Why Power Cables Affect Sound

@elizabeth …

Also I may try to make a cord like williewonka suggests.. a spiral.. For a source to start.

Agreed, my sources benefitted the most from good power cords

FYI - I have a Node 2 streamer and a Moon LP5.3 phono stage.
- of the two, I originally believed the Node 2 would achieve more noticeable improvements by using a good power cable e.g. improvements in image, clarity and dynamics
- however, those improvements in sound quality achieved by using the same power cable on the phono stage were more noticeable.
- by comparison, my Naim amp displayed some very subtle improvements in clarity, image size and performer focus, but it took a while and several albums to notice them. I take this as an indication that the NAIM has a more capable power supply.

FYI: depending on the wire/connectors used they can take upwards of 60 hours burn-in to sound their best.

One improvement that was reported by a fellow DIYer is their "black background" - while I tend to listen to improvements in sound I had never realized just how quiet the cables are :-)

While the Helix geometry does improve the performance of the actual cable it does not act as a filter, so noise from the household supply will not be removed - it can actually become more noticeable. I fortunately have a very quiet household supply.

I use a 12 gauge cable for sources and a 10 gauge cable for the amp. But I recently built a 14 gauge version for my TV and it too was very good when used on a source.

The benefits when used on my Samsung QLED TV were - improved sound, brighter, more vibrant colours, better contrast i.e. more details in dark areas. My Sony TV also demonstrated much better colour.

You have contributed your findings on power cables in many postings, so it will be very interesting to hear your observations of the Helix

Keep us updated - thanks - Steve

In 1985, while dealing with a common home builder, "3 home styles / 3 color choices", I was able to negotiate double sheet rock in listening - living area and home run romex wiring to the locations for my equipment.  No before and after comparison available.  After listening for a few weeks, I went to the local home improvement store and changed the outlets from 15 amp to the 20 amp outlets.  The improvement was immediate and positive.  ALL interactions in all areas of your system be affected if you have the ability to compare, patience to listen, and understanding of the changes made.  Sometimes the differences are not an improvement, but there will be a change.

I do believe we can safely posit that removing unwanted frequencies or whatever one wishes to call it makes the music more enjoyable.