Nordost · Leif 3
From $585
Nordost · Leif 3
Nordost's best Leif-series AC cord: three 12 AWG Micro Mono-Filament conductors with design cues from Valhalla 2 and Odin 2.
Price is for one cord at the shortest length shown. Choose length, wall plug and equipment end in the selector.
Authorized Nordost dealer · Delivery and installation by Pearl Audio · Trade-ins welcome
The story
Nordost describes the Red Dawn 3 Power Cord as the best AC option in its entry-level Leif family, and the design is borrowed from the reference lines. Each of the three 12 AWG conductors, 168 strands of 99.9999% oxygen-free copper, is wrapped with an FEP filament inside its own extruded FEP tube, so the conductor is held in a virtual air gap. The result is a cord with 8.5 pF/ft capacitance, 1.64 Ω per 1000 ft of DC resistance and a velocity of propagation of 81%.
The heavier gauge gives Red Dawn 3 an advantage over Blue Heaven 3 on power amplifiers and integrated amplifiers, where current delivery matters most. Steve Dickinson of hi-fi+ reviewed it as part of a Red Dawn 3 system in December 2025 and found the loom conveyed a feeling of musical intent and integrity.
Choose a straight or 90° US wall plug and a standard, low-profile or 20 A IEC equipment end in the selector; the 90°, low-profile and 20 A options carry a small surcharge. Standard lengths run from 1 m to 4 m in half-metre steps, and longer cords can be ordered.
| Type | AC power cord, single |
| Conductors | 3 × 12 AWG, 168-strand |
| Conductor material | 99.9999% oxygen-free copper |
| Insulation | Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) |
| Construction | Mechanically tuned lay, Micro Mono-Filament |
| Shield coverage | Not published by Nordost |
| Capacitance | 8.5 pF/ft |
| Inductance | 0.121 µH/ft |
| DC resistance | 1.64 Ω per 1000 ft |
| Velocity of propagation | 81% |
| Wall plug | US NEMA 5-15, straight or 90°; EU, UK and AUS plugs to order |
| Equipment end | IEC C15 (15 A), low-profile IEC C15 or IEC C19 (20 A); 20 A powerCON to order |
| Lengths offered | 1 m to 4 m in the selector; other lengths to order |
| Sold as | Single cord |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty to the original purchaser |
Nordost Red Dawn 3 Power Cord product page and specifications Specifications from nordost.com and the Nordost USA price list (August 2026). Nordost quotes electrical values per foot; lengths are metric.
Nordost power cords, from Leif 3 to Odin Gold.
For distribution, see the QBASE QB4 Mark III and QB8 Mark III.
Plan your Nordost system with Pearl Audio
Pearl Audio is an authorized Nordost dealer. We can measure your runs, recommend terminations for your amplifier and speakers, special-order lengths and connectors that are not in the selector, and let you hear Nordost cabling in our Portland showroom by appointment. Call (503) 222-2599 or email sales@pearlaudio.com.
The Pearl Audio experience
A system at this level should be heard, thoughtfully matched, and properly set up. From the first audition to long-term ownership, you work with the same people, in person.
Hear the Red Dawn 3 Power Cord by appointment in one of our two purpose-designed demonstration rooms, with your own music and time to compare without pressure.
We deliver and install throughout the Portland area, taking care of placement, connections, ventilation and system configuration ourselves.
We support everything we sell for as long as you own it, whether the answer comes by phone, in your home, or through factory service.
Trade-in assistance and qualifying 100% Trade-Up options give you flexibility when your listening priorities or your system change.
