Phono cables - the most sensitive and critical cable in your system

[Hilroy48]

I have all Wire World cables on both of my systems. I just like the sound, and what they offer my system. They are not cheap, but what they offer for the price is amazing and very comparable to other costly high end cables.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

I have all Wire World cables on both of my systems. I just like the sound, and what they offer my system. They are not cheap, but what they offer for the price is amazing and very comparable to other costly high end cables.

It's great to find a brand that fits your needs How did you find them in the first place?

 

[Hilroy48]

My Audio Dealer who I trust very much is a WireWorld Supplier/vendor. I believe that pairing cables with a system offers synergy like pairing speakers with an amp.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

My Audio Dealer who I trust very much is a WireWorld Supplier/vendor. I believe that pairing cables with a system offers synergy like pairing speakers with an amp.

Agreed completely. All of the puzzle pieces need to fit in their place for you to see the final picture.

 

[Hilroy48]

I received my Wireworld Silver eclipse 8 phono cables today. What a musical upgrade, they just made me feel more open and alive. They are a step in the right direction that is for sure. I am now waiting for my Jeff spall Tonearm, and after that the last purchase will be the Goldring Ethos Cart. I currently have the Eroica XL.

 

[Hilroy48]

As well as the phono cable I received my First solid silver Coax interconnect between the CDT and DAC. OMG, I had no idea what a difference this solid silver cable was going to make. It is the Wireworld Gold starlite 8. I started to play Some cd music I frequently listen too, and all of a sudden I was sitting in a live lounge someplace, the musical separation is insane the clarity and musicality came alive and grabbed me. That is the easiest way I know how to describe it. Listening to this system now has my full attention.

 

[amadeus]

need a 3rd high quality phono cable for my incoming Primary Control FCL arm (likely Etsuro Gold cart....maybe the DaVa), and not sure i can wait 9 months (if i'm lucky) for another LFD to be built.

just pondering a Nordost Odin 2+ phono cable. has anyone done any compares with Odin, Odin 2 or Odin 2+ and other phono cables. do these deliver?......or......? i know a few here have these.

Mike give Stealth Audio Helios a try we have heard dozens of high end Phono cables and Stealth Helios is no contender so much more natural, open, silky crispy highs, tight powerful bass and a midrange like midrange intended to be..... Since you are in US give send Alex sales Manager of Stealth Audio a mail i am sure he will provide you a Stealth Helios Phono Cable as a one of the foremost and respected Audiophiles in our community....! alexanderlobas@stealthaudiocables.com

 

[amadeus]

If you have a Turntable/Ar/ Cartridge/Phonostage/Sut in the higher range do your self a favor and try a Stealth Audio Helios Phono cable i am pretty surprised that here on WBF such a wonderful true State of Art Phono cable is almost not known by the Analog advanced Analog fanciers this will set a new reference on Analog Playback..... http://www.stealthaudiocables.com/products/phono-cables/helios/

 

[3125simon]

If you have a Turntable/Ar/ Cartridge/Phonostage/Sut in the higher range do your self a favor and try a Stealth Audio Helios Phono cable i am pretty surprised that here on WBF such a wonderful true State of Art Phono cable is almost not known by the Analog advanced Analog fanciers this will set a new reference on Analog Playback..... http://www.stealthaudiocables.com/products/phono-cables/helios/

I’m using a Stealth Helios on my Glanz / KeoCoralstone Diamond it was a significant upgrade over my Ansuz C2 and various Glanz / Japanese staples…
Hard to compare phono cables, and whilst expensive, it was a big upgrade.
hard to say it’s the best, but I’m happy with that.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

As well as the phono cable I received my First solid silver Coax interconnect between the CDT and DAC. OMG, I had no idea what a difference this solid silver cable was going to make. It is the Wireworld Gold starlite 8. I started to play Some cd music I frequently listen too, and all of a sudden I was sitting in a live lounge someplace, the musical separation is insane the clarity and musicality came alive and grabbed me. That is the easiest way I know how to describe it. Listening to this system now has my full attention.

Good to hear your experience. There is nothing better than sitting in your living room listening to music with the feeling that you are in a lounge. What made you choose your setup?

 

[Hilroy48]

MMMM My new audio dealer, plus a lot of reading and sifting through all the options and choices. Once I listened to Sugden Class A, I was done. I started with the SPA-4 power amp and the LA-4 pre amp. Then I bought a set of Dynaudio Contour 20i speakers. I thought I was in heaven at that point. Then the CDT, DAC came into play. After that it was the cable dance. Same dealer, tried a few other cable options, but came back to WireWorld. There is a synergy and magic in my opinion, between Sugden, Dynaudio and Wireworld, they all just fit and work well together.

