about the copper used on buildings - it takes about 5 years exposure to the elements for the green patina to take hold
• my wire is inside is sealed Teflon tube with very little space for air
• I do not think I will be replacing wire within a 10-15 year period
• by then I will probably be past caring
  
• but I am monitoring its progress monthly
• to date (after a month) it seems to have stalled
• The speaker cables have been several months and still very bright

However - If anyone has the budget to try the VH Audio solid silver - give it a try - you'll probably get 20-30 years before the silver sulfide (i.e. the black tarnish) impacts sound quality.

Hope that answers you question :-)

Regards - Steve

@lionel  just found Ice Power Module details - in the literature that is available online- 

The speaker output of the 200AS1 is a balanced output with two active signal lines capable of driving complex speaker loads. As the speaker output is already in a balanced configuration, bridging of two channels is not possible.

So I can confirm the Helix Cables WILL NOT sound their best with this amp

Regards - Steve

OK, so in my post on 01-20-2021 6:13pm (on page 6) I talked about removing the insulation from the Neotech and VH Audio wires for the signal wires of my interconnects. I said at the end of the post that I would provide an update on the burn-in process - this is IT :-)

So today, I was only planning on listening casually and I had not listened to an album by Colin Blunstone for a while, so I pulled it out of its sleeve and plonked it on the turntable..

As the "needle dropped" the sound was breathtaking. I had never heard details or imaging antwhere near as good as this - EVER !!!

So after listening to the album, I thought what about the digital rig - is that gonna be as good???
- it has identical cables made around the same time and had a little more burn-in under it’s belt

Since I subscribe to Amazon Prime, I searched for Colin Blunstone and as it turns out they had a few tracks

Playing those tracks simply confirmed that my digital rig was very close to my analogue rig and provided the same spacious and detailed sound.

Now I don’t know if burn-in is complete, but based on this performance - it’s a good way into the process and sounding pretty amazing.

I remember the very first pair of Helix Speaker cables I made - they had a similar impact - a sort of "What The Heck" response.

Today was yet another WTH day, and in between there has been many moments where the improvements were discernable but not quite in the same league as this one.

Up to this point, I was not planning on upgrading my web site with this version of the Helix simply because of the possibility of the bare wires oxidizing and possibly forcing a rewire a few years down the road.

But the impact of this change warrants publication on my web site for all to enjoy AND from my current observations of how well the bare wire seems to be holding up I think that publication is a must.

The sound my system is producing is amazing me more everyday - i have NEVER heard anything this good and I have listened to systems upwards of $300k with over 30k in cables alone. By comparison my system MSRP is around 17k including cables and stand.

I can only imagine the sound some other members must be getting from their systems :-)

Now the only thing left...

• I used to use a version number to denote a new release - like MK I, MK II,etc...
• with the latest version I changed from a version number to a new name - The Helix IMAGE, because of its outstanding imaging
• so, do I call this one - The Naked Helix? or Helix au Naturel? or ???

Time will tell :-)

FYI - I have adopted the bare wire inside a Teflon (or PVC) tube approach on ALL my cables. For the signal or live wires I use

• 1 x 12 gauge Neotech UP-OCC copper on power cables
• 1 x 14 gauge Neotech UP-OCC copper on speaker cables
• 2 x 18 gauge Neotech AND VH Audio UP-OCC copper wire on the interconnects
• The neutral remains Silver plated stranded Mil-Spec wire
• I am toying with a 2 x 14 gauge Neotech UP-OCC live conductor for a power cable - still contemplating this one

If you haven’t tried the Helix using the bare wire inside a Teflon tube approach - give it a whirl - you WILL NOT regret it.

It is a significant improvement, with absolutely stunning results

Regards - Steve

@maxuima95 - YES - only for the speaker cable !

Here is my understanding (and I am paraphrasing heavily here)...

• the "balanced" audio signal that comes through an XLR Interconnect (e.g. from a DAC) is "processed" by the receiving component (e.g. a pre-amp) such that any noise is removed, resulting in a single audio signal (not two)
• If the pre-amp has XLR outputs the "clean" audio signal is again "processed" into two signals 180 degrees out of phase, but there needs to be a neutral to complete the circuit
• Now in a Balanced "symmetrical" amp design, the signal comping into the XLR input is processed in the same manner as the pre-amp processed it’s XLR input
• but in the output stage of the amp a principle similar to a balanced power supply is employed, in that two signals that are 180 degrees out of phase is used to drive the speaker - BUT there is NO neutral at the output
• so if you were the speaker - the signal in one wire will effectively "pull" the voice coil and the signal in the other wire will effectively "push" the voice coil and vice versa as the signal moves from the +ve cycle to the -ve cycle.
  
• So what happens if the HELIX SPEAKER CABLES are used to connect the speaker to this type of amp - the UP-OCC Signal wire has excellent transmission capability, but the neutral cable being 2.5 times longer and only silver plated copper, does not conduct it’s 180 degree out of phase signal quite as "accurately" as the signal wire does
• This results in imperfect forces being applied to the voice coil and clarity, tone, imaging dynamics are impacted and the resulting sound is not as good as it could be
• However - the amp WILL NOT suffer any damage as a result of the Helix cables being connected.

