AudioQuest NRG-Z3 Power Cable

NRG-Z3 Moves to Perfect-Surface Copper+

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-Z3 is the third rung of its C13 power cable line. It replaces the Long-Grain Copper of NRG-X3 and NRG-Y3 with Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductors and adds a patented noise-cancelling circuit.

Perfect-Surface Copper+ Conductors

AudioQuest describes Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) as astonishingly smooth and pure, minimizing distortion caused by grain boundaries and surface discontinuities that exist within any metal conductor. Semi-Solid Concentric geometry keeps the strands packed tightly so they never change position within the bundle.

RF/ND-Tech and a US Patent

AudioQuest says a ground wire can act like an antenna, pulling in radio-frequency noise that bypasses the power supply and couples directly into sensitive circuits. Its RF/ND-Tech uses a common-mode phase-cancelling array, along with proprietary dielectric materials, to provide additional differential linear filtering. The circuit is covered by US Patent #8,988,168.

The Connectors, Explained

NRG-Z3 ends in an IEC C13 inlet plug, the common three-pin connector on most DACs, streamers, disc players and small integrated amps, and a standard NEMA 5-15 three-prong plug for the US wall outlet at the wall end.

What Reviewers Are Saying

hi-fi+ named NRG-Z3 an Award Winner for 2025 in its Power Cord category, one of AudioQuest's power cables singled out that year.

Who Is This Power Cable Best For?

• You already own an NRG-Y3 and want the next step in metal purity — NRG-Z3 moves from Long-Grain Copper to Perfect-Surface Copper+ in the same C13 connector
• Your component is a DAC, streamer, phono preamp or disc player — this remains AudioQuest's source-and-desktop-gear tier, now with patented RF/ND-Tech filtering
• Your rack sits in a noisy RF environment, near routers, dimmers or switching supplies — the common-mode phase-cancelling array in RF/ND-Tech is built specifically to fight that kind of noise
• You want a C13 connector, the most common inlet on component-grade gear — NRG-Z3 is built around the C13 IEC plug
• You need a C7 connector instead of C13 — AudioQuest NRG-Z2 C7 carries the same Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductors in that termination; 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 Monsoon is the next rung. It moves the entire conductor surface to Perfect-Surface Copper+ in a True-Concentric geometry and adds current headroom for amplifiers, not just source components.

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