Welcome to the Best Grounding, Power Management and Cables section of the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for Summer 2024.
We’re not saying that these are the best grounding, power management and cables or that these choices somehow overrule anyone else’s favorites. We’re saying that these are the products we’ve reviewed, owned, or have had extended experience when it comes to performance and sound quality. This is the gear that we, the staff of Part-Time Audiophile, recommend.
Best Grounding, Power Management and Cables: Speaker Cables
Ansuz Speakz C2 ($9,200 USD per 2M PAIR)
Used in conjunction with the Borresen Z1 Cryo two-way monitors, the cryogenically treated Speakz C2 speaker cables brought forth an enormous amount of detail thanks to sophisticated noise reduction technologies. Expensive, but a very important part of the Audio Group Denmark low-noise equation. Currently our editor-in-chief’s reference speaker cable.
ArgentPur AGPur13 ($4,500/pr USD)
“ArgentPur simply removes the cable link between components with utter transparency, stage detail, coherence, and surprising macrodynamics.” The last part is unexpected–this silver speaker cable can make smaller monitors sound much larger. The secret of these cables is the use of pure silver conductors instead of silver-plated copper, which has given silver a reputation for being too bright in balance. ArgentPur cables are one of the best examples of a cable that does as little wrong as possible, leading to a connection that lets all of the music through. Reviewers Choice, and a prime entry for 2024’s list for best grounding, power management and cables.
Atlas Cables Hyper ($395 USD 3m pr)
Inexpensive cable line from the UK company that also makes the game-changing Grun earthing system, the Hyper speaker cables offer a lot of performance for a relatively low price. One of 2024’s best cables at a very affordable price.
Atlas Cables Mavros ($2,995 3m pr USD)
Innovative flagship cable from the UK integrates with the Grun earthing system that grounds every connection you make in your system. Also fantastic for lowering the noise floor as reducing RF interference and other types of distortion. One of the best grounding products you can use, and it comes with a set of free cables!
Audience frontRow ($3,500 pr USD)
Used for the review for the Audience ClairAudient 1 + 1 V5 speakers, these thin and easy-to-manage cables from Audience’s flagship line elevated the performance of that amazing little monitor, and they were also neutral enough to spend considerable time with the YG Acoustics Sonja 3.2 speakers. The frontRow features MORRE (Musically Optimized Reduction of Resistive Energies), which lowers the noise floor and eliminates distortion.
Audio Note UK AN-LA Stereo Bi-Wired ($1,733 USD per 4m pr)
These copper cables offer Audio Note UK’s first true Litz construction, and are vital to the performance of the AN-E, AN-J and AN-K loudspeaker lines. Easy to work with and route, too.
AudioQuest Rocket 33 ($669 8 ft pr USD)
We use this affordable speaker cable from AQ as a review workhorse–it’s affordable, easy to use and it sounds really nice for the money. The perfect speaker cable for audiophiles who haven’t succumbed to cable madness but still want their systems to sound their best.
Cardas Audio Clear Light/Clear/Clear Beyond (prices vary)
Many of our writers are using Cardas Clear as we speak, and they’re amazed at how much their systems have improved. (Yeah, even the guy who once told us he didn’t hear differences in cable.) Perfectly balanced and musical.
Core Power Technologies Defiant Diamond ($995 USD 8 ft pr)
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 8 ft pr)
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.
Purist Audio Design Poseidon ($1,649 USD 3.5m pr)
These fluid-filled cables from Jim Aud have been around for a number of years, but they still continue to impress with their ability to create a fuller overall sound in your system.
Sanctus F1 Signature ($2,500 USD 10 ft.)
Supplied by MonAcoustics for the SuperMon Mini and PlatiMon VC one reviews, the Sanctus contains 210 strands of silver alloy, aluminum and magnesium. Made under the aegis of The Absolute Audio Cable, the Sanctus F1 was a superb match for the PlatiMons, allowing those aluminum enclosure speakers to preserve all of the detail and precision from the signal.
Siltech Classic Legend 880L ($7,176 USD 3m pr)
These speaker cables sounded downright luxurious to our “big system” reviewers: “If they have any major sonic signature it’s the same as all my other favorite components: large, complex, dynamically revealing, yet smooth.”
Best Grounding, Power Management and Cables: Interconnects
Allnic Audio ZL Mu-8R ($4,000 USD 1.5m pr)
When used with the Allnic Audio H-6500 phono preamplifier, the Zero Loss Technology Mu-8Rs delivered a supreme amount of detail without sacrificing the 6500’s beauty and mystique. Now that we have the $45K Allnic Audio H-10,000 OTL/OCL phono stage, the quality of these interconnects remains solid and poised.
ArgentPur Athene 18AWG ($2,500 USD/1M pair)
These are solid silver, handmade cables using the finest strands of Ag used in the company’s more expensive offerings. These are among the most transparent cables available today, adding precious little to your system’s overall character. A Reviewers Choice Award winner.
