Definitely, buy 2 m pairs of different Mogami ( or other cables you are interested in) leave them connected in your Tv setup for a couple of weeks to burn them in. If single ended, mark direction. And finally assess which cable you prefer the sound of in a known system, before buying long runs. I have ended up with double runs of 12 m cable i don't use because i did not listen first.
Ron's Speaker, Turntable, Power and Room Treatment Upgrades
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
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Thank you, but, respectfully, I don't think that's an analytically valid way to arrive at the right cable for my system. I don't think selecting my preferred cable in a system with which I am familiar is the same as solving the equation for the right cable between a particular pair of components in my own system.
And I don't necessarily believe in one brand and model of cable (a "loom") for the whole system.
So I would simply rather start in my own system with one or two pairs of very basic, very inexpensive cables, and then take it from there. For the 50 foot run I simply would want the lowest capacitance to shield (K1) in a basic cable I can find.
Then, I might get two or three pairs of one meter interconnects from major brands I am interested in (Masterbuilt and Cardas), and experiment with those interconnects between various pairs of my components, and see if I discern a preference.
And I don't necessarily believe in one brand and model of cable (a "loom") for the whole system.
So I would simply rather start in my own system with one or two pairs of very basic, very inexpensive cables, and then take it from there. For the 50 foot run I simply would want the lowest capacitance to shield (K1) in a basic cable I can find.
Then, I might get two or three pairs of one meter interconnects from major brands I am interested in (Masterbuilt and Cardas), and experiment with those interconnects between various pairs of my components, and see if I discern a preference.
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You are definitely not going to find the perfect cable without having your system assembled, but having a general idea of the flavor of your temporary cable is helpful. And yes with inexpensive cables you can buy the whole length at no big expense
I ordered a pair of three foot Mogami 2549 XLR and a pair of four foot Mogami 2791 XLR interconnects. These lengths are estimates because until DDK sets up the AS-2000 turntable and the Nothing Racks I really don't know how far each component will be from the other components. (The wall against which the racks and the tape machine will be lined up is about 10 feet long, and it might be nice to have the racks spaced relatively far apart so I can walk between the racks and on each side of each rack. But that assumes I won't want to make more economical use of the space in the future if I have a need for a third rack. And once those Nothing Racks get built, I am never moving them.)
The four footers will connect the bass towers to the amplifiers, after a 50 foot run of Mogami 2791 gets the signal to the bass towers from the VTL pre-amp. (Four feet is also an estimate since I really don't know if the ideal length is four feet or five feet or six feet.)
The three footers will connect the Io phono stage to the VTL pre-amp -- unless I need four footers there, in which case I will start over this Mogami project.
The four footers will connect the bass towers to the amplifiers, after a 50 foot run of Mogami 2791 gets the signal to the bass towers from the VTL pre-amp. (Four feet is also an estimate since I really don't know if the ideal length is four feet or five feet or six feet.)
The three footers will connect the Io phono stage to the VTL pre-amp -- unless I need four footers there, in which case I will start over this Mogami project.
Ron, I just noticed that you might want to hear some Cardas XLRs in your system. I'm happy to loan you an extra 1M pair of Cardas Clear Beyond XLRs if that interests you. I have decided to keep a loom of Cardas Clear Beyond XLRs/SC in reserve so my system won't miss a beat with the cables out for loan.
Hello Al,
Thank you for your kind offer. I will take you up on that.
Some months after the system is set up, hopefully sometime this decade, I will explore expensive cables by swapping in and out the XLR interconnects between the phono stage and the line stage.
The expensive cable candidates are Cardas Clear Beyond, Iconoclast 4x4 OCC and MasterBuilt Ultra. (Network boxes won't fit through the in-wall conduits, so any cable with a network box is automatically disqualified.)
I'm not looking forward personally to cable comparisons, but there simply is no avoiding them. Hopefully the LA boys + the Long Beach boys will assist me in a vote.
Maybe the sonic differences between cables will be more apparent than I assume, in which the endeavor will be easier than I presently suspect. Maybe I won't be able to tell any differences at all, in which case I can stay with Mogami.
The winner of the one meter interconnect competition likely will win the grand prize of the 50 foot interconnect assignment.
Thank you, again.
Thank you for your kind offer. I will take you up on that.
Some months after the system is set up, hopefully sometime this decade, I will explore expensive cables by swapping in and out the XLR interconnects between the phono stage and the line stage.
The expensive cable candidates are Cardas Clear Beyond, Iconoclast 4x4 OCC and MasterBuilt Ultra. (Network boxes won't fit through the in-wall conduits, so any cable with a network box is automatically disqualified.)
I'm not looking forward personally to cable comparisons, but there simply is no avoiding them. Hopefully the LA boys + the Long Beach boys will assist me in a vote.
Maybe the sonic differences between cables will be more apparent than I assume, in which the endeavor will be easier than I presently suspect. Maybe I won't be able to tell any differences at all, in which case I can stay with Mogami.
The winner of the one meter interconnect competition likely will win the grand prize of the 50 foot interconnect assignment.
Thank you, again.
