What do you think about doing this for Audeze LCD headphone cables with 4-pin XLR ends? I'd love to see if that can be done, and hell, I'll even buy it if someone can make one for me as a custom cable.
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
Showing 16 responses by jambaj0e
So I just bought a newly-made helix power cable from one of the guys on Tube Owners Facebook group (I think he's on this forum too) for my Cayin HA-300. Previous power cable is a Morrow Audio MAP3. It seems to be fine for the last 2 days, but today I'm hearing a strange high-pitch static hum, kind of a buzz hum at times when no music is playing. It's not affecting my VU meter, nor does it change in volume or goes away when I put the volume down to zero. I haven't heard this before, especially on my previous cable. What can be causing this? |
But it has been all the way to this afternoon when I listened to it before I went running. Then I didn't listened to my system until after I ate dinner and took a shower, and that's when the problem started. Nothing was physically touched on my system other than the power button and volume, and no other new devices were plugged in. Not the mention, my amp and Chord Hugo TT2 DAC are plugged into a PS Audio Power Plant 3 Ac regenerator. |
The hum is still there with the Morrow Audio MAP3 power cable. I've swapped out all the tubes, except the new issue Western Electric 300b tubes since I ran out of time. This morning, I didnt get a noise for a good half hour, then it came back. This is on the old power cable. Sigh. I'm out if the house for the day, so I can't test things out anymore until tonight |
So it's still making the buzz, and I turned off my Chord Hugo TT2 right away, and so it doesn't seem to be the source, nor can I replicate the sound through the TT2's headphone jack. The buzz is also a lot quieter, so much so that I could barely hear it from the Tekton Lore Reference speakers, and it's just a bit there on my Audeze LCD-3. But biggest thing I found is that it's only coming out of the left channel. I thought it was both, but I flipped the headphones around, and it certainly traveled with the left ear cup! |
Just swapped back to the stock TJ Full Music 300b tubes, and so far, dead quiet. Crossing my fingers that I’ve found the culprit, and that hopefully Western Electric can ship out a replacement. If this noise problem is no more, I’m both relieved and saddened. That being said, this problem happened a day after I used the Helix power cable on my HA-300, so as a caution, I will NOT be using that cable, sadly, and will go back to my Helix cable. I can’t say for sure that there’s a direct correlation between I do hope that I can get a refund for the cable... |
Hmm.... So you think it'll be safe for me to use the Helix cable again on my system. I really would like to think this is a freak coincidence, too. Also got this from Western Electric's email for support and RMA: "Based on the detail you've given us, you may have what we call a "leaker," or gassy tube. This problem can be quite difficult to detect during final inspection and sometimes goes for years without notice. " |
So I actually had the Cayin HA-300 for a year and 5 months, and two months ago, my one of Psvane ACME 300b tube flashed white and resulted in a -20dB drop on my right channel. Turned out it fried a wire-wound resistor. This was the first time I've had issues with the amp, and that's with fairly heavy use of my amp since it's connected to my computer, so I'd use it 6-10 hours sometimes (something I've stopped doing since I got the amp repaired) I took it in to a local tube repair guy who's actually part of Westerex (division of Western Electric). He swapped out the resistor per the factory schematics, tested the amp and said everything worked out and he said the amp is in great condition. Since then, eEverything was working fine with the stock tubes until I replaced it with the Western Electric 300b, and this time, it's the left channel tube that caused problem, and it followed the tube when I made the channel swap. So far yesterday night and today, I haven't experienced the noise issue that came from that WE300b tube, and it looks like they'll replace it. So yes, I have had the tube repair guy look into my amp to make sure everything was going well and he said the rest of the amp outside those replaced resistors was in good condition. |
@williewonka I have been in direct contact with Cayin’s engineer in China, and have even forwarded some of your questions and concerns, too. For example, in regards to the wire wound resistors: " As for your question on the wire-wound resistors such resistors are designed and chosen to protect the amplifier. Such resistors will burn first if there were flashing tubes which can cause extreme high current. If without such protection the extreme current will go to the Power Transformer directly and burn the Power Transformer. Please kindly note." So in that way, these wire-wound resistors (different from the other resistors I've seen inside based on the factory photos. They're the gold one sitting underneath the pink Takman transistors in between the 300b sockets here: https://7review.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CAYIN-HA-300-2.jpg) |