Turntable interconnect recommendations anyone?

[lovejoy]

Having bought my NAD M21 pre-amp last month it took me a while to pluck up the courage to play some vinyl again. I just couldn't reconcile the fact that the phono stage in the NAD was converting the incoming signal to digital and had got it into my head that I'd taken a backwards step from the old Dynavector L300 when it came to vinyl playback. Thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong and if I didn't know what was going on inside the NAD, I'd never suspect it. Vinyl is sounding wonderful through it. Apart from a bit of noise that is, so I think I need to do something about the interconnect.

The deck is a Well Tempered Versalex and that's the one thing that has always annoyed me slightly about the WT decks is that it's a set of phono sockets out of the back of the deck so you need to choose your interconnects wisely. I've tried a couple I have lying around from the likes of Ecosse and Atlas, but I wondered if anyone had any recommendations that they know to work well with the teensy signal you get from a low output MC cart? Other people with WT decks seem to rate Auditorium 23 cables, but they don't seem to be easy to source and look a bit home made from what I can tell.

Or if anyone has a home brew recommendation then I can get busy with the soldering iron.

[CageyH]

MOGAMI NEGLEX W3106 is not too shabby for a DIY cable.

[Stryder5]

Do use good quality connectors, I have found KLEI Copper Harmony plugs are very good.

[Riislingen]

How long do they need to be? In my experience, depending on cartridge output, the screening relative to length can be quite important.

On a budget, high quality microphone cable would be a good choice. Moving up the scale, lots of choices are available. Many DIY offerings are screened, Audio Note is such an example - Hifi Collective and others have them.

[Ali Tait]

Have a look at Yannis, excellent cables.

[Stryder5]

Have a look at Yannis, excellent cables.

Mine were from Yannis, great service, great guy to deal with.

I have 2 sets from him, 24 Hr. Delivery.

[Riislingen]

+1 on Yannis from here as well - used his design in the past, top notch bloke and product

[Haselsh1]

I use Atlas Hyper cables. Love 'em.

[petrat]

Hi Rich.
You mentioned Auditorium 23, which I would agree are truly excellent, and can be sourced here ... http://www.thesoundpractice.com/new-products.html
Last time I enquired, they were around £350-400.

[walpurgis]

I'd suggest Audio Note AN-C (AN-Cable-150) copper Litz coax. It's very good and very neutral.

http://i65.tinypic.com/212wpw6.jpg

Here's a price list: http://www.audionote.co.uk/comp/cables.shtml

Don't look too far down it. Some of the prices will give you a heart attack!!

[lovejoy]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, much appreciated.

Those Yannis cables look like works of art. I like the fact that they have dedicated tonearm cables as well, so if I'm going to purchase ready made, then this is top of the list.

I'm drawn to the Audio Note cable though. I notice that it's 2 core with a shield so I guess the way to go would be to make it up in a semi-balanced configuration with one core and the shield terminated together at one end and the shield left floating at the other end?

Some of that terminated with a set of the KLEI Copper Harmony plugs looks like it could be a good combination.

Length wise - Very short is good. The deck is on a shelf directly above the pre so 0.5m at the most. DIY means I can make it to measure too I guess...
I see what you mean about the prices as you go up the range though - Ouch!

[Stryder5]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222312646404

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222332181959

These were both custom made by Yannis for me.

The tonearm cable was 0.5 metre long.

[DSJR]

Having bought my NAD M21 pre-amp last month it took me a while to pluck up the courage to play some vinyl again. I just couldn't reconcile the fact that the phono stage in the NAD was converting the incoming signal to digital and had got it into my head that I'd taken a backwards step from the old Dynavector L300 when it came to vinyl playback. Thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong and if I didn't know what was going on inside the NAD, I'd never suspect it. Vinyl is sounding wonderful through it. Apart from a bit of noise that is, so I think I need to do something about the interconnect.

The deck is a Well Tempered Versalex and that's the one thing that has always annoyed me slightly about the WT decks is that it's a set of phono sockets out of the back of the deck so you need to choose your interconnects wisely. I've tried a couple I have lying around from the likes of Ecosse and Atlas, but I wondered if anyone had any recommendations that they know to work well with the teensy signal you get from a low output MC cart? Other people with WT decks seem to rate Auditorium 23 cables, but they don't seem to be easy to source and look a bit home made from what I can tell.

Or if anyone has a home brew recommendation then I can get busy with the soldering iron.

Noise from your phono stage shouldn't be an interconnect issue imo unless it's microphonic hum.

