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  3. 170021-3592

Underwood Hifi Cables

So now I’m back to stock cables and need 2 power cables and a pair of xlrs. I talked with Walter at Underwood about my situation. He stored my info and order but I am yet to order. Walters a very cool cat btw. Funny and blunt. Seems like a pretty good deal we worked out just don’t want to buy something that will not be an improvement. Any opinions on the cables from Underwood. I was looking at the mid grade cables that Walter talked highly of. 

thanks
mofojo

Showing 5 responses by williewonka

williewonka
3,110 posts
 
@mofojo
On the technical side...
  • they use OFC copper wire, which is far from optimum - look for UP-OCC copper or Furutech Alpha wire
  • they use copper plugs, which are better than brass/bronze, but not as good as silver plated copper
  • They probably employ a conventional cable geometry, so they will suffer the same noise problems as any other conventional cable on the market
They will perform better than a stock power cable

The DH Labs Power Plus PC would probably be better (at a similar price point) and have some resale value

If you can DIY it I can recommend a vastly superior option, but it requires more  effort  than simply attaching some plugs to a piece of bulk cable

Regards - Steve
williewonka
3,110 posts
 
@mofojo - here are a couple of links

To my cable fabrication details

What other Audiogon members think of them and some of their adaptions on the concept

You can of course use any wire you choose, but the wires mentioned on my web site are some of the very best available.
  • But to make an affordable prototype that performs very well - a good wire to use for both  Live and Neutral conductors is a silver plated Mil-Spec wire from Take Five Audio.

If you have any questions just ask

Regards - Steve

williewonka
3,110 posts
 
@mofojo - Cost really depends on what wires you use, but for the sake of this exercise i will use the more affordable option of using Silver Plated Mil-Spec wire
You should notice a significant performance improvement in any component using this cable - better dynamics, clarity, detail and image, with a deeper more textured bass compared to many branded products

If you like the sound of this "evaluation" cable you can achieve significantly better sound just by upgrading the the Live wire to 2 x 14 gauge bare UP-OCC copper wire, each wire inside teflon tubes (as per the web site), but please note this wire makes the cable stiff and as such it cannot be treated like an "extension cable" i.e. the less flexing the better, which is not generally an issue when used for audio systems. Moderate flexing is OK

The best cable performance would be to implement the above upgrade PLUS upgrading the Neutral to a single (or double) UP-OCC stranded copper wire with Teflon insulation from Neotech

I have tried Duelund 12 gauge tinned copper with theri polymer insulation, but the UP-OCC bare wire provides faster dynamics, more clarity/details and better image. DO NOT USE the Duelund wire with cotton insulation because it is NOT rated for MAINS use

NOTES:
You may notice the cables pictured on the web site doe NOT use the black expandable nylon sleeve
  • mainly because I am frequently trying different wires, but you can opt to use it or leave it off
  • leaving it off does not pose any safety issues because the neutral is always at zero volts i.e. connected to ground at the mains panel
I do use spade terminals on ALL wires because
  • it prevents the wires from slipping out of the plugs, especially if you use the solid core wires
  • I have also found it sounds better with spades
  • I also crimp AND solder - again for safety
I have used the HELIX cable on small mini systems, my Bluesound Pulse Mini speaker, TV’s and my Bryston B135 and the improvements can easily be heard on all of them

Hope you try it - Steve
williewonka
3,110 posts
 
@tvad - I have tried the following from E-bay
  • Vanguard - not quite as well made as the Sonarquest
  • Schuko - but I prefer the aluminum housing on the Sonarquest
  • Hi-End makes a nice plug with heavy duty aluminum barrel
  • Viborg - but I prefer the aluminum housing on the Sonarquest
  • There are some expensive "Carbon Fiber" variants also
But I think the best is still the Sonarquest, because the IEC plugs grip like a vice and the mains connectors have very flat pins that wear very well, so I tend to recommend those over the other options. They also withstand a lot of attaching and removing in my environment i.e. due to trying different wires frequently

Hope that helps - Steve
williewonka
3,110 posts
 
@mofojo - FYI...

Here’s a couple of posts from another thread about the HELIX DIY power cables
  • Having auditioned many high end pcs over the years, I can’t really recall any I wanted to use on entire system. These are so natural in timbre, tonality, really very little coloration.
  • I’m not up on latest recipes, but I discovered Steve’s original Helix page some time ago. I’ve auditioned many cables over the years using lending library at Cable Company, $1k to $3-4k in all categories. The Helix has been my go to pc for some time, transparency second to none.
  • The Inakustik are the best sounding commercially made cable I have ever heard but are out performed by my DIY Helix cables by a good margin and can be tailored to a particular sound by the conductor of your choice at any time.
RE:
Even if I buy some cables I’m still going to try out your diy cable build. You’ve obviously done your homework for many years along with some others. Plus I can compare to some lower tier middle of the road cables (hifi priced) whatever I get.
I look forward to hearing your observations of all the cables you try. Continuing feedback plays a huge role in cable development

I am a great believer in trusting one’s own ears

Regards - Steve






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