Vintage DIN phono cables, any good?

The old (original) cable of my Sony PUA-7 tonearm was dead quite with low output MC, better than more expensive new phono cable. That’s why i think for the top models of the tonearms they should supply their very best cable (not suppossed to be replaced by the user at that time).

I’m curious about the sound quality of the Audio-Craft low resistance ARR-T din phono cable designed for MC cartridges.

@nandric do you mean corrosion of the old connectors or corrosion of the whole copper signal cable inside the isolation material? How about silver then?

If the old copper is corroded (just because it's old) then each time we have to fully rewire every vintage tonearm we have, but for some reason many of them sounds great in stock condition with original old cables. Why?   

@nandric ok, did you re-wired all your tonearm collection?

I have rewired a few vintage tonearms, but the reason was a broken cable, not the upgrade. I already have expensive cryo treated cables, like the one which goes with my Reed 3P (from headshell pins to preamp) and others supplied with the best WBT RCA plugs etc. But some inexpensive vintage tonearms with removable headshells and DIN connectors in between are so good in stock condition that makes me feel a bit sceptical about rewiring. I think most of the new (expensive) phono cables are nothing special and this is the problem. I think $250-300 is expensive for a 1m phono cable. Just curious about cost effective alternative with the vintage cables.       

@nandric

Anyway I hope you deed not spend mucho dollars for your speaker wire(grin).

I did, long time before, tried various brands and stopped on Stereovox Firebird designed by Chris Sommovigo, same with interconnects (Stereovox Colibri with Xhadow RCAs) and finally managed to get Stereolab Master Referense Phono RCA cable here on audiogon. Chris has moved from USA to Japan and excluded all distribution chane from his business, he sells direct. His cables are the most impressive ones that me and my local hi-end mates has ever heard. It’s like changing the component in your system. I think the hi-end business is in big chrisis now. Luckily we can buy them all used for 50% off. But i’m not intended to buy $600-2000 high-end cables for each of my vintage tonearms anymore.

Maybe you're right about vintage cables, i will try, if they are crap i do rather buy signal cable from Frank, but they are all silver (i have no silver cables in my system). 

BTW those German guy (i forgot the name) who supply cables for Reed makes the affordable phono cables, i use one of them, it was replaced with Cryo one with better RCAs at Reed factory. The old one was removed directly from Reed tonearm Then i have soldered DIN connector to that cable to use it with one of my vintage tonearm and that's ok, but not special.  

@nandric 

So I use, for example, Bullet RCA instead of WBT (grin). 

Those Eichman Bullet RCA are ok to use (i have 2 pairs), but they are not good for re-soldeging as the pins inside are very fragile and it's easy to destroy them in case of overheat while soldering. Now they call them KLE, that's what i have on my Reed phono cable. The WBT nextgen are much better and extremely well designed, but very expensive (got them on my Zu Audio Mission mk2 phono cable). But the ultimate RCA connectors are the Xhadow in my opinion.  

BTW I am not a wire fetishist.

That's good :) 

I never changed inside wire by any of my tonearms.

This is interesting and that's a proof you're not cable fetishist. Not sure about your headshell leadwires. 

@nandric

Or you missed the ’’essence’’

Maybe, i just said they are fragile, not the best construction for re-soldering if needed. The benefit of the Xhadow is the bolt inside (to screw-in the signal wire to the connector pin) to pass on solgeding, so no soldering needed at all (or it can be soldered and screwed). But i guess if we pass on soldering it’s a benefit if you know this theory. The Xhadow is available in two size, but both are bigger than WBT Nextgen.

What i like about Eichman / KLE is affordable price, but the internal design of the WBT or Exadow is way superior to any connectors i have ever seen, except maybe the new Love Craft RCA from the Xhadow designer (Chris Sommovigo). I also use the Xhadow Banana for my amp and the Xhadow Spades for my speakers. 