Mogami 2549 from pro audio LA is what you’ve heard here. 18’, not 50’ though.
I like the 2549 too l, started with 49 feet between preamp and amp. i am down to 36 feet, having used the surplus for various other IC's, no noise or difference in sound between the two lengths, and i even use RCA's to main speakers, second run of XLR,s to sub channels is same length. Neutral sounding cable.
Years back, when I needed a 24ft XLR run from my Atma preamp to amp I used Mogami 2534, which iirc is microphone cable. I don't know 2549 or 2791. Why are those good selections?
I like the 2549 too l, started with 49 feet between preamp and amp. i am down to 36 feet, having used the surplus for various other IC's, no noise or difference in sound between the two lengths, and i even use RCA's to main speakers, second run of XLR,s to sub channels is same length. Neutral sounding cable.
Are the components you connect the w2549 with "true balanced" or "phoney balanced"? (Not a true differential circuit but just using a transformer to create a balanced line?)
Were you not concerned about noise with a 49 foot length of single-ended cable?
Did you ever compare directly the sound of W2549 versus W2791?
Did you take any precautions or make any measurements to ensure that the capacitance between the conductors and the loop inductance measured similarly across the two 49 foot cables?
I had the whole double run in my system using Mogami 2534 initially , as i had it left from my studio days. It is a little darker sounding than the 2549.
W2549 is popular and well-accepted as a good sounding cable. It was recommended to me by a friend in whose ears I trust who has compared it to much more expensive cable and found W2549 to hold its own surprisingly well.
W2791 was recommended to me by an industry expert (who manufactures one of my favorite loudspeakers) as being very low-capacitance which he believes is critical for a 50 foot length. He also believe that W2791 sounds better than W2549.
As I often do prior to making my own conclusions I take the advice of trusted advisors, discard outlying data points and "split the baby" until I can try each cable in different positions and compare them with my own ears. These cables are so inexpensive that it is very easy to purchase a full "loom" of each to compare.
W2534 quad cable has a higher capacitance spec than W2549 or W2791.
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Preamp is single ended with a XLR connection option, i do not know if it uses transformers for this. I was initially worried about potential noise, but it was never an issue. I have also used the Io as preamp, connected directly "true balanced" and the self noise from the Io is definitely larger than any difference in noise from cables. I have never heard the 2791, and would suggest listening and comparing, these cables, all have a slightly different sound character, pick the one you prefer in your system Ron, numbers are not everything , they where made for challenging applications in noisy environments your listening room is probably not that difficult
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Preamp is single ended with a XLR connection option, i do not know if it uses transformers for this. I was initially worried about potential noise, but is was never an issue. I have also used the Io as preamp connected directly "true balanced" and the self noise from the Io is definitely larger than any difference in noise from cables. I have never heard the 2791, and would suggest listening and comparing, these cables, all have a slightly different sound character, pick the one you prefer in your system Ron number are not everything , they where made for challenging applications in noisy environments your listening room is probably not that difficult
Thank you for your replies.
I agree! Eventually I will compare the sound characters of these cables, and select an initial preference. At $20 a cable buying, mixing, matching, deciding is guilt-free!
Then I can embark upon the process of comparing expensive, fancy cables.
Preamp is single ended with a XLR connection option, i do not know if it uses transformers for this. I was initially worried about potential noise, but it was never an issue. I have also used the Io as preamp, connected directly "true balanced" and the self noise from the Io is definitely larger than any difference in noise from cables. I have never heard the 2791, and would suggest listening and comparing, these cables, all have a slightly different sound character, pick the one you prefer in your system Ron, numbers are not everything , they where made for challenging applications in noisy environments your listening room is probably not that difficult
With which brand and model of cable have you replaced the Mogami over time?
Ron i am perfectly happy with Mogami, to me a lot of the cost no object cables are fancy equalizers, enhancing certain frequencies, this equalization can be done on my speakers, or in room acoustic management if needed. I prefer the bulk of my upgrades to go into equipment and would rather buy a second set of amps than a super expensive cable loom. I replaced Straighwire Crescendo IC's with Mogami, and still use their Speaker cables, i have always preferred pure copper cables. I have tried the latest Cardas Beyond loom in my system, as my brother owns one, and prefer what i am using.
Careful Lagonda about using that word "fancy" to describe anything in this hobby. I was reprimanded quite harshly for my use of that term to describe cables and connectors. I guess it is OK to describe packaging that way, but who knows these days.
No Peter, the problem was not the word, it was the context. And my sincere apologies if you considered my past comment as an harsh reprimand - I considered it a "natural" comment in a forum discussion where people have different opinions.
Although I understand the message, I think we should reserve the word "equalizer" to devices that change in a measurable way the frequency response. IMHO cables do not act as equalizers and no equalizer can reproduce the action of a cable in a system - they act in very different ways.
The same for room acoustics.
Curiously my system is using all Mogami signal cabling for today - 2791 and 3103. What types are you using now?
I am using 2549, how would you describe the sound of 2791, maybe in comparison to 2549 ? Both Ron and i would be interested
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