Duelund conversion to DIY Helix Geometry Cabling

I have meticulously read through about 70% of the Thread and have a much better grasp of the preferences of the Cable Builders.

My Last list of Cables was presented was more in keeping with selecting cables for a Version of IC's I had in mind.

This thread has caused me to rethink that earlier thought pattern.

I had continued a Search since my last post and discovered a supplier of
PC Triple C Wire 34 x 0.18mm ( 18 AWG ). 

As a result of the discovery of the wire supplier I was hoping to discover a positive report on using this AWG 'Stranded Wire' within this thread.

I believe Steve - 'williwonka' tried a version with stranded wire on a Guitar Lead ?

Also 'grannyring'  has reported on the using of stranded wire,
but has sung the praises of Solid Core and the much improved benefits of using it.

With this additional information as a motivation,
I have extended my search and come up with a option that is in keeping with the preferences being made on this thread, and I hope is seen as useful to the inquisitive Cable Builders visiting the thread.

Acoustic Revive are producing a Speaker Cable that has a 
PC Triple C Wire Solid Core 0.9mm ( 19 AWG ).
The cost of this is sold by the Metre ( 39 Inches ) @ GBP £ 6.00.
Effectively £ 3.00 per Single Metre Length.

It will be purchased to be Imported.
Shipping and Import Levies will apply to the above. 

Additionally I have in the past been working out RCA Plug Options for 
RCA's I as intending on experimenting with.

I bought Aeco RCA Connectors with a Solid Silver Live/Centre Pin.
( Similar to KLEI pricing )

I was also going to try out Zavfino 1877 RCA Connectors with a
OCC Copper Live/Centre Pin. ( Quite Affordable for Four Units )

I have not seen the above Connectors referred to during my reading of the thread.

A Friend has KLEI RCA Connectors in  both Silver and Copper so these were going to be used to assist with the assessments of the Cable Builds produced by myself.  
 
As a side:
I have indirectly entered the world of Helix Cables as I have in use for many years Mapleshade Clearview Double Helix Speaker Cables. 
These Superseded all other cables I owned.
  

So an updated list is now on my web site - I will endeavour to keep it updated as I hear about more instances, so keep them coming :-(

HELIX Q & A | My Audio Alchemy (image99.net)

Regards - Steve

@twoleftears - thanks for that - yes they are - I’ll update the list

@provst - I cannot find anything on the Gryphon site that states they have Symmetrical, Complimentary, or Balanced outputs. They are PURE CLASS A
- but they were mentioned earlier with respect to the impact of using high capacitance speaker cables which can do damage via oscillation

I believe Gryphon amps will work very well with Helix Cables

Cheers - Steve

Don't forget Gryphon.
These were mentioned earlier in the thread as with regards to speaker cables. I cannot tell whether their power supplies are balanced or not.

Don't all Ayre amps fall into this category?

HELIX INCOMPATIBILITIES.

Amps that use Symmetrical, Complimentary, or Balanced outputs will not sound their best with Helix Speaker cables and the list is growing daily

• Some D’Agostino Models
• Some Audio Research Models
• Vitus
• Some Musical Fidelity High End Models
• Pass Labs
• BAT VK-255SE
• Some Anthem Models
• Some Yamaha models
• Balanced Audio Technology
• Boulder 500AE
• PS Audio BHK Signature 300
• Accuphase E-303
  

A mono block amp experienced a loud hum when Helix power cables were used - not sure why at the moment

• Canary Grand Reference

If I have missed an amp/model just post it with the same first line - It makes it easy for me to keep track

I will try to maintain a complete list on my web site

Many Thanks - Steve

Thank You very much for the encouragement and direction. 

@pindac...
RE: the IK Mains plug - take a look at these
UK Mains Plugs | Hifi Collective

RE: the wires you mention:

• when I first started developing the Helix cables I tries several excellent smaller gauge wires - 28, 24 and 20
• Over time, and with feedback from others trying different wires of different gauge, materials and insulation, it would appear the wires currently mentioned on my web site provide excellent performance
• however, other members do have a preference for different wires in their system.

