AudioQuest NRG-Y3 Power Cable - 1.0 Meter

AudioQuest NRG-Y3 Power Cable - 1.0 Meter

What It Does in Your System

The Last Meter Matters More Than You'd Think

Your AC power travels miles before it reaches your house, so it's fair to ask what the final meter can possibly change. The answer is that distortion is added within any AC cable — induced RF noise riding along with the current, modulating the low-level audio and video signals inside your components. No filter or power supply downstream can fully undo it.

NRG-Y3 is AudioQuest's affordable three-pole answer to that problem, and it's an easy first upgrade over the generic cord that shipped in the box with your DAC, streamer, or powered speakers.

Semi-Solid Concentric Long-Grain Copper

In a conventional stranded cable, each strand wanders in and out of position along the run, and the electrical and magnetic interaction between them compounds into distortion. AudioQuest packs the strands more tightly in a semi-solid concentric arrangement where they hold fixed relationships from end to end.

The metal is Long-Grain Copper, which has fewer oxides, fewer impurities, and fewer grain boundaries than the standard OFHC copper in an ordinary power cord — a smoother, clearer result for the components downstream.

Noise Drained Away, Transients Left Alone

Direction-controlled silver-plated shield conductors drain RF noise from the line and neutral shields to ground through the third pin, so it leaves the system rather than reaching your equipment. Every internal conductor is direction-controlled to make that drainage work properly.

AudioQuest's ZERO-Tech addresses the other half of the problem. Most power cables focus on low DC resistance to meet high current demand, but characteristic impedance matters too — and cables with it tend to compress a transient right when your amplifier is asking for current. ZERO-Tech pairs low DC resistance with no characteristic impedance, so demanding passages arrive uncompressed.

Is This Right for You?

A few things to confirm before you order:

• Check your component's inlet. This cable terminates in a standard C13 connector — the common three-pin socket found on most audio electronics — with a three-prong wall plug at the other end. Some high-current amplifiers use the larger C19 inlet instead, which needs a different cable.
• One meter is short — measure first. It's ideal for a component sitting near an outlet or plugged into a conditioner on the same shelf. If your power strip is across the room or the run has to travel behind a rack, step up a length rather than leaving the cable under tension.
• Best value on source components. NRG-Y3 is an excellent upgrade for DACs, streamers, disc players, powered desktop speakers, game consoles, and displays. For a large power amplifier drawing serious current, one of AudioQuest's heavier NRG cables is the better match.

Setup & Installation

Connect the C13 end to your component's power inlet and the three-prong plug to a wall outlet or power conditioner, pushing both fully home. Keep the third ground pin connected — it isn't optional here, since draining RF noise to ground through that pin is a core part of how the cable works.

Where practical, keep the power cable from running parallel alongside your interconnects and speaker cable; crossing at right angles is better than sharing a path. Leave a gentle loop of slack rather than pulling the cable taut against the inlet.

Features & Specifications

Semi-Solid Concentric Conductors
Tightly packed strands that never change position within the bundle, significantly reducing strand-interaction distortion.

Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
Fewer oxides, impurities, and grain boundaries than standard OFHC copper for smoother, clearer results.

Direction-Controlled Silver-Plated Shield Conductors
RF noise is drained from the line and neutral shields to ground via the third pin rather than reaching your equipment.

ZERO-Tech
Low DC resistance combined with no characteristic impedance, so current transients arrive uncompressed instead of constricted.

Specifications

• Length: 1.0 meter (approx. 3 ft 3 in)
• Termination: C13 to 3-prong wall plug
• Configuration: 3-pole
• Conductors: Semi-solid concentric Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
• Shield Conductors: Silver-plated, direction-controlled
• Noise Rejection: Direction-controlled conductors and shields; ZERO-Tech
• Quantity: Single cable
• Series: AudioQuest NRG

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my component?
If your gear has a standard C13 power inlet — the three-pin socket on the back of most audio electronics — yes. Check for the larger C19 inlet on high-current amplifiers, which requires a different cable.

Can a power cable really change the sound?
The distortion isn't in the electricity, it's added within the cable itself as induced RF noise modulates the low-level signals inside your component. Reducing strand interaction, draining that noise to ground, and eliminating characteristic impedance are all aimed at that specific mechanism.

What should I plug it into first?
Source components tend to show the most improvement — DACs, streamers, and disc players. If you're upgrading one cable to start, that's where we'd point you.

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