Soon after I decided I wanted to go to my end game stuff, and I ordered a set of Sugden MPA-4 mono blocks. I kept the Sugden LA-4 preamp, and the control is amazing. I then got a chance to buy my dealers Dynaudio Confidence 20 speakers at a good deal, so I jumped all over them. Now I have my end game system upstairs.

At the same time, I was building my second system in the basement. Way more challenging room and situation. So 2 different approaches. The room treatment was a journey from hell. I bought several amps and speaker combinations, and sold everything as it didn't suit my ears. I ended up with my dealers used Sugden IA-4 integrated amp, and a set of capriccio continuo admonitor 311 speakers. An aqua la Voce S3DAC. And an audio lab 6000cdt. all Wireworld cables. That is my end game system down there for general listening while working on my model railroad layout.

I trust my dealer completely, he has not steered me wrong or tried to over sell me, or sell me something that he knows isn't going to work. Once my new Jeff Spall Tonearm gets here, I will be purchasing a Goldring Ethos MC cart for it. That's the last piece of the man system.

 

[TDX]

Hi Tim

The Vyda phono was brand new. It did change sound over the 3 weeks I demoed it. When I say change I really mean the cable's soundstage opened a bit more, bass became better defined and the music delivery seemed to be better integrated. It never really changed it's character, however small but important changes in frequency response was important that I believe you would only pick up after listening for a couple of weeks, not hours.

I got to around 90 hours and it didn't change after 60 hours. I also had the Vyda speaker cable in for 100 hours prior to hooking up the phono.

Every other cable was either my own moved from other tables or the Valhalla V2+ bought used. After spinning the V2+ for several days now it is opening up - are are my ears opening up?

Tim, what are your thoughts on burn in. Real or are you burning your brain to a slightly different sound?

Did you find the Vyda speaker cable forward and exciting in lower treble as well?

 

[XV-1]

Did you find the Vyda speaker cable forward and exciting in lower treble as well?

Yea, in my system the speaker cable had similar traits to the phono cable. Family sound I guess.

 

[Ron Resnick]

If you want to get off the cable game and simply get the most resolution out of the cable you need to go balanced. Cartridges are balanced sources (which is why you have that weird ground wire no other single-ended source seems to need...)

Hi Ralph,

Because cartridges are naturally balanced sources I have always been baffled why tonearm manufactures often use female RCA connection blocks.

What is the best (second best) phono cable solution if the tonearm manufacturer does not offer a balanced output of some kind either as an XLR connection block or as a dangling pair of XLR cables?

 

[Solypsa]

To be fair an rca connector *can* be balanced if isolated from chassis ground and implemented correctly., since additional chassis ground wire has its own place to go...( ground stud )

.

 

[AMR / iFi audio]

To be fair an rca connector *can* be balanced if isolated from chassis ground and implemented correctly., since additional chassis ground wire has its own place to go...( ground stud )

.

True, but mostly it isn't to provide better grounding and lower picked-up noise. Balanced signals have many pros, but they do have slightly more noise.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Balanced signals have many pros, but they do have slightly more noise.

I thought the whole point of balanced inputs and balanced cables was common mode rejection to minimize noise?

 

[Alrainbow]

there are multiple schools of thought on phono cables. we can read about SME 3012r owners who seem to prefer certain vintage very modestly priced examples. no right or wrong to it. me; i'm more from the school of thought that with a .2mv-.5mv signal from a moving coil cartridge, a phono cable is an 'opportunity' to optimize information. a phono cable is an almost equal partner with the phono cartridge, to feed the tiny signal to the phono stage and there get boosted by 40db-80db. garbage in <-> garbage out. that cable will be very audible. more than any other piece of wire in your system it will limit or open up what happens. maybe some cartridges need to be tamed......maybe some others can benefit fully from being unleashed.

so possibly 'heroic' efforts are called for. like this one.....

LFD Cables (phono and I.C.) from the UK, cables as components

for the last 10 years of my high end audiophile time, i've mostly steered clear of the very top price level of signal cables. i did own some very 'uber' priced Tara Labs interconnects for a couple years chasing digital goodness with my Trinity dac and Golden Gate. impressive with their grounding...

www.whatsbestforum.com

How come mike L gets comments and not me lol.
oh I know but really appreciate MIKES comments always.

 

[Another Johnson]

On the subject of phono cables, I like my current Linn black phono cables. But I had my decks tuned up by Tom O’Keefe recently and he said he liked the last generation better than the current generation. I think it is subjective, but isn’t everything?

Tom has retired from Overture. He can be contacted through his Lejonklou importing business, Nokturne Audio. http://www.nokturneaudio.com/

 

[bazelio]

I'm pretty sure, Ron, the 4-pin DIN connector is what you're asking about. L/R +/-