I hope that explains things :-)

Regards - Steve

@massagevermont - Chris - all I do is take a Utility knife like this one

Internet’s Best Snap-Off Utility Knife - Regular - Set of 3 - Belt Clip - Retractable Razor Knife Set - Box Cutter Locking Razor Knife, Utility Knives - Amazon Canada

• lay the wire on a flat surface - you only need about a 12"-18" surface
• Lay the blade flat on the wire and then lift the blunt side of the blade up to create around a 5 degree angle with the sharp edge on the insulation
• slide the blade along the wire to remove a thin strip of the insulation about 4-5 inches at a time
• Once a thin strip has been removed for the entire length - peel off the remaining insulation

It is very easy and does very little damage to the wire - much better and a lot faster than wire strippers

Hope that helps - Steve

Just to clarify - I am not "anti-silver" - I used solid silver for many years and preferred it.

But the UP-OCC solid copper is so darn good, I now find it difficult to justify the cost of silver, for what might be a small ROI

I know others on this thread prefer silver and perhaps I would spring for it if I didn’t have a couple of other expensive hobbies that take some funds away from this one - oh, and a happy wife - at present :-)

If it weren’t for that I would probably try it

Just thought I should clarify things - Steve

Chris - I use the one below for both IC's and power cables. It is sufficiently wide to provide adequate space around a 2 x 18 gauge twisted conductor and a 1 x 12 gauge or 1 x 14 gauge solid wire, that way one tube fits all

PTFE 10 Tubing - Thin Wall Teflon Tubing In A Variety Of Gauges - (takefiveaudio.com)

Inside diameter is 0.106"
Outside Diameter is 0.13"

It fits snuggly inside the Helix of the interconnect, so be careful of the RCA housing being able to slide over the Helix at the plug.

I use a small piece of Heatshrink about 1/4" long to seal the end of the tube to the wire, but Hot glue might be a better alternative if you can get it into the tube. You can peal any excess off the outside of the tube leaving more room for the Helix wire

Regards - Steve

I have now updated my web site with instruction and images of the process for removing the insulation and installing the Teflon tube

Just click on the link to The HELIX IMAGE (Air) on the home page at...

My Audio Alchemy (image99.net)

It also shows a simple insulation stripping jig that makes stripping the wire so much easier

All other instructions remain the same

Regards - Steve

@abolive - I just took a look at the Hypex web site and there was no mention of it using a Symmetrical Balanced Design, so I think you are OK using the Helix Speaker Cables.

But from what I read the unit does requires a balanced input, so the single ended Helix Cable is not compatible - you will need to build the XLR Helix instead

Regards

WIRE PROVIDER UPDATE !!!

I have just learned that Parts Connexion sells a 6N OCC bare wire
- it’s more affordable than Neotech and VH Audio
- AND less work if you are building the HELIX IMAGE (Air)

They do not have a 12 gauge (for power cables) but you could do a double barrel approach using 12 x 14 gauge (equivalent to 11 gauge) for the live conductor - but it IS a more expensive option to the 1 x 12 gauge Neotech wire I am currently using

OCC6N Wire 14awg 6N OCC Solid Core Copper BARE (partsconnexion.com)

HELIX CABLE UPDATE:

I have just updated a pair of speaker cables to the (Air) option using bare 2 x 18 UP-OCC Copper (VH-Audio) and I am not really hearing any improvement compared to the bare 1 x 14 gauge Neotech - they both sound awesome.

I have the wire on order to try a bare 2 x 16 gauge (effective 13 gauge) power cable live conductor to see if the double barreled approach yields some benefits , so stay tuned for that update in a couple of weeks  

Regards - Steve

@brunorivademar - even using just bare copper wire you should hear a significant improvement in details, clarity and image size, mainly due to the reduced noise of crosstalk between conductors and noise generated by insulation

Eventually moving to better quality wire and connectors will bring much improved dynamics, larger image, improved clarity, more details.

But it will be educational to hear about YOUR cables - i.e.

• wires/connectors used
• your observations on the improvements of sound quality
• system components

They will assist other readers thinking of dipping their toes into the waters of the Helix :-)

If you have any questions just ask - someone is always willing to help

Regards - Steve

@walkern - I have tried the speaker cables without beads, but I prefer them with beads - the sound is just a little more relaxed, with slightly improved clarity and with a slightly larger image - it was NOT a huge difference

But that is with MY ears on MY system. And it was a couple of iterations ago, so I was not not using the bare wire in Teflon tube - it was using the 2 x 18 VH Audio with Airlok insulation

I guess the thing to do would be to try it without the beads and see if you like the sound.

Let us know how they turn out

Regards - Steve

I’m with @grannyring

• the lighter gauges do not sound as good as 2 x 18 gauge for interconnects
• my a 4 x 18 gauge copper or silver conductor did not sound as good as my 1 x 12 gauge for power cables
• I’m about to try 2 x 16 gauge bare wire for power cables
• I’m still evaluating 2 x 18 gauge for speaker cables compared to my 1 x 14 speaker cables - it is extremely close.

