The Best Cables, Power, Grounding and Equipment Racks
[Editor’s note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for 2021! These are the best cables, power products, grounding products and racks that we, the PTA team, have used.]
Cable Looms
[We’re pushing forward the idea of a cable “loom”–an entire complement of one brand of high-end audio cables, enough to wire an audio system–as the easiest way to determine differences between cables. These are the cable looms we have used in our systems and recommend to our readers.]
These minimalist and affordable cables are part of that incredible $11K Spatial Audio/LTA/LampizatOr system we see at all the shows. That alone makes them worth investigating in our hunt for the best cables at a reasonable price.
Innovative flagship cable line from the UK integrates the Grun earthing system which grounds every connection you make in your system. Also fantastic for lowering the noise floor as reducing RF interference and other types of distortion. Review forthcoming.
Inexpensive cable line from the UK company that makes the Grun earthing system that offers a lot of performance for a relatively low price. Review forthcoming.
Almost everyone at Part-Time Audiophile uses at least one AudioQuest cable in their systems, and this legendary company offers so many products at so many price levels that AQ is our first choice when we need a certain cable in a certain place. Graig Neville recently reviewed an assortment of AQ which you can read here.
Chris Sommovigo’s cables have always been known for incredible performance at reasonable prices,. but now we’re finding Black Cat in some very lofty systems such as our own Dr. Panagiotis Karavitas and throughout the showroom at Fern and Roby.
Cardas Audio Clear/Clear Light
Some of our newer writers are getting a taste of Cardas Clear as we speak, and they’re amazed at how much their systems have improved. Perfectly balanced and musical. Managing Editor, Eric Franklin Shook swears by them.
Core Power Defiant Diamond (from $995 USD)
Most of the attention in the cable market is drawn to the hyper-expensive stuff or the stuff that is claimed to be just as good as the hyper-expensive stuff but at a tiny fraction of the price. Enter the Defiant Diamond, priced right in the middle of the market, but good enough to find its way into a few lofty systems.
Furutech Lineflux and Speakerflux (from $2,650 and $3,650 USD pr)
Along with Cardas Audio Clear, this has been the reference cable for the Vinyl Anachronist for the last decade. Sounds great, looks sexy. Yeah, we said it.
Luminous Audio Technology Prestige III ($188 USD for an 8 ft. terminated pair)
Yep, that’s the right price. For less than $200 you can buy cable with a nice fit and finish that uses a modified helix array inside a polyurethane jacket to improve performance. At this price, the Prestige III could be a game-changer–especially for second systems and those new to the hobby.
MasterBuilt Audio (prices vary)
It’s what Von Schweikert Audio insists on using with their loudspeakers–’nuff said. A full loom review is in the works.
Purist Audio Design (prices vary)
Jim Aud is a kind and thoughtful designer in person, and his cables seem to possess the same relaxed characteristics. Open and airy, and magical with tubes.
Raven Audio Soniquil (starting at $149 USD)
If you think the prices of the best cables in high-end audio are out of whack, check out these well-built, attractive and extremely affordable cables from this Texas-based company known previously for their outstanding tube amps.
We’re enamored with the silk jackets, and we’ve hear Skogrand cables wire up some of the most impressive systems we’ve heard. Crazy expensive, but also a crazy high level of pride of ownership.
Triode Wire Labs ($399-$1,399 USD)
Again, if you’ve been in one of those amazing Volti Audio and BorderPatrol rooms at the high end audio shows, that magical combo is hooked up with Triode Wire Labs. Great cables and fabulously underpriced, too. We’ve just completed a loom review here.
Power Cords
[Power cords are slightly different animals than speaker cables and interconnects, and we’ve compiled a list of our favorite power cords to use in our reference systems.]
AudioQuest NRG ($49-249 USD)
The AQ NRG is our go-to entry power cable. Low cost, huge impact. If you don’t want to make a big investment, start here, and you will still hear an obvious difference from stock power cords.
AudioQuest Storm Series ($625-$1,995 USD)
We’re currently using the Blizzard power cords for use with the AudioQuest Niagaras. While this line is square in the middle of AQ power cords options, you can hear many of benefits that we see in their top power cables at a much lower price. Building on advances that were made during the development of the AudioQuest 7000 power conditioner, Garth Powell and team at AudioQuest developed their new reference power cord. Our own Mohammed Samji tested them for months and purchased all the review samples–an army of Dragons are now a permanent fixture in his reference room.
Cardas Audio Clear (starting at $749 USD)
A longtime reference for many of us here at PTA.
Core Power Valiant (starting at $179 USD)
Initial testing reveals these power cords, which use Furutech connectors, to be unusually versatile and an excellent value.