The one area that most seem to agree on is that two wires for signal and two for neutral seems to provide a noticeable improvement over a single wire.

I have tried up to 4 wires on the mains cable, but more than two provided no discernible benefit.

The nice thing with DIY is that you get to choose the wires that you believe will provide the best performance and that fit your budget 

I now have two power cord in my system

• High Power for amps, etc. that use 2 x 14 gauge wires for the live conductor
• Low Power for Source components that use 2 x 16 gauge wires for the Live conductor
• I use the lighter gauge on the second to save some money only - both cables have identical performance
• but you can build one cable for all components if desired 
  

On all my power cables, the neutral is 2 x 12 Silver Plated Mil-spec stranded copper and the ground is 12 gauge copper wire from the hardware store.

The  PC Triple C wire looks very similar to UP-OCC copper, so I would have to guess that it offers similar levels of performance

From the looks of things, the wires you mention might not be suitable to adapt to the options I have listed above for power cables because you would require too many strands to create the required gauge for the conductor.

Having said that I have been proved wrong on many occasions, so I would encourage you to experiment.

Start with Interconnects, because the wire is much more affordable.
Make one using the wires suggested  on my web site and one using your own wires and see which one works best

My Audio Alchemy (image99.net)

My guess is that you will end up with two cables that sound very good, which you can then try on your components to see which matches each components best

FYI - I currently have two slightly difference interconnects in my system because they each suit different components better.

Hope that is of some assistance

Regards - Steve

This Thread has got my attention, the very good reports on the use of the cable design is very appealing.
It fits quite nicely in with a plan I have been pondering, and to mirror other areas of my HiFi, as I  have a System mainly using Devices that are Bespoke Produced.

The idea exchanging my Branded PC OCC Copper and Silver IC's,
to produce a Cable Interface with Bespoke Produced Cables has been on my mind for a period of time.

I have recently been investigated the latest Wire Production Methods being used and that are available from the reputable wire producers and have had become interested in Mitsubishi D.U.C.C
and Furukawa PC Triple C.

I have purchased a D.U.C.C IC and a Nanotec Power Strada 308
PC Triple C Power Chord.
Either of these is yet to be trialled. 
The Strada 38 has been supplied with Spade Termination but with out Plugs, If a Suitable UK Spec Plug for this cable could be recommended,
that will help get the trials moving.   

I have discovered during my research a Supplier of PC Triple C wire.
Before I attempt to use a buying service for the Cable.
I am keen to know if the available Wire is usable for IC's and
Power Chord, as the ( AWG ) differs from the commonly referenced
( 16 - 18 AWG )

The listings from the supplier show the Wire can be ordered as :
7 x 0.18mm ( 33 AWG ) PC Triple C
25 x 0.16mm ( 34 AWG ) PC Triple C

7 x 0.3mm ( 28 AWG ) PC Triple C / EX - 5N Silver Outer Wall -
Conductivity 105.0 IACS.

Any advice that can be offered on using the above Spec of cable will be very much appreciated.

 
  

@celo - that looks the same as the one I have.

I think it's about 5/16" dia

Regards

@williewonka thanks. I saw these but was specifically looking for 5 foot which none are but I guess that’s irrelevant as long as it is long enough. Different brand here in the US but same thing. I just don’t know its diameter. 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-48-in-Reflective-Rod-in-Orange-31474/304685319

@celo - any hardware store has them

They are called a "reflective staff" at Home Depot
Hillman 48 Inch Reflective Staff | The Home Depot Canada

Perhaps they only sell them "up North", but not in the southern states

Regards

Thanks!
@mawe 
@williewonka 

Other amps to add to the list ( Balanced/Symmetrical/Complimentary ) are all Pass Labs except XA25 and INT25.

Where did you buy the fiberglass rod? Seems like I am dumb finding it online. A direct link would be nice. 

