AudioQuest NRG X3 AC Power Cable - C5 End

NRG-X3 With a C5 End Powers Compact and External-Supply Gear

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 builds NRG-X3 with a C5 'cloverleaf' connector for components that use that smaller inlet instead of the common C13. The conductors and construction are the same solid Long-Grain Copper as the rest of the NRG-X3 line.

Solid Long-Grain Copper, Semi-Solid Concentric

AudioQuest builds this cable 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

AudioQuest controls the directional grain structure of every conductor in this cable so induced radio-frequency noise is guided away from the circuits it would otherwise disturb. It calls NRG-X3 an outstanding upgrade for DACs, powered desktop speakers, game consoles and streamers, the class of gear that most often carries a C5 inlet.

The Connectors, Explained

This cable ends in a C5 'cloverleaf' plug, the small three-pin connector used on lightweight external power supplies and compact source components, and a standard NEMA 5-15 three-prong plug for the US wall outlet at the wall end.

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?

• Your component's power inlet is the small three-pin C5 shape, not the larger C13 — this cable is built specifically for that connector, so it is the right physical fit before anything else
• You run an external power supply for a streamer, phono stage or small DAC — C5 is the standard inlet on that class of compact power brick
• You want AudioQuest's entry-level conductor and Direction-Controlled construction — this is the same NRG-X3 build as the C13 version, just terminated for a different inlet
• 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 actually uses the larger C13 inlet — AudioQuest NRG-X3 is the version built for that connector; check your component's inlet before ordering

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the female C5 end into the small three-pin inlet on your power supply or component, 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.

Is there a C5 cable further up the range?

C5 is the smallest connector AudioQuest offers in this line, and NRG-X3 is the only model built for it. A C5 inlet is a low-current connector by design, so there is no higher-current C5 rung to climb to; if your component upgrade path leads to a bigger amplifier, that gear will most likely use a C13 or larger inlet instead.

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.

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