Record Player - Phono Preamp cable recs….


Hello all,

 

So I’ve been pushing up the quality of my digital stream, and now I put some attention and love to my vinyl playback….

Current phono playback consists of: Music Hall MMF-9 and McIntosh MP 100 Preamp (Goldring Eroica lx cartridge). 

I was previously using Duelund interconnects, which left me very unsatisfied especially when compared with my digital stream. I experimented with a top of the line anticable interconnect (7.3 I think), which after burn in sounds very good, though admittedly I think I prefer my Silversmith Fidelium RCA to it as it seems just a bit more magical, open, alive, wide. 

So, I am now looking to upgrade the interconnect between my player and phono preamp. If I spring for a silversmith it’ll be a hair over a grand… but before I do that I was wondering what recs you all would have for a phono interconnect…. 

looking for super presence, jazz acoustic vocal strings horn… texture, tone…. Vivid hallucinatory presence… 

suggestions?

 

thank you all. 

R.

whyrichard

My very best advice is buy one with the understanding you can return it for something else if you don't like it.  Most mail order places give a 30-day return, which I think is a federal law. 

I have found cables are too system specific to make general recommendations.  Case in point: after spending nearly a grand on four different phono cables - from tonearm to preamp - the best ones were Blue Jeans, #1, and the original factory one, #2.  The three bigger dollars ones were noticeably worse, the music was more dead sounding, not alive at all.  The worst one was the most expensive, at $400 for a one-meter set.  I still have that cable, as I could not return it.  Hey! I will make you one heck of a deal on it!  :-)

I use Silnote between my phono preamp and TT.

I believe they have a return policy. 

Don’t knock that Blue Jeans low-capacitance cable. It’s everything I want and at that price worth a shot. No longer than you need to.

If I were you I’d probably just go for another pair of Fidelium interconnects as they seem to be working for you.  But for a cheaper option and given what you’re looking for I’d also recommend these used Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II interconnects that excel at neutral and natural detail/air with very good tonality (especially for a silver cable) and excellent imaging with an expansive 3D soundstage.  What they will not do is add warmth so if that’s what you’re looking for I’d go elsewhere, but at this price if they don’t work out you can easily sell them for little/no loss so very low risk to try and about half the price of new Fideliums.  Best of luck. 

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650236204-acoustic-zen-silver-reference-ii-interconnect-cables-rca-1-meter/