itsikhefez - re: the mains connectors - I've tried a few of those as well and the Silver plated copper connectors from Sonar Quest provided exceptional performance.
The silver plating is quite thick and I am yet to see the copper after many connections to the mains supply and to my components.
The IEC connector clamps like a vice - so much so that I've found plugging it into an old component first helps make seating in it the working component a little easier when in the rack
Most connectors use brass pins/clamps, which is not the best material for conducting electricity.
I have also tried the gold plated copper from Sonar Quest and it is an extremely good "second choice", but the silver plated copper delivered the fastest dynamic response.
Here's a link
SILVER PLATED COPPER...
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SONAR-QUEST-CRYO-Ag-Audio-Grade-Silver-plated-IEC-plug-US-main-plug-sonarquest-/181355696313?hash=item2a39a450b9:g:J~oAAOxyhXRTKcHiGOLD PLATED COPPER
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SONAR-QUEST-CRYO-Audio-Grade-Gold-plated-IEC-plug-US-main-plug-sonarquest-/18...If some readers consider the spiral helix architecture is a little too adventurous, braiding is another geometry I have tried, using the conductors from a piece of DH Labs Power Plus, Encore and even Furutech.
Granted, you have to "butcher" the cable to remove the three internal conductors from the sleeve + shielding, but the results were significant.
The acid test....
- I made up two power cables, one with Furutech and one with DH Labs bulk cable
- I then removed the three conductors from a 12 gauge extension cables from Home depot and braided them.
- all were terminated with the same mains/IEC connectors
The braided home depot cables provided deeper bass, faster dynamic performance and larger image than both the stock DH labs and Furutech cables
So I then butchered the Furutech and the DH Labs and braided the internal conductors - the results were extremely good and better than the Home Depot braided version
But the best architecture of all is still the Power Helix!
With braiding or the power helix architecture, you do not need to worry about a screen/shield, since the architecture actually rejects any RF that is present in a normal home audio environment. Recording studios may present more problems though.
Sorry to go on, but this is all the stuff I've experienced over the past 4 years - so I'd like readers to get to benefit from it :-)
Cheers