High Fidelity Cables Pro Helix AC Power Supply

Rick Schultz, chief designer and owner of High Fidelity Cable, has a major line of cables that make use of many properties of rare earth magnets. Over the years, I have written several reviews on his products for AC, interconnects and speaker cables; and now here under review are his newest High Fidelity MC-1 Pro Helix AC wall plug-in.

The concept originally started with the High Fidelity MC .5 Magnetic Conduction units that ended with my having numerous amounts plugged in at various AC outlets to all of my audio devices. My power cables run through magnets that force all signal frequencies to the center of cables, but the magnetic conduction devices greatly improve the detail in the reproductions of music. The two that I am talking about here greatly add to the realism of being there for the recording or being in the audience of a symphony in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.

I should say that the Pro Helix continually improved over time. In fact, I heard improvements for about six weeks during this evaluation period. 

The earlier MC.5 Magnetic Conduction devices ($599 photo right), were noticeable even with one in my system and ultimately I ended up with a total of fourteen!. Three of these are now on my TV  and greatly improve the picture. Initially I had the first model in the MC-1 Pro unit ($1599), which was better than  the MC.5, but the MC-1 Pro Helix (especially after five weeks) is just superior and they too improve the more you add. The slightest signal is responded to instantly via the HFC MC-1 Pro Helix model. Placement of instruments is pin-point as is the leading edge of all instruments such as high hat, brass, human voices and generally all the things one would hear at the live performance. Everything has a three-dimensional location or as several people have said, “is like being there!” Indeed, you don’t only hear depth of image only in the center; the entire soundstage and beyond the speaker’s location.

I use a Music server mainly in evaluating equipment as I can easily hit the repeat mode with many of my recordings. While vinyl has an ease about it, digital has more detail and attack or leading edge, at least in my system. One primary source on my Music Server is This is K2 HD Sound. I am lucky to have  a select version or  one in 100 kHz/24-bit resolution. (First Impression Music), this is directly from his mix plus high sampling rate. 

My evaluation made use of both vinyl and digital sources as I find digital much more convenient and detailed on the AMS Music Server and Avari DSD DAC (reviewed here). All I had to do was to touch  my computer screen to select what I sought to hear rather than find the album, clean the stylus, demagnetize the record and return to my chair. I have many SACDs converted to DSD on the Music Server and a collection of well known cuts and also a very special FIM 24K Gold  Collector’s Edition UDC mastered by Winston Ma of 16 tracks off master tapes by him of classical large symphonic such as Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic dances no 1 by the Minnesota Orchestra, Zapateado’s Flamenco Dances, Heart of Glass vocal song, Star Dust by Hot Club of SF, and Pachelbel’s Canon in D to the Server. The first selection is an excerpt from ”Rachmaninoff” a Reference Recording. It is a big  Symphonic work and very dynamic. With the HFC MC-1 Pro Helix dynamics are startling and version groupings are very precisely located and make you appreciate the realism of the music. Also, track eight. Nah Youn Sun’s Heart of Glass  just has great realism about it. You know precisely where she is as well as where the other musicians are. Finally track 16, Pachelbel’s Canon in D just puts the All Star Percussion Ensemble before you and extended back perhaps 40 feet and all instruments have sharp leading edge.

Another major source of songs is in my reference music folder which handily stores hundreds of my favorite recordings. Several are from Sinatra at the Sands with Count Basie & his Orchestra from a (DVD Reprise R9 73777). This was done when Sinatra was 50 and in a Sands that was long since been replaced. The decay in the room is well captured as is the audience. Again realism is captured and you know where the band, Basie, Sinatra are. Two cuts appeal to me, namely I’ve Got You Under my Skin  and One for my Baby. I have one of the best seats in the house. Paul Simon’s Songwriter, Which starts with what he consider his best performance  of  The Sound of Silence, gives you the sensation of being there. This is (Legacy recordings: 8697-96516-2).

Frankly I cannot imagine how I could make any improvements so until that day comes I am enjoying the music like never before compliments of the High Fidelity MC-Pro Helix AC conditioners. Highly recommended! 




norm luttbeg

Specifications:

High Fidelity Cables Pro Helix: $2699.00

High Fidelity Cables Pro: $1599.00  

Address:
901 N. McDonald St., Suite 502  McKinney, Texas 75069

Phone:  1-844-348-6292

Associated Equipment  (April, 2019)

Digital Front End

Avari All FET Class A Balanced DSD DAC, playing quad DSD and many recordings in quad DSD

AVM Music Server 

Analog Front End

Nantais Lenco L78 with Ikeda 407CR1 long tone arm and KAI cartridge

The BMC MCCI phono stage has a Cardas binding post with special Tripoint grounding wires to the transformer, the power supply and to the circuit.

Star Sound Platter Ground

Amplification

H-cat P-12 X12 linestage

H-cat DF-100.2 X12 stereo amplifier

Truth preamp from hornshoppe

Loudspeakers

B.M.C. Arcadia speakers

Cabling

High Fidelity Pro (treated) full loom

High Fidelity Pro power cords (2) and Ultimate Reference (Helix) (5) power cords

High Fidelity Pro 1m ICs (treated) High Fidelity Ultra Reference Din to RCA tone arm 

Accessories 

High Fidelity MC-1 Helix Conditioners (2)

High Fidelity MC-0.5 Conditioners (11)

High Fidelity Magnetic Adapters (14) (treated)

TriPoint Troy Elite and  Troy Signature both with attached Troy power cords and Thor SE grounding wires (4)

High Fidelity Cables Magnetic WaveGuide power filter AC filter (helix)

Star Sound Tech Rhythm racks and platforms under the amps. Also Apprentice Platforms (5) under the speakers and their crossovers. Star Sound Tech. Audio Points 2.5AP-1AINT and 1.5AP-1A.5 under racks and under components on the rack.

StillPoints ESS Rack with Grids and Mini isolation feet

Many Star Sound Tech APCD 2 cups used on Audio Points tops but also many places were they seem to bring out the details of the recordings. 

Zilplex resonators room treatment.