In addition to my post above:

With a „normal“ 230V AC power line the „life“+ is carrying +230V and „neutral“- is 0V. The outlet of a balanced power conditioner has +115VAC on „life“ and -115VAC on „neutral“ conductor.
Therefore both conductor should have same size and length. Otherwise you loose some of the effect of the power conditioner.

@ aniwolfe

a balanced power conditioner is a kind of isolating Trafo with the addition to create from the one phase inlet (in Europe 230V AC) a symmetrical output of +115V AC and -115V AC. All DC, which could be on the 230V input line is eliminated and the new power is not connected to Neutral line, which could have noise and DC as well.

The components, which will plug into this balanced power conditioner will still see a 230V AC, which is the absolute difference between -115V and +115V. 
They can make a noticeable difference with the big advantage to have no dampening/loss of dynamics. Actually, in most cases they „sound more dynamic“, as the new voltage is always stable 230V, which, on the „normal“ inlet is not the case and we all know the fluctuations of voltage between days and night time. Main reason, that Hi-Fi systems may sound better at night. 

@aniwolfe -The balanced power supply is not in the component.

Think of them being similar to a power conditioner.

1. They can be a separate unit between the outlet and the components,
2. or attached to the breaker panel and provide power to your system from there

Is it confirmed that Balanced power supplies do not sound good with Helix Powercords or is this just a thought

I have heard from people that tried the speaker cables with amps that use the Balanced/Symmetrical/Complimentary approach and they did not sound very good

It is my opinion that Helix Power Cables will suffer from the very same problems when used with balanced power supplies because the helix design IS NOT symmetrical

• Because the Neutral is significantly longer than the Live wire then distortions could occur inside the component’s power supply, which would impact sound quality.

Until I hear otherwise I will not recommend the Helix be used with Balanced power supplies

But as stated above - they WILL NOT damage any connected components

Unfortunately I cannot provide a complete list of amps that use the Balanced/Symmetrical/Complimentary design approach because it appears to be growing quite quickly, but here are some I know of

• some D’Agostino Amps
• some Audio Research amps
• Vitus
• some Musical Fidelity high end models.
  

Regards - Steve

@williewonka 

Can you give examples of components that use Balanced Power Supplies? Any brand names that like to use this? Is it confirmed that Balanced power supplies do not sound good with Helix Powercords or is this just a thought?

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Regarding Helix Speaker Cables and Helix Power Cables

In the last little while I have been made aware of certain amplifier designs for which the Helix Geometry Speaker cables is NOT a good choice.

These amplifiers adopt a completely "balanced" design approach in that the speaker outputs have a +ve and -ve terminal, where the -ve terminal carries the same signal as the +ve terminal, but it is 180 degrees out of phase to the signal on the +ve terminal.

I have also seen this design approach referred to as

Symmetrical or Complimentary

and is increasingly being used by several high end designs in order to allow them to drive difficult loads more easily

PLEASE NOTE: Using a Helix speaker cable will not damage the amp in any way, but the sound is not very good.

THEN JUST YESTERDAY, I realized that this would also be the case for power cables that are connected to a Balanced Power Supply.

Again - the power supply OR the component would not suffer any damage - but components connected to it would just not sound as good as they could.

If you have a amplifier that utilize the "Balanced" design approach then I would suggest using speaker cables made from wires of identical Length, Gauge and Insulation and separated by 1-2 inches.
- you can still apply the (Air) adaption, but to both wires

For the power cables - there is no "elegant" alternate solution that would provide the same clarity and dynamics of the Helix Power Cables when used with an unbalanced supply.

So please take this into account when making Helix cables for yourself or others.

There are NO ISSUES with Helix Interconnect Cables to my knowledge

This is currently the only point of concern that I am aware of

Regards - Steve

Thank you wig.  I forgot about the SM double aspect.

Only my power conditioner and amplifier are outfitted with OCC 12 Ga and my other components are outfitted with 2 - 16 Ga OCC Solid Copper on the Live side.