There seems to be something about the double conductor approach for live and signal conductors when used in the Helix design, but I cannot think of a reason - as yet

Even before this thread started, myself and others in Europe had tried 1 x 24, 1 x 22, 1 x 20, 1 x 18 and 1 x 16 gauge wires, and 1 x18 gauge came out on top.

I’ve also read of many "cable theories" on this forum

• my favorite is the one that cites a minimum length for a Digital cable of just over a meter as being optimal
• but my 18 inch HELIX SPDIF proved otherwise

Now,  I do not dispute the observations of others that have great success with smaller gauge wires. HOWEVER, they are NOT using the Helix geometry.

Regards - Steve

@divertiti - WRT UP-OCC bare wire - from  my post  dated  02-14-2021 8:05am

https://www.partsconnexion.com/product50050.html

Regards

@ divertiti - I have tried both Neotech and VH Audio UP-OCC wires in identical interconnects and I was unable to tell the difference when both wires are bare - i.e. as a twisted pair.

I cannot find Parts Express bare UP-OCC wire - please provide a link

Parts Connexion does have a bare UP-OCC bare wire

The UP-OCC process is quite precise and the Parts Connexion bare UP-OCC wire SHOULD BE of a comparable quality to both Neotech and VH Audio.

But I think the improvements observed are more related to the insulation (or lack of), when opting for the Teflon tube method, which contributes greatly to the clarity, details and image, regardless of wire brand

The Bare wire in the Teflon tube was, for me, the icing on the cake!

Compared to some of the other changes I’ve made over the past 8 - 10 months this was one of the more significant.

Before deciding to post my observations of the Bare Wire approach I applied a lot of thought about the issue of oxidation, but as I proceeded changing all my cables I was able to see how the oxidation over that time was much less of an issue than originally anticipated, i.e. provided the ends of the Teflon tube was sealed.

It became evident over that time, that this particular change was well worth the additional effort, since the risk of oxidation was in fact quite low and the benefits so compelling

So - "The Juice", was definitely worth "The Squeeze"

Hope that helps - Steve

AND NOW - FOR THE TECHNICALLY MINDED....

Unwanted Energy Storage in Cables - Dielectric Constant | Lectromec

A very good CONCISE (and easy to understand) article 

Happy Reading - Steve

HELIX IMAGE (Air) power cable update - from my earlier post dated 02-14-2021 8:05am above

So the wire arrived this week for my 2 x 16 gauge version of the Helix IMAGE (Air) power cable and I’ve had the cables in the system for a couple of days burning in but the improvements where noticeable from the first track.

The old cables had 1 x 12 gauge BARE Neotech UP=OCC solid copper inside Teflon tube with cotton sleeve.

The new cables have 2 x 16 gauge BARE Neotech UP=OCC solid copper twisted together inside Teflon tube with cotton sleeve. The Teflon tube was the same diameter as on the 1 x 12 gauge version
i.e.
PTFE 10 Tubing - Thin Wall Teflon Tubing In A Variety Of Gauges - (takefiveaudio.com)

Since I was just upgrading the existing cables the Neutral remain unchanged - 2 x 12 gauge silver plated mil-spec stranded copper

Well, the Schroeder Double Barrel approach has triumphed yet again !

The improved articulation of the music was the most noticeable, with a more expansive image, where the placement of the instruments just seemed to be very precise, with pinpoint accuracy. The old 1 x 12 power cables were very good, just not THIS good.

There now seems to be more layers I had not noticed before and on some tracks I now hear little things e.g. bell strikes that I had not noticed before - so clarity had improved also.

As I listened, there was a nice smoothness to the upper end, especially the violins. The mid’s had a nice natural fullness to them and the bass went deeper but again with even more textures than previous iterations of the cables.

By comparison, the older cables makes me think they were perhaps a little on the "Clinical" side, because I very much like this new warmth.

Will the 2 x 16 gauge version work for Amps?

• right now, this appears to improve the low end a little
• however, the improvements over the existing 1 x 12 gauge version were no where near as apparent as with the source components
• I think I will move to a 2 x 14 gauge version for the amp to see if it yields any significant improvements.

The difference in findings between the source components and the amp is no real surprise.
Since my Bryston B135 amp has seperate transformers/power supplies for PRE-Amp and L & R channels. Whereas the power supplies in my source components are not of the same ablity.

I chose 2 x 16 gauge simply because it fit into this Teflon Tube that I had on hand

So why does 2 x 16 work better than 1 x 12 ???
Here’s an extract from the article in this link...
electricity - Do electrons jump from one wire to another if they are of different materials? - Physics Stack Exchange

If electrons were not able to flow between two different conductors in contact with one another, we would not be able to make any connections in an electrical circuit that feeds loads. So obviously they can flow between conductors in contact with one another (twisted,or otherwise).

The term "jump" invokes the wrong impression that electrons need to leap through the air from one conductor to another, although as explained below arcing is possible at the conductor interface.

