Dedicated Audio - PS Audio PerfectWave AC-3 Power Cord

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The design philosophy of the AC Series

The design philosophy behind the PerfectWave AC Series is based on two goals: reduce noise without magnetic restriction and channel the fundamentals through the conductor's core. Both goals have been achieved by leveraging the technology found in 5 patents. All five patents, held by cable designer Jay Victor, use cable geometry as well as conductor shapes and sizes to achieve remarkable results in a power cable.

Noise reduction without magnetic restriction

AC noise, generated by just about every electrical appliance, cell phone and computer in the home, audibly degrades our system's performance. To lower this noise we typically process our AC power through either a filter or a regenerator like the PS Audio Power Plant. The AC power cable itself, if properly designed, can also lower AC noise.

In the PS Audio xStream Series of AC power cables we lowered AC noise with a distributed magnetic field. Using ferrite, impregnated in the outer jacket of the xStream power cables, we reduced AC noise by generating a magnetic field, which dissipated some of the AC noise. This technological breakthrough had many advantages for lowering noise but one disadvantage: the magnetic field it created caused the audio to sound slightly "sluggish" and somewhat restricted, relative to no ferrite at all. From a trade-off standpoint this slight audible restriction was far outweighed by the improved noise floor.

In the PerfectWave AC Series we achieved the same level of noise reduction as the xStreams but without the downside of magnetic restriction. The PerfectWave AC Series gives a remarkably wide open spacious presentation with an equally low noise floor. The difference between the two cables is like lifting a blanket off the sound. It is truly remarkable.

To lower the noise without using magnetics, we turned to Jay's US patent 7,476,808. This patent is rather technical but involves using increased surface area of the conductor, in close proximity to a specific dielectric, to maximize capacitance and lower noise. A capacitor restricts the flow of higher frequency energy without a magnetic field and so it is ideal for lowering high frequency noise.

Once you hear what a PerfectWave AC power cable does for you in the system you'll understand the benefits of lower noise without magnetic restriction.

Channeling fundamentals
A perfect power cable would pass only the fundamental frequency of the AC line, either 50Hz or 60Hz and nothing else. But like any wire, most all frequencies are passed down the wire with equal strength, including higher frequency harmonics and noise; unless measures are taken to minimize this. As discussed above, the PerfectWave AC Series minimizes higher frequencies by maximizing conductor surface area in close contact to the dielectric insulators.

PS engineers could have stopped their design process here, after having met their noise goals, but years of experience have taught us that there are many ways to increase surface area and not all are good.

Many cable designers have chosen to increase surface area by reducing the conductor size and increasing the number of conductors. While this method certainly increases surface area it simultaneously decreases core area resulting in a lean sounding power cable.

Our goal has always been to produce rich and robust performance from our power cables. Years of listening and experimenting with different cable geometries have taught us that building a great sounding power cable involves a lot of blending and tuning to minimize weak performance and maximize all the rich harmonic content your system is capable of. To this end we once again turn to some of the patented technology found in the PerfectWave. The technology we were after is one that provides both excellent surface area and a maximum core size.

That technology is the use of both flat as well as circular conductors placed together in close proximity to the dielectric. A s simple as it may sound, combining the benefits of a flat conductor with multiple gauges of circular conductors woven together with a PE insulator worked out to be the perfect blend of both surface area and core material. This combination provides the PerfectWave AC Series with both low noise and rich, full and robust performance for any connected equipment.

Conductor materials

The AC-3 and AC-5 Series of PerfectWave cables are built with extremely pure oxygen free copper.

Conductor directionality

Over the years we have come to agree with a select few cable manufacturers that believe conductor direction is critical to high-performance. The direction each conductor is pulled out of the wire machine determines how it will sound when built into a power or audio cable.

Tremendous debate has taken place over these phenomena but from our perspective there can be no doubt about their existence. It did not take multiple listening tests to verify that a spool of wire sounds different when one end or the other is used as the source. All conductors in the PerfectWave AC Series are spool tested at the factory for directionality and then wound into the power cables in the same direction.

This attention to detail provides a remarkable coherence and special accuracy to the sound of connected equipment powered by a PerfectWave AC cable.

Connectors perfected

As early as 2003 PS Engineering realized that even with the best conductor technology in the world, the connectors could be the limiting factor in building a state-of-the-art power cable.
If you look closely at most power cables, they use relatively poor construction techniques and materials to build their connectors.

The plug prong is a three-piece affair made from a piece of stamped metal (the IEC is constructed in the same manner). The three parts are the prong, the clamp cover and the screw. The prong and clamp are made from brass and the screw is constructed of steel. Some companies will gold, nickel or Palladium plate these parts to improve their conductivity and enhance their appearance, but in the end, no amount of plating can make up for poor build quality.

The PerfectWave AC Series connectors are built out of a solid block of high copper content brass, and then polished to remove any surface irregularities. The AC-3 and AC-5 are nickel plated and polished.

Hot and Cold
Attaching the conductors to the connectors is also a key element in finishing the cable's construction.

Traditional off-the-shelf stock power cords use a tightened steel screw to hold the conductor against the prong. Both of these methods are prone to oxidation and corrosion as well as loss of connectivity due to repeated twisting of the connector.

The PerfectWave AC Series employs two forms of welding to fuse the conductor to the machined prong: cold and hot.

Cold welding exerts thousands of pounds of pressure to squeeze the two metals together such that the metal structure of the two pieces actually fuse together.

To further insure a perfect connection, we then solder each of the machined prongs with high silver content solder in a hot welding technique that creates the perfect bond.

The PerfectWave AC Series
Ten years of research, listening and development, coupled with technology embodied in 5 separate patents and superior craftsmanship all go into the creation of the PerfectWave AC Series. This series is one of the most remarkable products we have ever built.