AudioQuest NRG-Y2 Power Cable - C7 End

NRG-Y2 C7 Is Built for Double-Insulated Source Components

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-Y2 C7 pairs solid Long-Grain Copper conductors and silver-plated drain wires with a two-pin C7 connector, the unpolarized inlet found on double-insulated streamers, phono preamps and outboard DACs that have no separate safety-ground pin of their own.

Long-Grain Copper With Silver-Plated Drain Wires

AudioQuest builds NRG-Y2 with solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC), which it says minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries within the metal. The drain wires carry a silver plating, a step AudioQuest reserves for its Y-series and above, on top of the Semi-Solid Concentric conductor geometry.

Semi-Solid Concentric Conductors and ZERO-Tech

In AudioQuest's Semi-Solid Concentric geometry the strands are packed tightly and never change position within the bundle, which significantly reduces strand-interaction distortion. Its ZERO-Tech design combines low DC resistance with zero characteristic impedance, so the cable does not constrict or compress an audio-provoked current transient the way many AC cables do.

The Connectors, Explained

NRG-Y2 C7 ends in the two-pin IEC C7 connector, an unpolarized inlet used on double-insulated components that have no separate safety-ground pin, and a standard NEMA 5-15 three-prong plug for the US wall outlet at the wall end.

Who Is This Power Cable Best For?

• Your component's inlet is the two-pin C7 shape, common on streamers and outboard DACs — this cable is built specifically for that connector
• You want silver-plated drain wires above AudioQuest's entry-level conductor — NRG-Y2 adds that plating on top of the same solid LGC core
• You are feeding a source component rather than an amplifier — ZERO-Tech's uncompressed current transfer suits the lighter, steadier draw of source gear
• Your rack sits near a Wi-Fi router or other RF-noisy gear — the silver-plated drain wires and Semi-Solid Concentric geometry work together to control that noise
• Your component uses the larger three-pin C13 or C5 inlet instead of C7 — AudioQuest NRG-Y3 is built for the C13 connector; check your component's inlet before ordering

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the two-pin C7 end into the inlet on your streamer, phono preamp or outboard DAC, and the male end into a wall outlet or power conditioner outlet.

Then power up the system as usual.

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-Z2 C7 is the next rung, and the top of the C7 line we carry. It moves to Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductors, the purer metal AudioQuest uses above Long-Grain Copper.

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