Although electrons don’t have to "jump" between the conductors, it is more difficult for electrons to cross between two physically different conductors due to microscopic irregularities at the contact surfaces with points of contact and areas of non contact. Overall, this gives rise to what is referred to as contact resistance at the interface. Contact resistance, which is greater than the resistance of the conductor themselves,

So taking this into account, even IF the two wires ARE touching it is "almost as if" they were insulated from each other until they reach the ends, where the solder provide a better "path" for electrons to move across

So then, with two strands of wire twisted together - the impedance of the "conductor" is half that of a single wire.

But the conundrum here is - why aren’t 4 wires even better?

I have tried 4 x 18 gauge VH Audio UPP-OCC copper in AirLok insulation (effectively a 12 gauge cable) and it was not as good as the 1 x 12 gauge in Teflon, but of all the combinations tried 2 x 12 seems superior - strange ???

Getting the very best out of the Helix IMAGE (Air) Power cables is very much dependent on the components in the system.

You could opt for a single "architecture" e.g. 2 x 14 gauge Bare wire inside Teflon for all power cables.

You may opt to insert each wire inside it’s own teflon tube or twist them together inside a single tube

Personally - i am going to stick with the 2 x 16 gauge in a single tube for Source components.

And perhaps a 2 x 14 gauge bare wire twisted together inside this larger teflon tube
Convoluted Teflon Tubing - Convoluted Teflon Tubing Flexes Without Kinking - (takefiveaudio.com)

As always - I will keep you updated on the outcome

But try the Double Shotgun method - it works - REALLY WELL !!!

Cheers - Steve

@celo - apart from this very latest update the web site is up to date - Including how to build the HELIX IMAGE (Air) variant.

1. HELIX IMAGE POWER CABLE:
GROUND CONDUCTOR is 12 gauge stranded wire from any hardware store

NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR is 2 x 12 gauge stranded silver plated Mil-Spec wire

the LIVE WIRE CAN BE ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING depending on your own preferences and in descending order of performance

1. 1 x 12 gauge Neotech UP-OCC solid copper (i.e. the best perofrmance)
   
2. 4 x 18 gauge VH Audio UP-OCC solid copper
3. 1 x 12 gauge Duelund wire with the Polymer insulation (IF FLEXING IS AN ISSUE)
4. 1 x 12 gauge Mil-spec stranded wire from Take Five audio - A LOW BUDGET VERSION  
   

2. HELIX IMAGE (Air) POWER CABLE
Ground wire is 12 gauge stranded wire from any hardware store

Neutral is 2 x 12 gauge stranded silver plated Mil-Spec wire

LIVE WIRE CAN BE ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING depending on your own preferences and in descending order of performance

1. 2 x 16 gauge Neotech UP-OCC copper, BARE WIRE - twisted together inside a single Teflon Tube - EXCELLENT FOR SOURCE COMPONENTS
2. 1 x 12 gauge  Neotech UP-OCC copper, BARE - inside a single Teflon Tube - EXCELLENT FOR HEAVIER DUTY APPLICATIONS like amps and power conditioners

Although I have not tried it to date I believe a 2 x 14 gauge  Neotech UP-OCC copper, BARE WIRE - inside a single Teflon Tube should prove to be slightly better than the 1 x 12 gauge version

IF you amp is over 600 watts I would probably consider using a   2 x 12 gauge Neotech UP-OCC copper, BARE WIRE - inside a single Teflon Tube

PLEASE NOTE: - these are my preferences to date.

Any other variants discussed in this thread are preferences of other members and I DO NOT track those because it would be very complex.

But I do try to incorporate some ideas discussed here - like the Double Shotgun approach

Hope that helps - Steve

@t_ramey -

For the HELIX IMAGE POWER CABLE and the HELIX IMAGE (Air) POWER CABLES
:
GROUND CONDUCTOR is 1x 12 gauge stranded wire from any hardware store

NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR is 2 x 12 gauge stranded silver plated Mil-Spec wire

The Live conductor is the only one that varies - please see previous post immediately above this one

Regards - Steve 

@celo - apologies for any confusion - I do realize there is a lot of new information on this thread with so many different options and individual preferences of contributing members.

I do endeavor to update The HELIX web site as soon as possible, but there can be a bit of as lag between what is posted here - and what is posted on my site.
- An example of which is the use 2 x 16 gauge wires for the Live conductor of the power cables, which is not currently posted on the HELIX site

This thread is much more active than The HELIX site, with other members providing feedback on their variants

Members feedback lately has been pretty active, with several very worthwhile contributions from other members

Hopefully this will level off and allow others reading this thread for perhaps the first time to digest the wealth of information it offers

But for a less dynamic read, The HELIX site is a good place to start

Regards - Steve

@divertiti I would give these a try- 

https://silversmithaudio.com/fidelium-cables/

Inakustik is another great performer, but a little expensive

The are reasonably priced and from everything I have read/watched they are great performers at a "reasonable" price point

Search the forums for observations of other members

This one used the Neotech UP-OCC copper mentioned on this thread

Mogami 3103 Deluxe Deep Cryo Treated - Speaker Cables - (takefiveaudio.com)



Regards

@divertiti- too bad about the Fidelium.

You could try building your own cables, but with this style of amp both conductors NEED to be exactly the same and the +ve and -ve conductors would need about a 1" gap between them to avoid induced noise - the only real issue is maintaining the gap for the length of the cable.

