Power Cables
Cable Selection Guide
Our lineup is very simple with two tiers of cables: the Headwaters and the Wind River.
Click the thumbnail photo for an overview of our cable line as well as some lessons we've learned over the years about how to configure your cabling.
If you have no time to read it, then know this: select your power and speaker cables first, because they will influence your assessment of interconnects.
While you may not agree with our observations, we think it will at a minimum, stimulate thought.
Having said that, scroll down to view our two power cables.
Wind River - from $795
Introductory Pricing (includes 72 hour burn-in):
- 4 feet: $795
- 6 feet: $995
- 8 feet: $1,195
- 10 feet: $1,295
Wind River Power Cable
Wind River Construction
- 12 gauge, braided, partially shielded, PVC cable
- ETI Legato connectors
- Low capacitance outer jacket
Click for an overview of ETI's Legato power connectors.
ETI Legato
Headwaters - from $495
Headwaters Power
Pricing (includes 24 hour burn-in)
- 4 feet: $ 495
- 6 feet: $ 695
- 8 feet: $ 895
- 10 feet: $ 995
Headwaters Construction
- 12 gauge, shielded, PVC jacketed cable
- Wattgate IEC connector
- Pass & Seymour wall plug
- Available in 4 colors shown
Power Safety
!!! Safety Note !!!
This applies to power (mains) cables and interconnects from all manufacturers!! Never remove or otherwise disable the safety/earth ground on the power (mains) cable of any of your electronics!
Many audiophiles will remove the safety/earth ground (the third prong) from their power (mains) cables. They will leave only one mains cable with an active 3rd, ground prong – typically, their line stage.
They do this in an attempt to eliminate ground loops.
This is a violation of safety code and should be avoided at all costs. You do not want to die for your hobby!
Bypassing the mains ground on any of your power cables presents two safety problems:
It puts the burden on the interconnects to carry the safety ground. A safety ground running through an interconnect can fail when potentially lethal currents are present.
Some electronics “float” the signal. This means that the “ground” on your RCA/XLR is not not connected to the chassis. With these designs, if the mains cable ground is disabled, the chassis is no longer grounded.
If you have a hum problem (ground loop), contact your component manufacturers for a solution, or alternatively, or implement isolation transformers between the offending components.
In the early days of radio, some chassis had a 50% chance of carrying high voltage! Here’s an interesting read on the All American 5 radio. Scroll to the section: “Potential Hazards of the Design”.
