D.H. Labs Power Plus AC Cable; Pro Stu-dio Interconnect Cable; High CopperAlloy Ultimate RCA Connector; Pure Sil-ver Hookup Wire. D.H. Labs, 612 N. Or-ange Ave., Suite A-2; Jupiter, FL 33458;561-745-6406; www.silversonic.com.Power Plus$6/ft. bulk or $176 for 1meter with AC connectors; Pro Studio$7.95/ft. bulk; Ultimate RCA Connector$16 ea.; Pure Silver Hookup Wire,18AWG$6.95/ft., 23AWG$5.95/ft.Available from Parts Connexion(www.partsconnexion.com) and Wel-borne Labs (www.welbornelabs.com).

Over the past few years, D.H. Labs hasemerged as a leader in high-perfor-mance audio cables, and their broad selection of products now ranges fromthe very affordable to the ne plus ultra.D.H. Labs has recently introduced sever-al new products that reflect their com-mitment to high value, and that are sureto be of interest to DIY audiophiles.

POWER PLUSTheir new Power Plus AC Cable (Photo1) is a 3-conductor cable manufacturedwith 12AWG stranded high purity OFCcopper. The Power Plus AC Cable fea-

tures low series resistance and induc-tance, and the three conductors arecombined in a geometry that is said toreduce noise from outside sources, in-cluding the cable’s own magnetic field.

I have two mono amplifiers in mysystem and didn’t have enough con-nectors to make up two power cables,so I lent one to my audiophile friendLorelei Murdie, whose ears I find ex-tremely reliable. She and her husbandnow own a powerhouse NAD S200power amplifier, so I figured that therobust D.H. Labs cable would have agood workout in their system. TheirS200much to my chagrinwas facto-ry-supplied with a 16AWG power cord,which is woefully inadequate for a225W/channel amplifier. At my sugges-tion they replaced this cable with a14AWG power cord, and they werevery pleased with the improvement indynamics and smoothness.

Lorelei listens primarily to classicalmusic, always at reasonable levels,and their Vandersteen 2Ci loudspeak-ers are a relatively easy load to drive,so she was skeptical about whether ornot the Power Plus could further im-prove the system, beyond the generic

14AWG cord. She was pleasantly sur-prised by the Power Plus cable. Themost impressive difference was im-proved smoothness in the treble re-gionthe Power Plus took anotherlayer of edge off her system. She alsoreported that the bass was tighter, andthe treble cleaner and more detailed.Overall, she found the reproductionmore musically pleasing to the earthan the generic 14AWG cord.

The Power Plus is available in bulk,or fitted with premium-quality AC con-nectors (IEC on the component end). Ifyou buy it bulk, D.H. Labs recom-mends the Wattgate AC plugs sold byParts Connexion and Welborne Labs. Iam told that the Wattgate plugs aremade by Marinco. Parts Express(www.partsexpress.com) also carries afull line of Wattgate and Marinco ACconnectors.

PRO STUDIOYou may recall my review of D.H. LabsAir Matrix Interconnect cable (aX10/02). The Air Matrix is available onlyas an assembled cable fitted with theirUltimate RCA Connectors. Many do-it-yourselfers have asked D.H. Labs tomake a bulk cable better than theirbasic BL-1, and the Pro Studio is intend-ed to fill that void (Photo 2). The ProStudio cable uses D.H. Labs’ propri-etary 22AWG surface-treated, silver-plated, oxygen-free copper conductors,with a low-density Teflon dielectric.

The dielectric is similar to the one inthe Air Matrix cable. With two conduc-tors plus a heavy, 95% coverage braidedshield, you can use the Pro Studio forboth balanced and unbalanced inter-connects. The capacitance is very low12pF/ft (39pF/meter) balanced and21pF/ft (69pF/meter) unbalanced.

Most high-end RCA connectors aremade from brass or a brass alloy platedwith gold. D.H. Labs’ Ultimate RCAConnector is manufactured from D.H.

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New D.H. Labs CablesBy Gar y Ga lo , Regu la r Con t r ibu to r

PHOTO 1: D.H. LABS’ NEW POWER PLUS AC CABLE FITTED WITH WATTGATE IEC-320I AND5266I CONNECTORS (TOP), AND IN BULK FORM (BOTTOM).

Labs’ High Copper Alloy, which con-tains 99% pure copper with a gold finishof exceptionally high quality (Photo 2).The manufacturer offers concrete datashowing the superior electrical conduc-tivity of this connector compared tothose of several of their high-end com-petitors, all of which use far less purecopper in their connectors. The outercover on this connector is threadedonto the connector itself, forming aclamping system that makes a verytight ground connection.

The Pro Studio cable is a winner fit-ted with the Ultimate RCA Connector.This cable is much more than ahalfway point between the BL-1 andthe Air Matrix. Subjectively, the ProStudio/Ultimate RCA combinationbrings you at least 75% of the way to-ward the exceptional performance ofthe Air Matrix, for condsiderably lessmoney. It is clean, transparent, incred-ibly smooth and detailed, and avail-ability in bulk form will make it a win-ner with DIY audiophiles.

The Ultimate RCA Connector is sim-ply the finest I have used. In bulk form,the cable and connectors will cost youabout $110 for a 1 meter pair, and will

compete sonically with assembled ca-bles costing several times more. Al-though I haven’t tried it, D.H. Labs saysthat the Pro Studio also makes an ex-cellent phono interconnect.

Just as I completed this review, D.H.Labs sent me a preliminary photo of anew, chassis-mount RCA jack, designedto interface with their Ultimate RCAConnector (Photo 3). This connector ap-pears to be outside mount, and an out-side nut is an integral part of the con-nector, which should make mountingvery easy. The new connector should beavailable by the time you read this.

If you are looking for a premiumhookup wire for your next audio proj-ect, D.H. Labs has introduced a line ofPure Silver Hookup wire designed tocompete with the finest on the market(Photo 2). Available in 18AWG and23AWG sizes, the conductor is 99.99%pure long grain silver covered with anair-spaced Teflon tape. Parts Connexionis carrying this wire under the D.H.Labs name, and Welborne Labs is sell-ing it as their “Special Purchase TeflonInsulated Hookup Wire.” Try this wirein your next preamp projectyou won’tbe disappointed. aX

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PHOTO 2: D.H. LABS’ ULTIMATE RCA CONNECTORS (TOP), PROSTUDIOS DIY INTERCONNECT (CENTER), AND PURE SILVER HOOKUPWIRE (BOTTOM).

PHOTO 3: D.H. LABS’ NEW RCA JACKS.