Hope that helps,
Wig

@maxima95 

All of my cables are utilizing the SM or doubling of conductors and configured like this:

2 - 12 Ga OCC Solid (Live)
2 - 12 Ga Mil-Spec but now 1 - 12 Ga OCC Solid (Neutral)
2 - 12 Ga Mil-Spec on (Ground) since it was already there : )

Wig

wig - Let me be sure I understand this iteration:

1 - 12 ga solid Neotech OCC/PTFE for the Live (inside the helix)
1 - 12 ga solid Neotech OCC/PTFE for the Neutral part of the helix
1 - 12 ga copper wire for the Ground part of the helix.

Sorry if I got it confused.  Thanks.

@ t_ramey

I used OCC Solid copper as the stranded version is even more expensive...

Wig

Guys,

The cost of the Neotech wire has been all over the map and when I saw that Parts Connexion was almost half of the cost at Sonic Craft, where I typically buy my Neotech, I jumped on it!

For a new build it adds only $25 to the build and for a conversion of an already built cable, $69 and if you can swing the additional cost, you will be rewarded with a much higher performing cable.

I'm going to convert my DIY Helix Digital Coax "Air" version cable soon and Imagine these benefits will yield greater results there.

Wig

@wig - Glad to hear that the benefits justified the expense :-)

You are probably the first to report what sounds like a "significant improvement" as opposed to "marginal", by using better wire for the neutral, but then is is UP-OCC copper, which appears to provide benefits no matter where it is used. Others have tried very good wire from a couple of established brands, but not UP-OCC copper, and they reported only marginal improvement.

I think also that all cables have a tendency to perform differently from one system to the next, because your description of "invisible" speakers and the sound being more "vinyl like" (I’ll assume this means more natural/realistic) is exactly what I am currently experiencing, but all my cables are using the Silver plated Mil-spec from Take Five audio, which is CRYO’d

It stands to reason that using the best quality wire for both signal and neutral conductors should achieve the best performance.

So, do you have any plans to convert other Helix cables?

@traubert - ever since I started developing cables I have come to realize that any change can make some difference (good or bad) in cable performance, so it might be possible to "tune" a cable to a persons preferred sound. What I will add is that the Helix Geometry is one of the most neutral sounding cables around and as such the "tonal qualities" do not change too much

What I and others have tried is varying the number of conductors of the same size - and from that perspective two conductors appear to provide optimal "bang for the buck"
e.g. going to 4 wires made no appreciable improvements

Unfortunately, budgets are the restricting factor for most people participating in this thread, but if you are interested in following up on this particular approach we would all appreciate your feedback/findings

Regards - Steve

@wig   I’ve been thinking of doing that. Did you get strand or solid core 12g Neotech for the neutral?

I just replaced the Duelund wire in my amps output to 16g Neotech solid copper and the clarity and texture is incredible. Thinking why didn’t I do this sooner. I’m also contemplating using the 16g Neotech copper in my speakers crossover.

Varistrand?

First of all: thanks for a very interesting thread. 

Has anyone tried combining different gauges for the signal wire? Say one 18awg and one 20 awg instead of the double 18awg for the IC. 

Kimber uses the varistrand-concept. Also, I remember another thread on this forum where cables were tuned by combining a variety of gauges.

Thanks

Quick DIY Helix PC Neutral Wire Update:

Guys,

I finally made the decision to order some Neotech 12 Ga OCC Copper Wire to replace the Neutral Mil-Spec Wire in my PC and I wasn’t prepared to hear this unbelievable change… The first thing I noticed was complete blackness/lowering of floor noise, much better channel separation, depth, more body/texture with images being more vibrant and articulate.

I’m still shaking my head as my speakers before were “chameleon” but with the Neotech upgrade, my speakers are not there and the sound is more “vinyl-like” and this is with zero hours on the cables. I converted my dual 12 Ga Mil-Spec wire to a single Neotech 12Ga OCC Copper and this wire is robust.