I don't care for overpriced bling with fancy-foo plugs each end I'm afraid, so I'm going to be well ignored here but still suggest what Johnnie at Audio Origami uses/used for a long time now - Van Damme Pro-Patch mic cable!!! It certainly doesn't look at all posh, so you won't be able to impress your mates with it unless you put some posh woven sleeving over each conductor as many cable suppliers do to disguise what's inside, but the 'sound' using MC and MM cartridges is superb, allowing air, space and deep bass through when it's there. Easily made up into a nice RCA interconnect too and if you want fancy plugs at each end, there's enough around and about to satisfy. My cheapo decks use the Neutrik/Rean type (with rubberised strain gauge) but if these are judged too cheap and bland looking, the MS plugs will offer a far 'slicker feeling' alternative and look fancier too for not too silly money ;) Since this is a general request, NVA SC can also be used as the deck has RCA sockets on the back and I've heard lovely things from an SPU using this cable with stock plugs from deck to phono stage.

Actually, the teeny signal from a low output MC cartridge isn't as easily corruptible as that from an MM cartridge I feel, as capacitance and so on becomes an issue with MM types. I've used a 2m interconnect on several occasions with an MC cartridge, once with a phono coupler, and I was damned if I could 'hear' a massive degradation doing so :lol:

[Stryder5]

Noise from your phono stage shouldn't be an interconnect issue imo unless it's microphonic hum.

I don't care for overpriced bling with fancy-foo plugs each end I'm afraid, so I'm going to be well ignored here but still suggest what Johnnie at Audio Origami uses/used for a long time now - Van Damme Pro-Patch mic cable!!! It certainly doesn't look at all posh, so you won't be able to impress your mates with it unless you put some posh woven sleeving over each conductor as many cable suppliers do to disguise what's inside, but the 'sound' using MC and MM cartridges is superb, allowing air, space and deep bass through when it's there. Easily made up into a nice RCA interconnect too and if you want fancy plugs at each end, there's enough around and about to satisfy. My cheapo decks use the Neutrik/Rean type (with rubberised strain gauge) but if these are judged too cheap and bland looking, the MS plugs will offer a far 'slicker feeling' alternative and look fancier too for not too silly money ;) Since this is a general request, NVA SC can also be used as the deck has RCA sockets on the back and I've heard lovely things from an SPU using this cable with stock plugs from deck to phono stage.

Actually, the teeny signal from a low output MC cartridge isn't as easily corruptible as that from an MM cartridge I feel, as capacitance and so on becomes an issue with MM types. I've used a 2m interconnect on several occasions with an MC cartridge, once with a phono coupler, and I was damned if I could 'hear' a massive degradation doing so :lol:

You're right, best left ignored!

[lovejoy]

I'm not about to ignore any advice. I have tried the Van Damme Pro microphone cable elsewhere in the system however. We have loads of the stuff at work as it gets used regularly, so I borrowed a pair of XLR-XLR cables made out of the stuff when I wanted to try them instead of standard phonos when the amps were first changed over. They were fine and an improvement over my homebrew phonos. They were comprehensively outclassed by a pair of Chord Co. Shawline XLRs though and it was that what got me thinking about the TT interconnects.

[DSJR]

How did the Chord Co cables 'outclass' the likes of pro patch? Sorry, but 'extra clarity' in some systems becomes harsh and scratchy (scuse pun) in more revealing setups and their odyssey speaker cable was a perfect example of this.

No matter, I just liked what the AO tonearm cable I have 'didn't add' to the sonic picture. I found it easy to hear differences in cartridges and their setup, so for me it wasn't getting in the way.

[lovejoy]

Yeah I never got on with the Odyssey either. Far too etched and unnatural, like a really bad HDR photo. The Shawline is very nicely balanced. Neutral and insightful. Compared to the Van Damme there just seemed to be an element of mush in the Van Damme that the Shawline got rid of. Still, these are different applications. I can probably borrow a set of phono Van Dammes to try out on the deck and see how it works..

[walpurgis]

'extra clarity' in some systems becomes harsh and scratchy (scuse pun) in more revealing setups

Happens a lot. Silver plated and pure silver cable conductors seem to be the culprit quite often. I try to stick with high quality pure copper leads these days.

As many of us will have found, QED Silver Anniversary speaker cable is a classic example of the shortcomings of plated cores. To me it was bright and coarse sounding. Not even sure how I got around to trying it actually, but it was gone pretty promptly. Nasty stuff.

[loveoscar]

I would listen to DSJR, and if you can borrow some Van Damme you could compare to these also recommended. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NVA-50cm-SET-SOUND-CORD-INTERCONNECT-CABLE-/222313861787?hash=item33c2f0529b:m:mGJ6C9szlfTWDlM LuqUwslw
I have a set in between dac and amp and they are at least as good as my Mogami with KLE plugs which had already seen of far more expensive interconnects.

[Spectral Morn]

Audio Note ANS or ANV, both are excellent as tonearm exit cables. Look for used examples, to save some dosh. Your turntable deserves something of this quality.

[struth]

Im using a set of Brians cables on mine and it sounds great.not the usual plugs but dearer. not sure what they are or the cable but its either klotz or similar. Sure Brian will remember

[louie3]

Have a look at Yannis, excellent cables. Absolutely, definitely...high value, very well made and sound super. Either copper or silver.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Yannis all the way baby! I have two on a couple of my decks and have never look back.