Furutech Powerflux (starting at $1,850 USD)
Another longtime reference–fantastic performance, great looks for a cable and some of the most intriguing innovations in the industry.
Raven Audio Soniquil (starting at $149 USD)
If you think the prices of the best cables in high-end audio are out of whack, check out these well-built, attractive and extremely affordable cables from this Texas-based company known previously for their outstanding tube amps.
Signal Projects Golden Sequence ($4,675 USD)
Our own Dr. Panagiotis Karavitas has used these in his system for quite a while–when he revamped his entire system last year, Signal Projects was one of the few holdovers.
Analog Cables (interconnects and speaker cables)
(Note: audio cables are very system-dependent, so instead of offering long descriptions of these products, we’ll simply say that we have experienced tremendous success with each one. Prices vary according to model.)
A run of Cardas Audio Clear Beyond XLR cables ($6500 pr) has been a secret weapon for us in evaluating amplifiers and CD players. Along with Furutech Speakerflux and Lineflux, the reference cables for the Vinyl Anachronist for the last decade. An indispensable tool.
Core Power Defiant Diamond (from $995 USD)
Most of the attention in the cable market is drawn to the hyper-expensive stuff or the stuff that is claimed to be just as good as the hyper-expensive stuff but at a tiny fraction of the price. Enter the Defiant Diamond, priced right in the middle of the market, but good enough to find its way into a few lofty systems.
Luminous Audio Technology Prestige III ($188 USD for an 8 ft. terminated pair)
Yep, that’s the right price. For less than $200 you can buy cable with a nice fit and finish that uses a modified helix array inside a polyurethane jacket to improve performance. At this price, the Prestige III could be a game-changer–especially for second systems and those new to the hobby.
Raven Audio Soniquil (starting at $99 USD)
If you think the prices of quality high-end cabling are out of whack, check out these well-built, attractive and extremely affordable cables from this Texas-based company known for their outstanding tube amps.
Transparent Cable Generation 5
Transparent interconnects and speaker cables have a long history in some of our listening rooms at PTA. Each generation from Transparent has successfully improved on tonality, dynamics and reducing noise, and their passive networks filter noise and try to provide some level of impedance matching in their higher-level cables. Transparent Ultra Gen 5 seems to be the sweet spot for performance vs. price.
One of those cable companies who feel like they’ve been around forever, and probably because they still turn out a fantastic product. Wireworld is also one of those cable companies who strive to make their cables sound like nothing at all.
Digital Cables
(Note: audio cables are very system-dependent, so instead of offering long descriptions of the best cables in the digital realm we’ll simply say that we have experienced tremendous success with each one.)
AudioQuest Cinnamon USB (starting at $89.95 USD)
Affordable and one of the best cables for casual USB connections–we use a 20′ run from DAC to laptop to stream from the listening position.
AudioQuest Vodka Ethernet ($379 USD)
An easy and relatively affordable way to prove to yourself that an audiophile network cable can improve the overall quality of your streaming.
Nordost Heimdall Ethernet (starting at $699 USD)
One of the best network cables you can use when striving for excellent sound quality from music streaming services.
Purist Audio Design Diamond Revision 30th Anniversary USB ($2,000 USD)
The USB cable the boss retrieves when he’s got some of that crazy state-of-the-art digital to enjoy. Expensive, but you’ll change your mind once you listen.
Shunyata Venom ($395 USD)
The Venom line has always been one of the most practical in the cable industry–solid construction, more than fair prices.
Skogrand Beethoven USB ($11,000 USD)
Crazy expensive, but a beautiful work of art. It seems strange to say that about a USB cable, but Knut Skogrand makes some of the best cables in the world.
Snake River Audio Boomslang ($595-$695 USD)
A whole line of digital cables with vibrant colors and serious cred among enthusiasts. Handmade cables, made in Idaho about “a three hour drive” from the nearest McDonald’s or Walmart.
Power Management
(Note: power management products such as powerline conditioners, filters and surge protectors are both system-dependent and house-dependent, so instead of offering long descriptions of these products we’ll simply say that we have experienced tremendous success with each one, especially when you use the best cables.)
Furutech NCF Clear Line Power Supply Optimizer ($249 USD)
Furutech’s NCF (Nano Crystal² Formula) might seem a little on the tweaky side, but this material has science on its side–“it generates negative ions that eliminate static, and it converts thermal energy into far infrared. This results in ‘piezoelectric effect damping’ properties.” Simply plug the Clear Line into the nearest AC outlet to your system–a spare outlet on a power conditioner is ideal–and you’ll hear a very audible reduction in noise.