If you convert your current DIY Helix Cables to Neotech, I recommend removing the neutral from your current cables first and coiling the remainder of the cabling around the Neotech OCC Wire that’s on a rod and sufficiently spaced; the longer the rod, the better but 6+ feet would be good depending on the length of you PC.

Again, the change was so amazing that I converted ALL 5 of my DIY Helix PC to a single Neotech 12Ga OCC Copper Neutral Wire totaling $325!

They are now on my Audiodharma Cable Cooker for some dielectric exercising for about 4 days and then on to the refrigerator for some settling before placing back in my system....

Wig : ) 

t_ramey

Thanks very much for the information.

maxima95- Several years ago I was able to grab a great deal on some Furutech NCF connectors so that’s what I’m using with the double helix.

Each 12g wire went into its own 8g Teflon tubing and was a bit of a pain to get down through the helix. A bigger rod than 5/16 probably would have been better or easier.

t_ramey

What connectors did you use for the power cords?

Thanks.

Thanks Steve. I figured there must be a reason why you don’t hear this being done and it would be an expensive experiment just to find out.

I received some 16g mil spec from Take Five so I will make an ic set today with it and some bare Neotech 18g to compare to the mil spec I got from Apex jr. Curiosity of the cryo treatment Take Five does to their wire got the best of me.

@t_ramey - I would advise against "mixing metals" on the signal or live conductors of Helix cables.

Back in time, I tried silver plated copper wires for the signal on IC’s and they impacted clarity.

Since then I have use one OR the other, but never mixed them.

My theory is that the two metals convey the signal at two slightly different propagation rates, resulting in distortion

I do recommend the silver plated mil-spec wire for the neutral, but fortunately, the neutral conductor plays a different "role" to the signal conductor, so the silver plated Mil-spec does NOT introduce distortions in the signal.

Regards - Steve

I have built three power cables using the double helix air version with two having 14g occ copper from Parts Connexion and one with Neotech 12g. They’re all great and the 12g is still burning in but things are opening up sounding phenomenal.

I have two pairs of IC’s with the double helix air with 18g Neotech solid copper and they too are performing stellar with a huge soundstage and provide a real presence of the artists in the room.

Wondering if anybody has tried mixing a copper solid with a silver solid on the signal conductor in their double helix interconnects and if that provides anymore clarity while retaining the warmth or is that not a good idea to mix the two on the signal. I know there are cables that mix silver/gold but have not seen copper/silver.

Thank you Steve and @grannyring 

Everything is clear now and the first double helixes has been coiled by now. Double signal wires will be mounted tomorrow, ratio 3:1.

Yes I use a 4-1 ratio on all my IC builds. Just my preference. For a one meter length I use 2-13 foot runs for the Helix in my ICs.

@provst - Since the Double Shotgun approach will provide the very best sound quality I would use a double helix with a ratio of 3:1

Regards

The helix ground on your xlr is never a twisted pair, but always a coiled helix. It is not a huge sonic degrade if you just use one conductor as the helix. However, two sound a tad better.

If using two wires on the helix, then just coil them up side by side on your drill at the same time.  Very easy to do.  I have been able to uncoil the TFA wire once coiled.  Took my time and did a good job of getting it straight again.

I would use a 4-4.5 to 1 ratio on the helix to pin 2&3 conductors if just using one conductor.

Hi Steve,
Thank you so much for a swift response.
The above section is taken from @grannyring answering in more detail at 12-30-2020 1:45pm.
Now - upon reading your explanation and recommendation for interconnects, and re-reading the answer from @grannyring I guess you are still aligned. As I now see it, the ratio of 4 - 4,5 is in case you are using only one helix for the ground. If using two helix for ground, ratio should be 3:1. Is this correct?

@provst - I just looked back at the @grannyring post you mentioned and your understanding is correct.