But to accomplish the spacing I would fist start with a "Dollar Store" design, just to see how well this approach works

• Buy some "alphabet blocks" that children play with - like these
• Joqutoys 1.65” ABC Wooden Building Blocks, 26PCS Stacking Alphabet Letter and Counting Block Set with Storage Bag for Toddlers, Stacking Blocks - Amazon Canada
  
• Buy some small screw-in eyelets - like these
• CEEYSEE 300 Pcs Small Screw Eye Mini Screw Eye Pin Peg Self Tapping Screws Hooks Ring for Arts Crafts Projects (YJY1), Screw-in Hooks - Amazon Canada
  
• insert an eyelet on opposite sides of the block
• thread each wire through the eyelets on the blocks to maintain spacing
• Connect the wires and space the block evenly
• This approach will also hold the wires off the floor - bonus :-)

Using this approach you could then make the conductors from 2 x 16 gauge UP-OCC bare twisted wire inside teflon tube, since we know this approach yields very good results

Once you hear the results you can fabricate a more "attractive" method of maintaining the spacing

PLEASE NOTE - I have never made this type of cable before, so I am just brainstorming here, but based on my experience with the Helix cables I believe it would work very well

BUT if you want a commercially available cable, other than the Fidelium, one of the best cables for this style of amp would be Nordost, from the HEIMDALL 2 model and above, because they are low inductance AND low capacitance and should achieve a very good signal transmission with this type of amp.

Regards - Steve

@bigslacker - That is correct - it provides the very best performance because

• The tube is quite rigid and does not collapse around the wire so the actual point of contact between the wire and the tube is extremely small
• the air gap inside the tube (i.e.around the wire). becomes the dielectric and results in a Dielectric Constant that is very close to Air - which has a Dk of 1.1.
• Lower Dk results in improved clarity and details, which in turn improves the image asccuracy

For best results the inside diameter of the tube should be 25% - 30% larger than the diameter of the bare wire to be most effective. Larger is OK, but does not yield any better results

Hope that helps

 

 

@abolive - re:...

Do you think the Helix is interesting for RCA/XLR cables ?

 Not quite sure what you really mean by this question and I interpret it as one of the following

1. Would benefit the sound compared to cables you currently have? - I would have to say they yes, definitely
2. Or which would be the better approach for the Helix cables, RCA or XLR? - Either format will perform very well

If you could please restate your question it would help avoid any ambiguity - thanks :-)

RE:  If I like the results, I could rewire my speakers eventually. They have 2 crossovers (bi wirable), what gauges do you think would be suitable for woofer and highs?

I think using the Helix inside a speaker would be an unnecessary complexity. Because of the space you have inside the enclosure you can afford to keep the +ve and -ve wires separated, so no need for the helix geometry.

The issue I faced when rewiring the crossover was getting the gauge I had selected attached to the circuit board. The wire should ideally be very flexible to prevent lifting the copper trace off of the circuit board

That being the case I would recommend the Neotech stranded wires. They use UP-OCC copper and are pretty flexible.

Hope that helps - Steve

A HELIX SPEAKER CABLE QUESTION - Do I have to use the Beads?

I’ve been asked this question a few times and always respond that the beads provide better sound quality.

But that has always been for cables that use a single wire for the signal conductor.

Things have now changed and the" Double Shotgun" approach is taking off in combination with the (Air) approach of using bare wire inside a Teflon tube
- so if you are using dual conductors in Teflon tubes for the signal wire I now see no reason to use the beads any longer - why?

Well this week I finished a couple of power cables that use dual wires for the Live conductors. These cables were for the more power hungry components in my system, so I used 2 x 14 gauge bare wire, each wire inside it’s own Teflon tube and then twisted together - and the results were excellent

So I got to thinking about power cables and the fact they probably have the strongest EMI influences to contend with of all the cables, i.e. carrying the highest voltage/current of all the cables.

I realized that if a twisted wire pair were used for a speaker cables then it was no longer necessary to employ beads for spacing because

• the wires inside the Teflon tube would gravitate to the center of the twisted wire pair, leaving more space between the outside of the twisted wire conductor and the neutral coil
• also, as the the wires are twisted, each wire "take turns" at being the closest to the Helix coil, therefore disrupting the EMI effect

My next thought - can the diameter of the Helix Coil of the speaker cables be reduced?

• very likely, because the 5/16" rod to form the neutral coil of the mains cables, work so well with dual conductors, it is more than likely a 5/16" rod would be adequate for speaker cables also, because they convey lower powered signals.

To provide a little more separation, you could also use a cotton sleeve over the twisted pair...

Please Note: I have not tried this to date, so I cannot confirm this "by observation" as yet, but the evidence, as it relates to power cables, is very compelling and I feel extremely confident that this approach will make fabricating the Helix speaker cables much simpler going forward, without compromising sound quality.

For the Live conductors I recommend either 2 x 16 or 2 x 14 gauge
- I am currently using 2 x 16 gauge wire inside a single Teflon tube and the result is stunning with a significant improvement in ultra low frequency depth.

Regards - Steve

POWER CABLE update.

