AudioQuest NRG-X3

The NRG-X3 belongs to the AudioQuest family of mains cables, power cords designed to connect a source, converter, preamplifier or amplifier to the wall socket. Their role is not to carry the musical signal but the energy that feeds it, with the stated aim from the manufacturer of limiting noise carried into the audio-video chain.

The design is based on a long-grain copper conductor, referred to as LGC by the brand. The idea is to reduce the number of boundaries between metal grains present in any conductor, these discontinuities being considered a source of distortion. Added to this is a so-called semi-solid concentric geometry: the strands are pressed tightly against one another and remain in a fixed position within the bundle, avoiding micro-movements and the resulting interaction distortion.

Third claimed element: direction control. AudioQuest works on the principle that any drawn metal strand has a non-symmetrical, and therefore oriented, grain structure, and determines by listening the direction of installation for each batch of conductor. The aim is to orient the radio-frequency impedance variation so as to draw off induced noise where it does not disturb the signal. Where this applies, arrows are marked on the connectors to indicate this fitting direction, a marker that should be respected during installation.

This type of cord is aimed at those who have already settled the main components of their system and wish to work on the power supply, an area often overlooked. It finds a place equally behind a player or a converter as on a video device, the brand explicitly placing the NRG-X3 in an A/V context. The choice of length is made according to the actual distance between the device and the socket or mains block: the NRG-X3 is available in 1 m, 2 m and 3 m.

When buying used, a mains cable is checked differently from an electronic device. A few points deserve attention:

• the condition of the pins and contacts, which must not be oxidised, blackened or deformed by repeated insertions;
• the solidity of the connectors, a connector that moves or turns on the sheath indicating excessive pulling;
• the absence of pinching, sharp bends or crushing on the sheath, a mains cable often running behind furniture;
• the presence and legibility of the direction arrows on the connectors, essential to respect the direction intended by the manufacturer;
• the actual length, which determines the use and should be checked before any purchase.

Finally, a power cord remains a safety accessory as much as an audio accessory: it is best to rule out any example whose sheath is split or whose connector shows any trace of heat damage.