AudioQuest NRG-X3 Power Cable - 1.0 Meter

NRG-X3 Is the Start of AudioQuest's Power Cable Range

A power cable carries the last few feet of AC from the wall into a component. It can't add power a component doesn't draw, but a poorly shielded one lets noise ride in on that current.

AudioQuest's NRG-X3 is the entry point of its power cable line: solid Long-Grain Copper conductors in a Semi-Solid Concentric geometry, at the lowest price in the range. It ends in a C13 plug sized for source components, DACs and streamers.

Solid Long-Grain Copper, Semi-Solid Concentric

AudioQuest builds NRG-X3 with solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC), which it says has fewer grain boundaries than ordinary copper and so causes less distortion. The Semi-Solid Concentric geometry packs the strands tightly so they never change position, reducing strand-to-strand interaction along the run.

Direction-Controlled Conductors

Every drawn metal conductor has a non-symmetrical, directional grain structure, and AudioQuest controls that direction in NRG-X3 so induced radio-frequency noise is guided away from the circuits it would otherwise disturb. AudioQuest calls this an outstanding upgrade for DACs, powered desktop speakers, game consoles and streamers.

The Connectors, Explained

NRG-X3 ends in an IEC C13 inlet plug at the component end and a standard NEMA 5-15 three-prong plug for the US wall outlet at the wall end. C13 is the common three-pin connector found on most DACs, streamers, disc players and small integrated amps.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Stereophile named NRG-X3 a Recommended Component for 2025. Reviewer Sasha Matson praised it in a pairing test alongside an Emotiva ERC-2 phono preamplifier.

Who Is This Power Cable Best For?

• You are upgrading straight from the cord that came in the box — NRG-X3 adds solid LGC conductors and direction control at AudioQuest's lowest power cable price
• Your component is a DAC, streamer, phono preamp or disc player — AudioQuest names exactly this kind of source component and desktop gear as NRG-X3's target use
• You want a C13 connector, the most common inlet on component-grade gear — NRG-X3 is built specifically around the C13 IEC plug
• Your rack sits near a Wi-Fi router or other RF-noisy gear — Direction-Controlled Conductors drain radio noise away from the circuits it would otherwise upset
• Your component uses the small C5 'cloverleaf' inlet instead of C13 — AudioQuest NRG-X3 with a C5 end is built for that connector; check your component's inlet before ordering

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the female C13 end into the IEC inlet on the back of your DAC, streamer, phono preamp or disc player, and the male end into a wall outlet or power conditioner outlet.

Then power up the system as usual. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A power cable is one link in the chain from the wall to your gear. It usually joins these categories.

• Power Conditioners — filter the whole circuit; the cable feeds the last few feet after it
• Integrated Amplifiers — the high-current load most power cables are built to feed
• Stereo Amplifiers — another high-current destination for the heavier gauges in this range
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — a low-current source component that still benefits from clean, quiet AC

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does shielding matter on an AC cable?

AudioQuest builds its power cables to keep radio-frequency and electromagnetic noise from riding in on the AC line and reaching sensitive circuits. A ground wire without that shielding can act like an antenna, pulling in exactly the noise a power cable is supposed to keep out.

Do power cables wear out?

Every metal conductor oxidizes over time; it is unavoidable chemistry, not a defect. What varies is the rate. Denser, better-shielded conductors with quality plating oxidize far more slowly, so a well-made cable performs the same way for years instead of drifting.

Will this affect my system's ground safety?

No change to your safety ground. Every cable in this line keeps the full three-conductor path, hot, neutral and ground, exactly as building code requires. What differs from a stock cord is conductor quality and shielding, not the wiring topology.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest NRG-Y3 is the next rung. It keeps the C13 connector and adds Silver-Plated Drain Wires to the same Long-Grain Copper conductors.

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