In the past couple of weeks I have revised the design of my power cables.
I now use two slightly different variants:

1. For SOURCE components - I use 2 x 16 gauge bare UP-OCC copper twisted together (1 complete twist every inch) inside a single Teflon Tube, with a cotton sleeve over the tube
2. For components that use more power e.g. amplifiers, extension cables and power conditioning/distribution devices - I use 2 x 14 gauge bare UP-OCC copper wire, each wire inside it’s own Teflon tube and then twisted together (one complete twist every 6")

The other wires remain unchanged

• Neutral - 2 x 12 gauge Stranded Silver plated Mil-Spec with Teflon insulation
• Ground - 1 x 12 gauge copper with Teflon insulation from Home Depot

Why two different approaches? - $cost - I like to keep costs down wherever possible

1. the 2 x 16 gauge wires fit nicely inside the PTFE 10 Tube I had available
2. whereas the 2 x 14 gauge, being a larger diameter wire, required a separate tube for each wire
3. you could adopt approach #2 for all cables, but I do not think the difference would be significant

Both of these cables perform noticeably better than the previous version that used a single 12 gauge solid bare UP-OCC conductor inside a Teflon tube

Once again the Schroeder "Double Shotgun" approach first introduced here by @grannyring, continues to provide significant improvement to the performance of all Helix Cables - many thanks.

Regards - Steve

The Ultimate Helix DIY Cable ? - I think so

This version implements everything I have learned/tried over the past few years

• 2 x 20 guage UP-OCC 5N solid Silver wire from Parts Connexion, each wire in it’s own teflon tube for the Signal wires, with a complete twist every 2" - 3"
• 2 x 18 gauge UP-OCC 6N solid copper from Parts Connexion, each wire in it’s own teflon tube for the Neutral wires
• Teflon tube with an internal diameter equivalent to a 14 gauge bare wire
• Absolute Harmony RCA plugs

I pondered this build for about 3 months because of the difficulties there might be attempting to wind a coil using a solid wire inside a Teflon tube - and not only one wire, but two wires, because this build would adopt the Double/Double approach.

• now - If you are using a wire with insulation, the insulation, just bends with the wire
• my concern was that the insulation would creep down the wire as I wound it
• leaving some part of the coil without Teflon tube around it and no way to remedy this problem.
• turns out, provided you hand wind the first 4-5 turns, then the insulation seems to stay in place and you can then use the drill to finish the winding process
• But you do have to proceed carefully because you have to control the feeding of the two wires very carefully otherwise you can get spaces or worse still, the wires coils on top of the previous windings.

The rest of the fabrication went without problem - I used a 3/16" (5mm) rod to wind the coil on.

Another concern was whether there would be sufficient improvement to justify the expense of using silver wire?

The answer came as soon as I plugged in the cables, bridging from my Bluesound Node 2i to my Bryston B135 amp - that uses...

1. Power cables are all 2 x 14 gauge UP-OCC bare Solid copper in Teflon tubes for the Live conductor with 2 x 12 gauge UP-OCC stranded copper for the neutral
2. Speaker cables are 2 x 14 gauge bare solid UP-OCC copper in Teflon tubes for the Signal conductor with 1 x 10 gauge stranded silver plated Mil-Spec for the neutral
3. The previous Interconnect I was comparing it to was 2 x 18 gauge solid UP-OCC copper in Teflon tubes for the Signal conductor with 1 x 16 gauge Neotech solid UP-OCC copper wire for the neutral

Well - this new Interconnect has surpassed all of my expectations..

1. image was the first noticeable improvement - larger in all directions with much more precise placement of artist and performers
2. Dynamics are faster and crisper
3. There is more body to the mid range - they sound "warmer"
4. lower frequencies have a lot more texture and precision
5. mid/upper range Details and Clarity are the two attributes that sort of crept up on me as I played through my audition tracks
6. there are far more micro details - i.e. the venue acoustics are more apparent and there are far more of the little echoes and reverberations of the concert hall.
7. But there is a more musical presentation about these cables - they just seem more complete
8. Listening at lower levels you still hear all the details without compromising details, musicality and emotion of the music.

This is probably the end of the line for the Helix, mainly because because I am all out of ideas as to where to take them next :-)

But boy-oh-boy - what an ending!

It’s good to end on "a high note" - pun intended :-)

Give them a try - for me it was worth it

Regards - Steve

@abolive - I prefer Neotech

Provided the speakers are 6-8 ohm I might try something like this
- 1 x 14 gauge for the speaker SIGNAL wire for LF
- 2 x 18 gauge for SIGNAL wire to HF.
- use the same 1 x 14 gauge for both HF and LF neutral wires.

I have used 10 gauge with 14 gauge in a pair of speakers and it sounded very good, but that was many years ago and with vastly different wire. The 10 gauge was very awkward to attach to the board, so I would not recommend it

RE: RCA to XLR...

