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
@provst - @aniwolfe 's suggestion could have some merit, as there may be some "screening benefits" from having a double PE, but I have never tried it and EMI and RFI is not an issue I have identified as being problematic in my home

Or - you can simply leave the ground wire as a single conductor.

I have tried using Mil-Spec for the PE, and it  does not appear to affect sound quality.

Regards
@williewonka 

If there are benefits to be had using a double helix even with Neotech, then we must consider going with that option.

So far comments from @grannyring and others have been favourable towards the double shotgun principle, which is why I asked questions regarding the return to single helix in the first place, when changing to Neotech. It made us wonder, if the double helix had been skipped or deemed unnecessary when using Neotech.

I also note that you, Steve, recommends the stranded Neotech for making helix. I noted there were some brief comments regarding the solid core wire being too stiff making the cables more or less unsuitable for using between units. We made a trial on one meter of 12 GA solid core, where one was controlling the drill and the other was guiding the wire onto the rod. It was fairly easy to work with the 12 GA in that way, so if the solid core wire is better but impractical in use, then we are only left with stranded Neotech wire as an option for helixes. 

Any comments regarding solid core versus stranded for helixes will be highly appreciated.

- Steen
@aniwolfe 

Really?? - I was of the impression, that people on here argued for double shotgun principle on interconnects, power but also on speaker cables...

You are correct, that D. Schroeder on his website only published his findings on interconnects, but I think I saw somewhere, that he too would investigate if the effect was also present in speaker cables. Could be wrong though!

Anyways - if this turns out to be the guideline then we’re in for saving serious money as Neotech don’t come cheap.

Then again - why the recommendations to go with double helixes on power cables?
@ provst 
few comments to your topics:

1.) PCs 230V AC 
I found no difference for neutral using 2x 1,3sqmm or 1x 2,5sqmm Jantzen wire.
Be aware, being in 230V country, the PE (Ground-) wire must be minimum the size of the L/N conductors. With the double neutral helix like Steve proposes, this is not given.
If the extra expenses for Neotech OCC as N is worth the gain in sound, I do not beleave, since you already have purchased the MIL wire. Solid core vs stranded- well, my experience is, that solid core thicker than  16 AWG is not “sounding” good in PCs (230V country). This is the reason, I use stranded Jantzen silver plated wire as neutral.
Its all personal taste and component synergies. In some applications I do not like the helix PC with Neotech OCC 2x 16 AWG at all. Prefere stranded wire in different configuration.

2.) Balanced IC as helix design
I do not believe, the helix design is best suited for balanced IC, unless you do 2 single ended (RCA) cables for 1 XLR cable. One, where centre wire is ve+ and an other where centre wire carries ve-.
The ve+ and ve- in the helix design are “undefined “ running next to each other.

A much better design for Balance IC is the VH Audio receipe, where + and - and GND is “ at controlled distance to each other, having capacity and inductance within the cable “controlled “.

I do not like the Neotech OCC copper wire in the IC’s. Have tried a few different configurations with different wire diameters.

My “best” sounding balanced IC is made according the VH Audio receipt but with 1x 28 AWG and 1x 24 AWG VH Audio OCC silver in cotton wire twisted for ve+ and ve-  and 1x 24 and 1x 22 AWG Neotech OCC copper in PTFE as ground.
Connectors are ETI Kyro silver XLR soldered with Cardas solder.

This balanced VH Audio wire with Neutrik silver plated connectors outperforms the Neotech OCC copper in the same design with ETI Kyro plugs easy.

The ETI Kyro XLR plugs are 10x more expensive than the Neutrik. Of course they are not 10x better, but surprisingly audible better, more than I expected.

The Neotech XLR cable sounds impressive and really great Hi-Fi, the VH Audio sounds like “music” 
Difficult to describe until you experience it yourself. It’s got NO “silver” sound, it is smoother, richer, more texture, air, ambient and bass is better. Sounds weird? Yes, but that’s what I hear with my ears, my brain, my equipment in my room.

If the equipment and the speakers are not at a very high level, it may be different, since the amount of micro details could show all the flaws in the chain.

just my 2 cents...