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Looking For 18awg Audiophile Power Cable Options

Hi Friends,

I'm trying to find some 18awg audiophile power cables and am looking for recommendations. It seems the only ones I can find are of the AudioQuest variety, but I don't like the sound of AudioQuest cables, as they sound too sterile to me (or something, it's hard for me to describe).

I have a music production system and while I use expensive Triode Wire Labs Digital American cables on the DAC, ADC, and production computer/DAW with fantastic and stable results, I've had problems with my other components running on any thicker-gauged cables (powered KRK monitors, microphone power supply, and preamps).

I've tried several different cables on these other components, but I find any cable with a gauge thicker than 18awg results in issues of sound stability. The system needs to run for 12, sometimes 18 hours at a time, and I find that thicker-gauge cables, after about 8 hours, start to render the sound compressed, maybe slightly overloaded, and not as open, which is problematic for mixing and recording.

I started using some 18awg cables with hospital-grade plugs, and while they're definitely a big step up from the stock cables, and the stability of the sound is great, I'm just wondering if there's any 18awg audiophile-type cables out there that would give me improved performance, smoother top end, etc., just from better noise/RFI rejection. The sibilants were smoother when I used the audiophile cables, I think from better shielding, but the stability of the sound of system and vocal chain is of the upmost importance.

It's weird but I guess it has something to do with the digital components handling the thicker gauged cables better for some reason, compared to the analog components.

Any ideas/recs appreciated, thanks for your time!

 

128x128acar83
acar83's avatar
acar83 OP
13 posts
 

@thyname haha, no drive by poster here, no Sir.

 

Yeah I don't really know, I just did a lot of testing before I came to these conclusions. I don't really understand the science behind some of this. It's ironic because my digital components are the ones doing great on the big audiophile cables. And when I test this stuff, I don't just swap cables and listen and jump to a conclusion; I let the cable break in or re-break in extensively and/or settle and then assess.

 

Like I said I don't really understand the ideology behind big cable gauge to begin with. I was just looking at a chart because I couldn't remember the numbers, and an 18awg cable accommodates 14 amps! I have a computer, 2 powered 6" inch monitors, a DAC, an ADC, a stereo preamp, a tube compressor, and tube microphone power supply all on one 15 amp circuit and it's not even at 50% last I checked. So 18awg should be plentyyyy for each of these components...

thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

acar83's avatar

acar83 OP

3 posts

 

Erm...I thought this was an audiophile forum for people who understand the answer to that question, lol... Did I put this post in the wrong place or something?

Nope. Jason Bourne is the proverbial “our Village Fool”

 

thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

@acar83 : maybe it will help the people here if you post your full audio chain? Meaning all your components from source to speakers. Or headphones if that’s your thing.

To me, since you have already been using Pete’s TWL cables, it sounds like you have some experience with power cords.

raysmtb1's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
raysmtb1
802 posts
 

I’m not trying to be a smart ass, but the way that I’ve always viewed this larger power cord or smaller power cord for that matter is that it doesn’t matter how let’s say large it is as soon as it enters the component it goes through a fuse. So if you’ve got a 18 gauge cord or a steel rod that’s an inch in diameter. The power still hast to go through the fuse. then, after the fuse, there’s other electrical things that happened like changing the power to DC that happen. My point being is that don’t these things like the fuse, and then converting to DC act as the smallest common denominator?

thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

@raysmtb1 : how long is the fuse? Do the math. Inches or millimeters. Resistance, capacitance, inductance. Basic stuff. I am not trying to be a smart ass here. Just common misconception all you cable deniers / haters have

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