OK - so there is no real great solution for this setup. You can create a cable with RCA at one end and XLR at the other. The Helix geometry is probably one of the better geometries for this because of the lack of noise in the cable.
On the XLR end
- Pin #1 would connect the neutral coil and
- Pin #2 would connect the signal wire
- pin #3 left unconnected

Hope that answers your questions

Regards - Steve

@marcus87 - RE:

  I have some questions left before placing my order and would highly appreciate your kind answers:

1. Should I handle the 2 unstripped Neotech wires similar to stripped ones (twisted closely every inch)?
2. Should the twisted live wire be covered in cotton? If so, which diameter is appropriate for 2x16AWG?
3. The ratio for neutral and ground to live is 4:1, correct?
4. Covering the final cable in a cotton or nylon sleeve should be avoided in order to get the best performance, correct?
5. Any thoughts on helix DC cables? Or what is your favorite DC cable recipe to pair with the helix AC PCs?

1. Relax the twist a little - one twist every 2"
2. 2 x 16 can use the 1/8" cotton sleeve
3. a ratio of 2.5 - 3.0 to 1 is better

#4 - To SLEEVE or NOT - I prefer not to use any sleeve, but I can also see the need for a sleeve.
- does cotton sleeve impact the sound?
- maybe, very slightly, but you would have to listen very intently.
- Other people found the the nylon I had used previously did impact sound

#5 - DC Cables - this is uncharted territory and I have no DC supplies to test my theories.
Because DC does not alternate then there should be no noise generated within the cables
BUT the current certainly fluctuates as the signal draws different levels of current, which could in turn cause very slight voltage fluctuations and those could impact sound quality.

But you might want to consider using a better quatity wire for DC power cords

• Use 1 x 18 up-OCC gauge wire inside a teflon tube for the +ve wire
• and use a 1 x 16 gauge Silver plated Mil-spec wire - about 1.5 times the length of the signal wire wrapped around the teflon tube in a more "stretched out" Helix coil

Hope that helps - Steve

RE: The Ultimate Helix DIY Cable - I forgot to mention that when winding the helix conductor ..

• I initially cut both the wire and the tubing to the appropriate length
  • I left enough wire to form a 1" tightly twisted section at each end of the conductor
  • so the tube was 2" shorter than the wure
• but when I finished winding the coil there was 4" of wire at the free end
• so you need to make the tubing longer than the wire
• e.g. On a 3ft cable I would recommend making the tubing 6" longer than the wire and trim to the correct length once would
• I believe that the wire forms a tighter coil than the tubing so you end up with excess wire

Other than that - break-in is proceeding very nicely.

Regards - Steve

 

@fai_v - this appears to be an older amplifier. The balanced symmetrical design is relatively recent,  I also saw no warnings on picture of the amp (rear view) that indicates the amp is a balanced symmetrical design.

I believe the Helix cables will work with this amp

Regards - Steve

 

@mbolek - you have touched on a subject that I am yet to observe, despite having tried it many times with a variety of cables - e.g. power, interconnect and speaker cables.

I do not doubt the observations of others - i.e. a cable sounds better in a specific direction.

• is it due to the metal of the wire?
• is it due to the insulation?
• is it due to the geometry of the cable?
• is it due to the connectors of the cable?
• is it due to the socket in the component?
  • sockets/plugs is an area that can cause lots of issues
  • I would not be surprised if this is the cause of this phenom

Since I have never observed this phenom I no longer account for it in my builds and so far I have not been disappointed.

But you do make a valid point - should the wire be reversed for the neutral?

• With the exception of fully balanced symmetrical designed amps and balanced power distribution systems
  • Helix cables are not suited to these
  • and I lack the experience in this design approach
• In Single ended systems, electrical energy flows in one direction, from the power station to ground/neutral - it just happens to pass through our components along the way
• granted the polarity changes in an audio signal, but the energy will always flow from source to "ground"
• so if I had to GUESS - both wires should be aligned in the direction of the energy transfer
• but it is not something that I would account for in my cable builds

Sorry I could not be of more assistance

Regards - Steve

@provst - I just looked back at the @grannyring post you mentioned and your understanding is correct.

But saw no mention of the ratio in that post, so I think the ratio of the Helix coil should remain 3:1 Neutral to signal

I generally reserve a higher ratio of 4:1 for Analogue Interconnects that employed from a Turntable to the Phono Stage to offer a little better shielding capability to the extremely small signals at play.

The signals in interconnects between components are much more robust and not amplified to the same degree. 

This is the Schroeder Double Shotgun approach, which is proving to offer the best performance.

Hope that helps - Steve

@provst - Since the Double Shotgun approach will provide the very best sound quality I would use a double helix with a ratio of 3:1

Regards

@t_ramey - I would advise against "mixing metals" on the signal or live conductors of Helix cables.

Back in time, I tried silver plated copper wires for the signal on IC’s and they impacted clarity.

Since then I have use one OR the other, but never mixed them.

My theory is that the two metals convey the signal at two slightly different propagation rates, resulting in distortion

I do recommend the silver plated mil-spec wire for the neutral, but fortunately, the neutral conductor plays a different "role" to the signal conductor, so the silver plated Mil-spec does NOT introduce distortions in the signal.

Regards - Steve

@wig - Glad to hear that the benefits justified the expense :-)

You are probably the first to report what sounds like a "significant improvement" as opposed to "marginal", by using better wire for the neutral, but then is is UP-OCC copper, which appears to provide benefits no matter where it is used. Others have tried very good wire from a couple of established brands, but not UP-OCC copper, and they reported only marginal improvement.