Atlas Cables Mavros ($1,400 USD 1.5m pr)
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. Again, among the best grounding products–that comes with a superb set of cables.
Audio Note UK AN-C ($267 USD/1m pr)
Solid performance, affordable price, and part of the Audio Note UK system magic when it comes to delivering music that sounds natural and realistic.
Cardas Audio Clear Beyond ($6,500 3m pr USD)
A run of Cardas Audio Clear Beyond XLR cables ($6,500 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.
Darwin Cable Company “The Enlightenment” ($1,995 1m pr USD)
Nearly bespoke, these interconnects “value sonic truth, accuracy, and overall transparency.” While a bit pricy and a little plain in appearance, you probably won’t do much better at any price.
Furutech Lineflux NCF ($2,650 1.5m pr USD)
Along with Cardas Audio Clear, this has been the reference cable for the Vinyl Anachronist for the last decade, but now it uses Furutech’s advanced nano-carbon formula. Unusually easy to work with and route behind crowded equipment racks, revelatory with the best grounding and power management.
Van den Hul D501 Hybrid ($330 1m pr USD)
This thin, flexible and beautifully made halogen-free set of phono cables is ideal for use in tight places–such as that recessed well in the back of the Technics SL-1200G. (It was, after all, first designed for mixing consoles and tonearm cables.)
Best Grounding, Power Management and Cables: Power Cables
Ansuz Mainz C2 ($4,300 USD per 1M)
If you want to see if power cords can make a difference in your system, merely place one Ansuz Mainz power cable from the wall to the first destination in the system chain and you’ll hear a well-defined drop in the noise floor. These will make an audible difference in your system.
AudioQuest NRG ($64.95 to $249.95 per meter 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 Blizzard ($400-$2,350 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.
Cardas Audio Clear (starting at $749 USD)
A longtime reference for many of us here at PTA, especially when you’re using the best grounding and power management solutions.
Furutech PowerFlux-NCF-18 ($3,194 USD 1.8m)
We’ve been using the PowerFlux power cords for close to a decade–but we swapped them out to take advantage of Furutech’s NCF technology which acts as a damper and lowers the noise floor. Even with the best grounding devices, these will still lower the noise floor in your system.
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.
Lab12 Knack Mk. 2 (starting at $490)
Lab12 designed this power cord, made by Signal Projects, to go along with their Gordian power conditioner, and it’s recommended for use with their excellent tube amplifiers.
Best Grounding, Power Management and Cables: Digital Cables
AudioQuest Cinnamon USB (starting at $99.95 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.
Computer Audio Design USB II-R ($1,500 USD)
This is CAD’s finest USB cable to date, one of very few to address the specific types of noise pollution generated from computer audio products such as servers, streamers and even your lowly laptop.
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.
Best Grounding, Power Management and Cables: Conditioners and Filters
[Editor’s Note: The best 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.]
Ansuz Mainz8 C3 ($5,500 USD)
Sure, the price is high–even though there are higher models in the Ansuz Mainz8 line that go up to $64K–and this isn’t even a conditioner but a passive distribution box. But through materials selection and Tesla coil technology, the C3 lowers inductance (and noise) while assuring a confident ground throughout the system. It’s an incredible foundation for everything that gets plugged into it.
AudioQuest Niagara 3000 ($3,900 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.”
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.
Complete Cable Loom Recommendations
[Editor’s Note: 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.]
Ansuz (prices vary)
This Danish company has lines of cables at all price points, with MSRPs being set for materials such as silver and gold. Each step up the ladder yields gains in clarity and the lowering of the noise floor. After spending significant time with a loom of Ansuz, we are convinced that these qualify as one of 2024’s best cables and accessories.
AudioQuest (prices vary)
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 in the link above.
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. One of 2024’s best cables for a completely down-to-earth price.
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.
Best Grounding and Earthing Devices
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 the best grounding–with a superb set of cables thrown in!
Computer Audio Design Ground Control GC1.1 ($2,250 USD, with additional grounding cables starting at $350)
The CAD Ground Control units are relatively affordable and simple to install, with each GC1.1 earthing box responsible for the grounding of two components. CAD is one of the few companies that avoid “the more the merrier” approach to grounding by stressing which two components should be paired with one particular box. The grounding wires are available with plenty of terminations–everything from an AC power plug to USB to XLR to spade lugs–and you’ll be able to keep everything tidy behind the rack as well. One of the best grounding solutions in terms of targeting specific earthing issues. Reviewers Choice award.
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.
Read the rest of the Summer 2024 Buyers Guide from Part-Time Audiophile!
Best Phono Cartridges, Tonearms and Headshells
Thanks, Marc!
Who makes the clear speaker cable management holders/lifters in the first picture at top of this page?
ZenSati.