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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


wig
williewonka
3,168 posts
 
So I do appreciate the penchant for "Natural Fibers" but here is why I chose Teflon tube...
  • if you took a cross section view of the wire inside the tube it appears as a small circle inside a large circle, so the point of contact is extremely small and only every a single point of contact, because if one side is touching, the other side is not
  • it does not collapse when bent gently- but even if the tube collapses at an "L" shape bend - the surface area of contact is still extremely small.
  • The degree of dielectric effect comes from the amount of insulation actually touching the wire, which in this case is about as low as you can "humanly" achieve.
  • so the bulk of the dielectric for this approach is actually AIR
  • The oxygen in the air is unable to permeate through the Teflon - good for limiting oxidation
  • Sealing the tube at both ends is an effective method to minimize oxidation of the bare wire
If you are concerned about vibration you could put a cotton/silk sleeve over the Teflon tube to minimize this effect

Also, thinking back to a few months ago, I had tried a twisted pair of Mundorf Silver/gold wire in cotton tube and eventually found the VH Audio wire with the insulation sounded better, which is another reason I shied away from the cotton insulation this time around.
  • I cannot say that the cotton was responsible, but we are all swayed by our previous success or failures.
It is a personal choice and either one will provide exceptional sound quality..

Right now I am experiencing the most open and detailed image with smooth highs, stunning clarity, extremely fast dynamics and a very articulate and deep bass response.
  • Also I have have not observed any anomalies normally associated with burn-in
  • which is making me think that burn-in is more about the insulation than the wire?

Nirvana? - perhaps, or it could be just another wire away :-)

Regards - Steve

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,696 posts
 
I think silk may well sound even better than a Teflon tube. Don’t know for sure, but seems reasonable. I plan on making the exact same copper usb cable with a Teflon tube and also silk.   Right now the nude VH Audio 18 gauge copper in cotton sounds just amazing in my usb cable.
eugeniy
6 posts
 

.Hello everyone!
I read the thread with great interest!
This is one of the most interesting topics that I have been able to see lately!
I join your research!
I think the next step is to make a few dozen turns of thread (silk or cotton) around the wire and then insert it into the tube.
There is still something to strive for :-)
mawe
34 posts
 
@ grannyring - regarding USB cable?

I have not fully understood how you build the USB cable. Can you explain a bit in more detail please?

The 2 data lines (d+ and d-) habe been twisted together. But how did you do the +5V line? The 3 ground lines (18gauge) habe been helixed around what? The 2 data lines including 5V line or is the 5V line separated?
grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,696 posts
 
This is how I build my helix usb.   Go to Steve’s site where he posted my pics and build instructions.  Best to not have to make the cable with the 5v conductor if possible.  Many dacs supply their own clean 5v internally for the usb input.  Some do not. Here is the link. 

You can use VH Audio 18 gauge silver or copper for the data conductors.  Silver sounds better than copper.  You can strip off the Teflon insulation and cover with silk for the best sound.  Each data conductor much be placed in a 1.5-2.5mm internal dimension silk tube before making a twisted data pair. 

You must be skilled at soldering the thicker gauge wires onto the tiny and closely spaced usb solder pads.  Any solder bridges will ruin you dac’s usb input board! 

http://www.image99.net/blog/files/category-002ahelix-image-usb-cable.html


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