Step 1 - Hi-Fi Mains Cables.

 

Key points


The closer you get to the source of your music, the more significant the effect - so start with the mains cables feeding your source component e.g. streamer, turntable, CD player, etc.
 
For the same reason, start with the cable supplying your main source component, such as your CD player, turntable or streamer
 
The more cables you use, the bigger the cumulative effect - so you are better off buying more cables from further down the range than one high level cable 
 

Overview.PowerKord-500

 
We recommend you start upgrading your system by fitting our audio-grade power cables in place of the original power leads feeding your kit. Their unique design - they are made with Kimber Kable's woven cable - is proven to reduce Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), and their unique features ensure that you have an optimum connection to the mains supply. 
 

What makes Russ Andrews mains cables different?

 
Essentially, all cables will act like an aerial - that's why they attract unwanted radio frequencies. Other manufacturers recognise the importance of RFI rejection in their cables but most address this issue by using a 'shield' to stop the interference being transferred along the cable to the equipment.

The shield tends to be connected to the earth so that the RFI can be 'drained' to ground. This keeps the interference away from the live and neutral but the problem is that a good, clean ground is just as important - and this method directly injects RFI onto ground!

 
Evolution PowerKord weave

Natural RFI rejection.

In contrast, the Kimber Kable
® used in our YellO Power, Evolution PowerKords and SuperKords utilises the actual woven geometry of the cable to reject RFI - effectively, it's a really bad aerial. This has two distinct advantages:
 
1. No additional shield is needed so the cable is able to reject RFI without diverting it to ground, keeping all three poles - live, neutral and earth - clean.
 
2. Because it's the cable geometry that is acting as a filter it also reduces interference traveling along the cable itself. This is a distinct advantage because it reduces RFI coming from the mains wall socket into your equipment whereas a simple shield has no effect on this.
 
Read more about Kimber Kable here >>

The new Evolution range of PowerKords feature Kimber’s new high purity copper (higher than in the previous PowerKord models) and our new earth arrangement which reduces the amount of noise induced into the earth by 20 times over the previous model. 

Find out more about the new Evolution design here.

Superior IEC connection

Wattgate connectors
All our power cables, apart from our YellO Power, use the highly respected WATTGATE IEC connectors. These ensure a tight, effective connection to your components ensuring maximum current delivery to your Hi-Fi or Home Cinema.

Available in a choice of standard, gold or rhodium depending on the cable, all WATTGATE plugs feature their unique WattLock contact system which ensures a secure grip on the cable whilst protecting the conductors.

 

Power socket Plugs


We offer a range of UK plug options according to the level of cable you are purchasing. YellO Power comes with a standard UK mains plug and the Evolution-100 PowerKord gets our 'Reference' plug, which was fitted as standard to our previous range of PowerKords. Evolution-300 PowerKords and better now come fitted with the Russ Andrews AQ (Audio Quality) plug as standard, with the rhodum-plated Rh version available as an option on the 500. All SuperKords come fitted with the AQ Rh plug fitted with a SuperFuse.

Russ Andrews plug options

UK, Euro and US plugs are available on most Evolution PowerKords. Other international plugs are also available - Contact Us for more information.
 

Russ Andrews Audio Grade Fuse

 
All our mains cables come with our Audio Grade fuse as standard. These feature proprietary plating and fuse wire, and are Deep Cryogenically Treated (DCT).

For even better performance, you can select the option of the Russ Andrews SuperFuse - we recommend these for any of our cables but they really are the ubiquitous 'no-brainer' with the Evolution-300 PowerKord and above (all SuperKords
 come fitted with a SuperFuse as standard).
 
Read our Guide to Choosing Fuses
 

The best order to upgrade your Hi-Fi mains cables

 
The nearer you get to the source of the music, the more significant the effect, so start by replacing the power lead to your main source component - CD, turntable or streamer - followed by your integrated amp (or preamp followed by power amp if you have separate amplification). If your power lead isn't detachable, see our solution to this problem here.
 

How to choose your Hi-Fi mains cable

 
It sounds like a cliché, but in general you get better and better performance the higher up the range you go. There are a couple of things to take into consideration though. 
 
The more the better.

First, you are better using more cables from further down the range than a single cable from further up. The effect is cumulative, so the more mains cables you replace the better and the overall effect becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

Let's take an example:
 
You have a Hi-Fi system made up of an integrated amp, streamer, CD player and turntable. Say your budget is enough to buy a single 1m Evolution-100 PowerKord with an upgrade to a SuperFuse, which is a great cable. But for around the same budget you could also buy four 1m YellO Power cables.

As a single cable there is no contest between the two; although the YellO Power
 provides excellent performance for the money, Evolution-100 PowerKord is clearly superior. However, this isn't a one-on-one contest and improving the power to all the components means that everything is benefitting and working together to bring an overall better performance than one single upgrade with the better cable.
 
Upgrade and get money back.

The second thing to consider is our upgrade scheme. This allows you to gradually move up the range of cables and get money back when you trade in your existing Russ Andrews cable (a minimum of 50% back and a maximum of 100%). So, in our example above, you could gradually upgrade your YellO Power cables to the next level - the Evolution-100 - getting money back on your YellOs as you go along.
 
Find out more about our upgrade scheme here.
 
Click on the links below to find out more about each cable in our range.
 
 

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