But saw no mention of the ratio in that post, so I think the ratio of the Helix coil should remain 3:1 Neutral to signal

I generally reserve a higher ratio of 4:1 for Analogue Interconnects that employed from a Turntable to the Phono Stage to offer a little better shielding capability to the extremely small signals at play.

The signals in interconnects between components are much more robust and not amplified to the same degree. 

This is the Schroeder Double Shotgun approach, which is proving to offer the best performance.

Hope that helps - Steve

A jump back in time to the last days of 2020..

@divertiti asked for directions on how to convert an already finished cable from RCA to XLR.

@grannyring answered in a way that could be an object for discussion. As I’m about to embark on the exact same journey, I would be very pleased, if someone could confirm my understanding on how a Helix Image with XLR termination would be made.

As I understand the layout from the answering of @grannyring there should be 2•18GA for positive +ve and 2•18GA for the negative -ve and a double helix consisting of 2•16GA for ground.
Ratio should be 4-4,5.

Am I on track here with this understanding or have I totally missed out?

@ markus87

I have always connected the “spacer-wire” at the mains plugs side together with the GND wire.
If there is a EM field inducted from the “life” conductor to the spacer, this will be fed to ground.

Main reasons I do this are, more equal spacing between life and neutral and it gives the whole construction a more solid fit. The Jantzen wire for neutral is not as easy to work with as if it would be with a solid core wire.

No, in this construction I do not cover the life wire with anything else.

I have made more than a dozen different Helix PCs with different wires and they all sound slightly different.
This Design is with my ears and my equipment the best compromise in terms of “sound” and “construction”. 
On the “air” (wire without insulation) design and on other designs I had used  2 Teflon tubes (6mm and 12mm) to create a kind of “spacer” to keep the neutral away from the life conductors.
I think the coiled GND wire is at least equal and easier and more cost effective.

I use a 3:1 ratio.

I used different plugs, and these “sound” more different, than some of the different constructions.
The SonarQuests silver plated are very open. On some applications I prefer the Furutech FI-15 (G) IEC connector, as it is easier to work with and has a more “solid” sound signature. And for Schuko plugs I used either SonarQuest, Wattgate or Hifituning. Later 2 are easier to work with. 

Thanks a lot @williewonka for your reply!

@mawe I am from Europe as well... Going to order at audiophonics.

Spacer = 1 x 15 AWG (1,5sqmm) solid core groundwire (green-yellow) from home depot with PVC insulation (cheap) coiled on a 6mm dia rod clockwise ratio 3,5:1. Slide the life wire into that coil. This is only connected to wall plug, as ist acts purely as a spacer.

So if I understand correctly, you use the 15AWG gnd wire only as a spacer between live and neutral. Shouldn't this mean that you are NOT connecting it to any plug?

Do you use a cotton sleeve on the live wire on top?

This concept sounds interesting, have you compared it to the original design? What benefits does it bring? Better handling/stability of the cord? Better sonics?

Do you use a 2.5 to 3:1 ratio for neutral to live as well?

Cheers,
Markus 

@williewonka thank you for this feedback And @mawe thank you guys

@ marcus87

living in Europe, I have made my low powered pc's with 2x 16 AWG OCC Neo unstriped like this:

Life = 2x 16 AWG OCC Neo in PTFE twisted 1x every inch clockwise.

Spacer = 1 x 15 AWG (1,5sqmm) solid core groundwire (green-yellow) from home depot with PVC insulation (cheap) coiled on a 6mm dia rod clockwise ratio 3,5:1. Slide the life wire into that coil. This is only connected to wall plug, as ist acts purely as a spacer.

Neutral (and grd if needed) = coiled anti-clockwise on a 12mm rod. I used Jantzen silver plated 4N copper in PTFE as well.
Slide it over the Life/GND construction.
This way, the space between life and neutral wire is very even.

A low cost version I have tested as well (use it on my diy power supply for 5V DC for my amazon fire stick and on the 5V DC for my ethernet/fibre-optic converters).

