So now I’m back to stock cables and need 2 power cables and a pair of xlrs. I talked with Walter at Underwood about my situation. He stored my info and order but I am yet to order. Walters a very cool cat btw. Funny and blunt. Seems like a pretty good deal we worked out just don’t want to buy something that will not be an improvement. Any opinions on the cables from Underwood. I was looking at the mid grade cables that Walter talked highly of.
I'm going to go through all of this and figure out exactly what to order tomorrow and maybe give it a go next weekend if everything has arrived. How much time do you normally have in assembling this cable? Not a big deal just curious. I'm sure it will take me twice the time being a newby.
Also can you reccomend what you consider the best for each of the components in the cable? If I'm going to take the time to do it I would rather spend a bit more and get it right the first time if within reason.
Here’s a couple of posts from another thread about the HELIX DIY power cables
Having auditioned many high end pcs over the years, I can’t really recall any I wanted to use on entire system. These are so natural in timbre, tonality, really very little coloration.
I’m not up on latest recipes, but I discovered Steve’s original Helix page some time ago. I’ve auditioned many cables over the years using lending library at Cable Company, $1k to $3-4k in all categories. The Helix has been my go to pc for some time, transparency second to none.
The Inakustik are the best sounding commercially made cable I have ever heard but are out performed by my DIYHelixcables by a good margin and can be tailored to a particular sound by the conductor of your choice at any time.
RE:
Even if I buy some cables I’m still going to try out your diy cable build. You’ve obviously done your homework for many years along with some others. Plus I can compare to some lower tier middle of the road cables (hifi priced) whatever I get.
I look forward to hearing your observations of all the cables you try. Continuing feedback plays a huge role in cable development
Anyone tried the IFI SupaNova? Active cord for around $350. Looks interesting but I thought I could find more reviews but they are basically nil. I have the little IFI Ipurifier and it does it’s job as stated for digital. Real difference from the fire stick for tv. I think I also hear an improvement from the Bluesound to the dac. Without the rambling I am just saying I think the companies products are not complete BS snake oil. Always thought cables were BS until Moneeone sent me some cables to try out. Huge improvement across the board. Just more than I want to spend. Really were the 1st aftermarket cables I have tried besides the bottom of the line Nordhost which were horrible! Don’t want any more bass and your system to be bright as all hell, try some of those. System dependent I know but hated them. @williewonka
Even if I buy some cables I’m still going to try out your diy cable build. You’ve obviously done your homework for many years along with some others. Plus I can compare to some lower tier middle of the road cables (hifi priced) whatever I get.
I think if you're shopping in the price range you're in, just get yourself some Cullens and be done with it. Very good quality, fair pricing and good brand recognition if you want to sell and move up to the high-priced stuff.
Vanguard - not quite as well made as the Sonarquest
Schuko - but I prefer the aluminum housing on the Sonarquest
Hi-End makes a nice plug with heavy duty aluminum barrel
Viborg
- but I prefer the aluminum housing on the Sonarquest
There are some expensive "Carbon Fiber" variants also
But I think the best is still the Sonarquest, because the IEC plugs grip like a vice and the mains connectors have very flat pins that wear very well, so I tend to recommend those over the other options. They also withstand a lot of attaching and removing in my environment i.e. due to trying different wires frequently
@mofojo - Cost really depends on what wires you use, but for the sake of this exercise i will use the more affordable option of using Silver Plated Mil-Spec wire
1 pair of Sonarquest Silver plated on copper Mains Connectors - $47
GROUND CONDUCTOR : 9 feet of 12 gauge wire (green) wire from Home Depot - $10 US
Add another $15US for spades, heat shrink, solder and Nylon Sleeve if required
TOTAL COST = $124 US (approx)
You should notice a significant performance improvement in any component using this cable - better dynamics, clarity, detail and image, with a deeper more textured bass compared to many branded products
If you like the sound of this "evaluation" cable you can achieve significantly better sound just by upgrading the the Live wire to 2 x 14 gauge bare UP-OCC copper wire, each wire inside teflon tubes (as per the web site), but please note this wire makes the cable stiff and as such it cannot be treated like an "extension cable" i.e. the less flexing the better, which is not generally an issue when used for audio systems. Moderate flexing is OK
The best cable performance would be to implement the above upgrade PLUS upgrading the Neutral to a single (or double) UP-OCC stranded copper wire with Teflon insulation from Neotech
I have tried Duelund 12 gauge tinned copper with theri polymer insulation, but the UP-OCC bare wire provides faster dynamics, more clarity/details and better image. DO NOT USE the Duelund wire with cotton insulation because it is NOT rated for MAINS use
NOTES: You may notice the cables pictured on the web site doe NOT use the black expandable nylon sleeve
mainly because I am frequently trying different wires, but you can opt to use it or leave it off
leaving it off does not pose any safety issues because the neutral is always at zero volts i.e. connected to ground at the mains panel
I do use spade terminals on ALL wires because
it prevents the wires from slipping out of the plugs, especially if you use the solid core wires
I have also found it sounds better with spades
I also crimp AND solder - again for safety
I have used the HELIX cable on small mini systems, my Bluesound Pulse Mini speaker, TV’s and my Bryston B135 and the improvements can easily be heard on all of them
Awesome thanks Steve! I haven’t looked at the links yet but will. If it’s detailed enough I will likely give it a go. Any approx of the total cost for a 3 ft cable nowadays ?
You can of course use any wire you choose, but the wires mentioned on my web site are some of the very best available.
But to make an affordable prototype that performs very well - a good wire to use for both Live and Neutral conductors is a silver plated Mil-Spec wire from Take Five Audio.
Sorry to say, but buying anything without listening is always a crapshoot. Does Underwood give a trial period? If not, maybe you are better off going with a used name brand in case you want to flip it later. Then again, Wally does have an excellent reputation and I doubt he wants people coming on here and saying I bought his cables and they were crap. But will you like them? Who knows.
With the amount I am buying I am getting what I consider a very substantial discount. Gonna do 2 pairs of xlrs since at some point I’m sure i will add dac and tube pre. Think I might give it a go. I’ll let y’all know what the outcome is. Not a real easy way to just try out cables. Yeah they have the cable store but you are in 10% for every one you try. At least that’s the way I read it. If you are looking at pricey ones that gets to be a lot of money real quick.
Cables are like tennis shoes. You kind of have to try them on to see which ones fit best. I don't think there is any way to tell which ones are going to work best in your system any other way.
There is a huge market for used cables, and it works both ways. You can get some excellent deals if you're a buyer, but if you seller, you're going to take a hit.
I started out buying one Diamond Extreme, their top power cord, from Underwood and now have three in my system. I can highly recommend their top power cord. They beat out in my system Audio Sensibilty Signature V2 power cords and a Triode Wire Labs Obsession power cord. Both Audio Sensibilty and TWL are well reguarded cable companies My recommendation would be to buy whatever power cord from Underwood you can afford and expect to receive a great performer and quite a bargain.
You had better be sure. Resale will be at a huge loss for off brand cables of any type regardless of how "good" (an opinion), they may be. Personally, I would stick with tried and true well reviewed/liked cables that can be flipped easily if they disagree with your system and personal preferences. Good luck in your search 🍀.
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