AudioQuest Niagara 1200 power conditioner ($999 USD)
The official replacement for the wildly popular Niagara 1000, the seven-outlet 1200 has a more substantial wedge shape that makes it easy to fit into tight places. “Everything is designed for improved linearity, superior noise dissipation and minimized distortion.”
Gigawatt PF-2 w/LC-2 power cord ($1,500 USD)
AudioQuest Niagara 3000 ($3,000 USD)
The latest Niagara features technology that was first developed in the flagship 7000, so the 3000 is impressive in its ability to be used with power amps. (This, of course, will fuel more debates about plugging amps directly into walls.) “The Niagara 3000 is designed to suppress noise across the frequency band consistently. More importantly, the 3000 has a current reservoir of 55 amps, which makes it suitable for high-current power amplifiers.”
Isotek Sigma power conditioner ($3,995 USD)
Another power conditioner that we see all the time at high-end audio shows, the Sigma excels at isolating noise in busy environments.
Purist Audio Design ($2,000 USD)
You may not expect a power conditioner to be aesthetically beautiful, but here’s one that will probably be more attractive than your power amp. Plus Jim Aud pays extra attention to damping materials in this gorgeous box, making it truly functional.
Grounding/Earthing Devices
AudioQuest GroundGoody Saturn and Jupiter ($30 and $300 USD, respectively)
An easy and inexpensive way to hear how proper grounding can improve the sound of your system, just swap out your turntable’s stock ground cable with either the Saturn (copper) or Jupiter (silver). In addition to a lowered noise floor, you’ll hear less distortion.
Atlas Cables Grun Earthing System (prices vary according to options)
This grounding system from this UK company works through your runs of speaker cables and interconnects, with the earthing distribution block located in the power strip. You’ll have wires going everywhere, so your cable dressing skills will come into play. But this is an effective solution for grounding–with a superb set of cables thrown in!
Nordost QKORE grounding units and QWIRE grounding wire (QKORE starting at $2495 USD, QWIRE $350 USD ea.)
The Nordost QKORE grounding hubs–you can use one of the three models or all–provide an artificial earth for your components. The QWIREs are simply grounding wires that have been engineered to reduce distortion and noise. Expensive, but made for the finest systems–we found the QKORE made our listening rooms quieter than anywhere else in the house.
Equipment Racks
[Prices vary greatly according to size, features, options and finishes.]
Acora Acoustics SRS-G and SRG-M ($5,000 pr USD and $2,500 pr USD, respectively)
The Acora Acoustics SRS-G stands are made from solid granite and are quite possibly the King of the Mountain when it comes to speaker stands. We’ve even kept a pair aboard to evaluate other two-way loudspeakers. The SRS-M is a similar design, but made with metal.
Christopher Hildebrand and his crew are a mixture of precision machinists and master carpenters, so these custom audio furniture products offer an exceptional degree of fit and finish.
Our go to platform for our components. HRS M3X platforms come in various sizes and allow you to swap the feet based on load applied to the platform.
These Polish-made racks have been hand-tuned by blending alloy steel and another type of steel with high carbon content, and the anti-vibration spikes are among the most effective in the industry.
Box makes tasteful wooden equipment racks using high quality materials and mortise and tenon construction. Each model has been subjected to extensive listening tests.
These Australian-made equipment racks combine performance with beauty. Modular construction allows you to customize your rack to any system.
A top choice in audio isolation products that eliminate noise and vibrations. Each product is engineered to tight tolerances and calibrated for use with specific models of electronics accordingly with the electrical, mechanical and acoustical characteristics.
Despite the simple design—looks can be deceiving—this is yet another truly well engineered rack. Under some gorgeous multi-layer lacquer finish and solid wood shelves lies a cast aluminum chassis which eliminates resonances and dissipates vibrations. Excellent fit and superb finish.
Despite the company being better known for their all-aluminum state of the art speakers, they do produce a rack that is among the best engineered products in the category. A true tool designed for vibration control. Expensive, but precision engineering costs real money.
The Buyers Guides of Summer 2021
- The Best Bookshelf Speakers
- The Best Floorstanding Speakers
- The Best Phono Preamplifiers
- The Best DACs, Servers, Streamers, and Disc Spinners
- The Best Preamplifiers
- The Best Headphones, IEMs, and Headphone Amplifiers
- The Best Cable, Power, and Racks
- The Best Audio Accessories, Tweaks, and Voodoo
- The Best Amplifiers
- The Best Integrated Amplifiers
- The Best Turntables
- The Best Tonearms and Phono Cartridges
