It's important to consider synergy when configuring a system, playing into the individual attributes of each component to ensure every element is complimenting one another. To further this, it's imperative that each component is receiving it's individual requirements to ensure it is working at 100% capability, and by extension helping the overall system work at optimal capacity. In this guide we will look at the necessary features which each components needs performance at full capacity and simple changes which can make a big difference!  

Amplifiers

Amplifiers have large current draw, so they are one of the key areas of a system that require proper power delivery. 

Why It's Important 

Ensuring high-quality power cables are used with amplifiers is crucial for optimal performance, as these cables act as the direct conduit for the electrical energy that powers the entire amplification process. Poorly constructed or inadequate power cables can introduce a myriad of issues, including increased electrical noise, impedance mismatches, and insufficient current delivery. This can manifest as a degraded signal-to-noise ratio, leading to a less clear and dynamic sound, and a reduction in the amplifier's ability to reproduce transient peaks accurately. Ultimately, investing in high-quality power cables helps to minimise these detrimental effects, allowing the amplifier to operate at its full potential and deliver the clean, robust, and faithful audio reproduction it was designed for. 

Cable	Pre Amplifier	Power Amplifier	Integrated Amplifier
Helios Sig	✔	✔	✔
Eros Sig	✔	✔	✔
HS-X3	✔	✔	✔
HS-X6	✔	✔	✔
HS-X9	✔	✔	✔

 

When wiring an amplifier, specifically Power & Integrated variants, it is recommended to connect the power cable directly from the wall socket to the amplifier (ideally not through a distribution block) to ensure optimal power delivery without comprise.

Digital 

Digital Components don't have the same demand for power draw, but require consistence, clean delivery.

Why It's Important 

Just as with amplifiers, supplying high-quality power to digital components like CD players, DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters), and streamers is absolutely essential for optimal performance. While these devices don't amplify an analogue signal, they rely on a stable, clean power supply to accurately process and transmit digital data. Inferior power cables can introduce electrical noise and instability into the delicate digital circuits. This noise can interfere with the precise timing of digital signals, leading to jitter—tiny variations in the timing of the data stream. Jitter can manifest as a less detailed, less dynamic, and even a harsher sound. By providing a clean and consistent power flow, high-quality power cables minimize these disturbances, allowing digital components to extract every last bit of information from your audio, resulting in a more accurate, engaging, and faithful reproduction of your music.

Cable	CD Player	DAC	Streamer
Helios	✔	✔	✔
Eros	✔	✔	✔
HS-X3	✔	✔	✔
HS-X6	✔	✔	✔
HS-X9	✔	✔	✔

 

Digital Components can be wired off a wall socket or through a high quality distribution block. As their current draw is less than that of power amplifiers, a direct connection is not as pivotal but does improve performance.  

Analogue

Analogue Components require clean, consistent power to ensure accurate performance can be achieved. 

Why It's Important 

For analogue components like record players (turntables) and tape decks, the quality of the power cable is paramount in preserving the delicate nuances of the audio signal. Unlike digital components that process discrete data, analogue devices deal with continuous electrical waveforms that are highly susceptible to interference. Poor quality power cables can introduce a significant amount of electrical noise and hum directly into the signal path. This unwanted noise can easily contaminate the incredibly low-level signals generated by phono cartridges or tape heads, resulting in a degraded signal-to-noise ratio. The audible outcome is often a less detailed, less dynamic, and noticeably noisier playback, masking the subtle textures and spatial information present in the original recording. Therefore, utilizing high-quality power cables for analogue components is crucial to ensure the purest possible power delivery, allowing these devices to faithfully reproduce the intricate and delicate analogue waveforms without unwanted artefacts.

Cable	Turntable	Phonostage	Tape Deck
Helios	✔	✔	✔
Eros	✔	✔	✔
HS-X3	✔	✔	✔
HS-X6	✔	✔	✔
HS-X9	✔	✔	✔

 

Analogue Components can be wired off a wall socket or through a high quality distribution block. As their current draw is less than that of power amplifiers, a direct connection is not as pivotal but does improve performance.