Here is the review of both Eichman vs. Xhadow: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/connectors/connectors.html

Well, in my 40, i’m not on the same high-end levels as you gentelmans to hear the difference between two good RCA connectors, i’ve never done such tests. When i first checked that review, many years ago, i decided to buy both (Eichman and Xshadow) to make some cables for myself, the Eichman was new brand to my ears (and cheaper), but the Xhadow was already on my Stereovox Colibri interconnect cable that i’ve been using for years and the only cable that is better is the Stereolab Master Refference Phono RCA from the same designer. Actually they are both very well shielded and dead quite, so both can be used as phono RCA to RCA. The branding of Chris Sommovigo’s products is a bit confusing, first it was Stereovox and Xhadow, then it was Stereolab and Black Cat. The construction of the Black Cat cables is very interesting and can be viewed here The philosophy behind the Chros Sommovigo’s brand is here. I’m a big fan of his cables, each time i brought them to a friends it was a huge improvement in sound quality.

Back to connectors:
Practically the old Eichman is not on the same level at all, maybe for those "masters of soldering" they are ok, but practically plastic that holds the pins can be overheated and damaged if something goes wrong (that’s why i said not good for re-soldering). While the Xhadow are bulletproof reference connectors, same about WBT nextgen.

I got old Eichman copper bullets on one of my interconnects, also new KLE on one of my phono cable, so i know this connectors very well. The feeling of use WBT Nextgen is totally different. And Xhasow is something else.

P.S. I thought you’re soldering everything direct to the component as Raul did.

BTW Frank of the Signal Cable company simply use Neutrik professional connectors for his cables now instead of Eichman Bullet or KLE for some reason. Why?

@nandric i wonder why Frank, the designer of Signal Cable Silver Sesolution (beloweb by your brother Don), don’t use ETI Bullets anymore? It’s stated on his site. His new choice is not KLE from Eichman, but the "standard rca" or more expensive traditional Neutric ProFi RCA and there is no other options for some reason.

@lewm 

 I know and trust the owner, Paul Speltz; he is like we are, a serious listener, but he happens to be an EE and very smart in this field, as well.

Meanwile the designer of that old Xhadow RCA made his own new LoveCraft RCA and claimed they are even better, the good news (i just noticed that) the price is cheaper than Xhadow and they are available direct from the designer just for $80 (pair) here. I use the LoveCraft RCA on my best phono cable (Stereolab Master Reference) and i love it. Strange that each time i talk about Chris Sommovigo products (cables) his name is still new to the audiogonners, while he was in business for 25 years. I don't think that his idea to make Xhadow connectors comes from Eichman, those Xhadows are pretty old design. I think this 6moons review expain very well who's Chris Sommovigo. The reviewer is Srajan Ebaen.    

I don't think that 10 euro price difference is important:
Neutrik ProFi - 20 euro pair (retail)
KLE Copper Harmony - 30 euro pair (retail)  

I think the quality should be the most important for cable designer, not the minor price difference. In other words if Signal Cable Company taking care about the quality and uses different connectors in newer products, then it must be equal of better. Even if the well known Neutrik Proffessional connectors are equal to plastic Eichman then it ruins the theory of superiority of advanced Eichman plastic design over the traditional metal connectors. Or the designer just downgrade his products to sell more (hard to believe).

I have asked Frank about possibility of using different connectors (i could supply connectors by post), but he said he only sells what's on the website (standard or neutrik, no more Eichman).  

When i asked Chris Sommovigo to change standard connectors on one of my old Stereolab cables (designed by him), he said he could solder whatever connector i want if i will supply them. I was going to ship Xhadow to him by post (pretending it's the best rca), but instead he offered me his new LoveCraft RCA (for free) and said it's even better, but i had a choise. This is what i call customer service!   

P.S. I don't ask butchers for anything, i'm vegetarian

@dover 

Nevertheless I prefer a vintage plug from the 80’s, lightweight, minimal metal and robust.

That's interesting! Which one, i'd love to see the images if possible. 
And what do you think about vintage phono cables? 

If you are in the habit of melting Eichmanns or Klei’s then I suggest you go to soldering school and learn how to solder properly.

Haha, definitely not in the habit, but i'm in my school here on audiogon. 

 

I have no experience with the Xhadow apart from 1 pair of interconnects, which, after about 4-5 years, the connector surfaces were tarnished to eternity. Not very impressive on the longevity front, given the cost..

I use my Stereovox Colibru RCA (Xhadow) for 15 years, still very impressivle cable, but the connectors are not like new in color, same with Xhadow Spades on my Stereovox Firebird speaker cables.