Instead of the expansive OCC Neo wire I have used the Jantzen 6N OFC copper speaker cable (2 x 1,0sqmm / 17 AWG) as live conductor.
Coiled a 1,5sqmm GND wire as spacer (as above) and the Jantzen silver platted copper 1,3sqmm x 2 as neutral.
Note: The Jantzen speaker cable is only approved for max 80 V, so you can not use it as a power cord when connecting  the 2 internal wires one to life and one to neutral !!!

It sounds not quite as open as the OCC Neo, more pleasing which can be a good thing in some applications.

@ abolive

""RE: RCA to XLR...

OK - so there is no real great solution for this setup. You can create a cable with RCA at one end and XLR at the other. The Helix geometry is probably one of the better geometries for this because of the lack of noise in the cable.
On the XLR end
- Pin #1 would connect the neutral coil and 
- Pin #2 would connect the signal wire
- pin #3 left unconnected

Hope that answers your questions

Regards - Steve""

I have always connected pin 3 as well to the pin 1 in the XLR connector.
Both will work, have a try, what sounds best to your equipement.

@marcus87 - RE:

  I have some questions left before placing my order and would highly appreciate your kind answers:

1. Should I handle the 2 unstripped Neotech wires similar to stripped ones (twisted closely every inch)?
2. Should the twisted live wire be covered in cotton? If so, which diameter is appropriate for 2x16AWG?
3. The ratio for neutral and ground to live is 4:1, correct?
4. Covering the final cable in a cotton or nylon sleeve should be avoided in order to get the best performance, correct?
5. Any thoughts on helix DC cables? Or what is your favorite DC cable recipe to pair with the helix AC PCs?

1. Relax the twist a little - one twist every 2"
2. 2 x 16 can use the 1/8" cotton sleeve
3. a ratio of 2.5 - 3.0 to 1 is better

#4 - To SLEEVE or NOT - I prefer not to use any sleeve, but I can also see the need for a sleeve.
- does cotton sleeve impact the sound?
- maybe, very slightly, but you would have to listen very intently.
- Other people found the the nylon I had used previously did impact sound

#5 - DC Cables - this is uncharted territory and I have no DC supplies to test my theories.
Because DC does not alternate then there should be no noise generated within the cables
BUT the current certainly fluctuates as the signal draws different levels of current, which could in turn cause very slight voltage fluctuations and those could impact sound quality.

But you might want to consider using a better quatity wire for DC power cords

• Use 1 x 18 up-OCC gauge wire inside a teflon tube for the +ve wire
• and use a 1 x 16 gauge Silver plated Mil-spec wire - about 1.5 times the length of the signal wire wrapped around the teflon tube in a more "stretched out" Helix coil

Hope that helps - Steve

@abolive - I prefer Neotech

Provided the speakers are 6-8 ohm I might try something like this
- 1 x 14 gauge for the speaker SIGNAL wire for LF
- 2 x 18 gauge for SIGNAL wire to HF.
- use the same 1 x 14 gauge for both HF and LF neutral wires.

I have used 10 gauge with 14 gauge in a pair of speakers and it sounded very good, but that was many years ago and with vastly different wire. The 10 gauge was very awkward to attach to the board, so I would not recommend it

RE: RCA to XLR...

OK - so there is no real great solution for this setup. You can create a cable with RCA at one end and XLR at the other. The Helix geometry is probably one of the better geometries for this because of the lack of noise in the cable.
On the XLR end
- Pin #1 would connect the neutral coil and
- Pin #2 would connect the signal wire
- pin #3 left unconnected

Hope that answers your questions

Regards - Steve

@williewonka thank you for your reply. Point taken for the speaker internal wiring. Btw, do you prefer Neotech to Duelund for such an application ? And what different gauges would you guys recommend for highs and lows?
Regarding the RCA>XLR, I meant a cable between an unbalanced preamp and a balanced amp (my set up).
Thanks a lot, awesome discussion :)