I think also that all cables have a tendency to perform differently from one system to the next, because your description of "invisible" speakers and the sound being more "vinyl like" (I’ll assume this means more natural/realistic) is exactly what I am currently experiencing, but all my cables are using the Silver plated Mil-spec from Take Five audio, which is CRYO’d

It stands to reason that using the best quality wire for both signal and neutral conductors should achieve the best performance.

So, do you have any plans to convert other Helix cables?

@traubert - ever since I started developing cables I have come to realize that any change can make some difference (good or bad) in cable performance, so it might be possible to "tune" a cable to a persons preferred sound. What I will add is that the Helix Geometry is one of the most neutral sounding cables around and as such the "tonal qualities" do not change too much

What I and others have tried is varying the number of conductors of the same size - and from that perspective two conductors appear to provide optimal "bang for the buck"
e.g. going to 4 wires made no appreciable improvements

Unfortunately, budgets are the restricting factor for most people participating in this thread, but if you are interested in following up on this particular approach we would all appreciate your feedback/findings

Regards - Steve

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Regarding Helix Speaker Cables and Helix Power Cables

In the last little while I have been made aware of certain amplifier designs for which the Helix Geometry Speaker cables is NOT a good choice.

These amplifiers adopt a completely "balanced" design approach in that the speaker outputs have a +ve and -ve terminal, where the -ve terminal carries the same signal as the +ve terminal, but it is 180 degrees out of phase to the signal on the +ve terminal.

I have also seen this design approach referred to as

Symmetrical or Complimentary

and is increasingly being used by several high end designs in order to allow them to drive difficult loads more easily

PLEASE NOTE: Using a Helix speaker cable will not damage the amp in any way, but the sound is not very good.

THEN JUST YESTERDAY, I realized that this would also be the case for power cables that are connected to a Balanced Power Supply.

Again - the power supply OR the component would not suffer any damage - but components connected to it would just not sound as good as they could.

If you have a amplifier that utilize the "Balanced" design approach then I would suggest using speaker cables made from wires of identical Length, Gauge and Insulation and separated by 1-2 inches.
- you can still apply the (Air) adaption, but to both wires

For the power cables - there is no "elegant" alternate solution that would provide the same clarity and dynamics of the Helix Power Cables when used with an unbalanced supply.

So please take this into account when making Helix cables for yourself or others.

There are NO ISSUES with Helix Interconnect Cables to my knowledge

This is currently the only point of concern that I am aware of

Regards - Steve

@aniwolfe -The balanced power supply is not in the component.

Think of them being similar to a power conditioner.

1. They can be a separate unit between the outlet and the components,
2. or attached to the breaker panel and provide power to your system from there

Is it confirmed that Balanced power supplies do not sound good with Helix Powercords or is this just a thought

I have heard from people that tried the speaker cables with amps that use the Balanced/Symmetrical/Complimentary approach and they did not sound very good

It is my opinion that Helix Power Cables will suffer from the very same problems when used with balanced power supplies because the helix design IS NOT symmetrical

• Because the Neutral is significantly longer than the Live wire then distortions could occur inside the component’s power supply, which would impact sound quality.

Until I hear otherwise I will not recommend the Helix be used with Balanced power supplies

But as stated above - they WILL NOT damage any connected components

Unfortunately I cannot provide a complete list of amps that use the Balanced/Symmetrical/Complimentary design approach because it appears to be growing quite quickly, but here are some I know of

• some D’Agostino Amps
• some Audio Research amps
• Vitus
• some Musical Fidelity high end models.
  

Regards - Steve

@celo - any hardware store has them

They are called a "reflective staff" at Home Depot
Hillman 48 Inch Reflective Staff | The Home Depot Canada

Perhaps they only sell them "up North", but not in the southern states

Regards

@mbolek - Whilst I have not had the opportunity to try Zavfino cables for myelf I have read their product literature in depth regarding their application of:

• UP-OCC wire
• advaned insulations
• advanced cable geometry techniques

However, the latest Helix bare wire in Teflon Tubes adaption has proven exceptional

• this adaption took the Helix to another level of performance
• and I now use 5N solid UP-OCC Silver in Telfon tube for the signal wires in Interconnects

I think you will be surprised (in a good way) by the Helix, even when compared to very good cables like Zavfino.

As for.....

I’ll be hard pressed to build anything that looks......

Agreed! - Zavfino do build a very nice looking cable!

• but you can use one of the many expanding sleeves out there to "pretty-up" the Helix cables
• It iwll not impact performance
• I don’t use it because it is a complexity I do not need to unravel each time when trying out new things on a cable

For me, this journey has not been a "competition" between the Helix and other brands

My goal was to:

• develop a cable that delivered great sounding music
• for a modest price
• that ordinary people with modest resources could build for themselves

it all stared with a an idea for a different approach to cable design and some old LAN cables

• along the way many other DIYers contributed significantly to getting the Helix Cables to where they are today
• My thanks to you all 😊

So if you do try the Helix cables - post your "cable recipe" and findings here

• it’s always good to hear observations from others 👍

Regards - Steve