Duelund conversion to DIY Helix Geometry Cabling


I have been an avid user of the Duelund cabling for over two years now and have used them exclusively in my system with great results. I have built many for friends and have used a full loom of interconnects, speaker cables, power cords and an extensive wiring modification for a previously owned balanced power conditioner utilizing Duelund 600V PolyCast wiring which was transformative. My cabling desires can be a little addictive as I have owned and evaluated 40+ brands of cabling costing more than an entire stereo system!

Over the past six months I stumbled upon a thread here on Audiogon in regards to a Helix designed cabling and as you probably already know, I just had to look a little deeper into this cable design…After a month of studying and sourcing parts, I decided to reach out to the designer/architect, Williewonka who gave more insights and philosophy on how the cable came into existence.

That conversation got the ball rolling in converting one of my KLE Duelund interconnects to Steve’s Helix designed which only entailed replacing the neutral with a Mil-Spec 16 AWG silver-plated copper wire with the neural wire being 3 times longer than the signal wire and of course the “Coiling” of the neutral wire : )

After the modification was complete, I was not sure what to expect from the Helix cabling but I was quite shocked with the results with “ZERO” burn-in time…The sound stage became much wider/deeper with a much tighter/focused image and clarity/transparency is like nothing I have ever heard in any cabling regardless of cost. In fact, I just sold a full loom of a commercially designed Helix Cable that’s renowned around the world and has more direct sale than any cable manufacturer; these $200 DIY Helix Cables walked all over them…

I believe you will hear the same results as I have and have heard back from friends who have already modified their Duelunds with the same results; WOW! Remember the cables will need 200+ hours to burn-in and settle into your system. My system is now 90% DIY Helix to include IC, SC, PC and Coax with each cabling adding its beauty of an organic and natural presentation that draws you into the fabric of the music.

You can tailor the sound of your cables using Duelund, Mundorf silver/1% gold, the outstanding Vh Audio OCC Solid Copper or Silver with Airlok Insulation or your favorite wiring and you can change it at any time…

 

http://www.image99.net/blog/files/category-diy-cables.html

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/difference-in-sound-between-copper-and-silver-digital-cables

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/adding-shielding-to-existing-cables

 

Enjoy,

Wig


128x128wig
Quick Update on PC:

I converted my 4 runs of VH Audio 18 Ga Solid OCC to the Neotech 12 Ga Solid OCC 5 days ago and removed them from the cooker last night to discern any notable differences. Typically, I burn-in my PC on the cable cooker for 7 days and then run them another 4-5 days on a refrigerator to get them in their sweet-spot... The coating on my Neotech was left intact.

My early observations before complete burn-in is exactly what Steve has mentioned, better focus, improved dynamics/low level details, wider sound stage and just more composed in rendering shadings, depth and my system seems to flow easier...

I also noticed while cooking the Neotech 12ga Cabling that my cooker is significantly cooler than any cable I have ever cooked. My Neotech was purchased from Sonic Craft. Should have both conditioner and amp PC cabling integrated into my system by next weekend : )

Wig

@wig re:...
The coating on my Neotech was left intact.
Are you referring to the Teflon insulation?

If the answer is Yes - are you planning on trying the Neotech wire, replacing the Teflon insulation with a Cotton sleeve?

FYI - all of my solid state components run between 5-7 degrees Celsius cooler with Helix Power cables

Thanks for the update - Steve



@ williewonka

Yes, the teflon insulation was left intact and do plan on stripping the insulation and adding a cotton sleeve.

Wig
@wig  - your observations WRT any improvements observed when you replace the Teflon with Cotton sleeve will be most valuable.

Based on my own observations with similar power related approaches, I think you should experience a discernable improvement in clarity, image definition and artist separation/focus.

As always, your efforts and observations are most valuable and are very much appreciated.

Regards - Steve