Mit oracle matrix 50 ic

[asindc]

Notice, NONE of the cables I mentioned are the phono versions - just balanced versions with whatever shields they come. I would expect whatever phono versions exist to have fortified shields, but none like that were available for audition.

I recently bought the MIT MA-X phono, and apparently this is the first balanced version they ever built according to MIT (it's not listed as an option on their web site). After breaking it in for a while, this cable is an eye opener for me - switching between the two inputs on the Pass XP-25 (and with preamp gain at max) you can easily tell the input with the MA-X has significantly less hiss and noise (I do load the other input with special RCAs having load resistors, and filled with insulating epoxy). This was not the case with any other cable (after dealing with whatever humming issues), where both inputs had virtually the same amount of noise. Over the years I have developed all kinds of proprietary tests for my system, and for this very delicate interface, I discovered long ago that (with preamp gain at max, again) if I grab the VPI arm with two fingers and then let go abruptly a slight metallic vibrating sound in the arm develops, the amplitude, pitch and duration of which (as rendered by downstream equipment) actually varies with the phono cable attached - this is an indication, really, of low-level distortions in the phono cable, and/or perhaps something also masked by noise. With the MA-X that vibration is so clear and lasts so much longer than any other cable I have tried, and this clarity of articulation is very evident when playing actual music. (Off topic, but these micro-vibrations is what gives armwands their sound).

What I found surprising was the fact that touching the box also added to hum, thus I had to ground that as well (in fact, I've gone further and have been fortifying it with a custom shield: copper tape around the box, a ground wire from the box to the phono stage's ground plug, and both the copper tape and ground wire attached to the box itself with a screw through a hole they provide for hanging the box from somewhere).

I can't offer you details about the sound of this cable yet because I really plugged it in last night and the position of the box in the air does affect overall noise, but a couple of tracks I played so far left me in disbelief. I have Myles here to thank for turning me on to this cable... More on this later on...

Yes, I noticed after posting. Your results with the MA-X make me wonder if it is worthwhile to try balanced in my setup. Of course, that would require a new junction box fitted to my VPI Classic 2, so it would be no small endeavor.

 

[ack]

Replacing the junction box should be a matter of two Allen screws on the bottom, as on my Aries 3.

 

[Frank750]

Yes, I noticed after posting. Your results with the MA-X make me wonder if it is worthwhile to try balanced in my setup. Of course, that would require a new junction box fitted to my VPI Classic 2, so it would be no small endeavor.

I just got a MA-X phono a couple of days ago. SME DIN to RCA though. It is terrific right out of the box. Replacing a Stealth Hyperphono. I'm surprised at how good it sounds as the rest of my MIT cables took quite a while to get to this point. As for hum, I have a very, very low level hum that I can hear if I crank the volume with no record playing and I put my ear up to the speaker. The rest of my cables are all MIT MA-X SHD and are balanced. I'm very happy with the cable.

 

[MylesBAstor]

I just got a MA-X phono a couple of days ago. SME DIN to RCA though. It is terrific right out of the box. Replacing a Stealth Hyperphono. I'm surprised at how good it sounds as the rest of my MIT cables took quite a while to get to this point. As for hum, I have a very, very low level hum that I can hear if I crank the volume with no record playing and I put my ear up to the speaker. The rest of my cables are all MIT MA-X SHD and are balanced. I'm very happy with the cable.

Yeah if it was only $1000

 

[Frank750]

Yeah if it was only $1000

Sorry Myles but at least I paid 4x $1000 and not 8x

 

[ack]

Same here; love their avant-garde products, hate the prices, and they are not alone in that respect

 

[MylesBAstor]

Same here; love their avant-garde products, hate the prices, and they are not alone in that respect

But there is something really, really special about that phono cable.

 

[ack]

But there is something really, really special about that phono cable.

Yes there absolutely is. But I think the discounted prices we pay are fair - just look at Shunyata's cable pricing and performance. I feel NO remorse for the sarcasm I often render for high cable prices.

 

[asindc]

Yeah if it was only $1000

I wonder how much better the MA-X is than the Valhalla at roughly twice the street price? I'm not expressing skepticism here, just curious, since I'm not likely to spring for the MA-X anytime soon. The Valhalla was definitely worth roughly twice the street price of the WW Platinum, and is as quiet as a tomb.