BEST TONEARM CABLE PURIST VENUSTUS GRAHAM IC 70

Hello Neil: Sorry for the lack of clarity as I described one cable to the next.

The SilverAudio SB purchased from Max was Din-to-XLR. Phono stage then was ARC PH2 that I ran with for about 5 years, then BAT VK-P10 for about 2 and now 2.5 for the Io. Each of these has XLR inputs so the XLR terminations on the SB remained. But when I changed from the Linn to the Clearaudio, I changed the SB to have RCA connectors on the tonearm side. I was finally able to find a tiny hex wrench, pop off the din connector and then solder on RCA plugs to connect to the tonearm. The signal was still truly balanced as I was driving the PH2 with + and - phases from the cartridge.

Late last year, with my system fully loaded with K-S Emotion cables except for speaker cables (which were NBS Statement), one final test was to compare the SB to the K-S RCA for the tonearm. The differences here were previously reported.

I then returned all the K-S cables to the factory, which meant I went back to using the SB tonearm cable and the NBS Statement XLR from Io to Callisto. The Io MUST be driven with an XLR cable to the Callisto or the dimensionality is greatly reduced. Even the much more colored and muddy NBS XLR easily outperforms the K-S RCA here, in the context of dimensionality and textures. This made me realize the need to run balanced in this link.

Not being able to afford all the K-S at the time and still wanting to hear the super expensive Dominus before I locked myself into the K-S, I got RCA and XLR Venustas IC cables to try as the tonearm and Io-Callisto link respectively. Since the K-S RCA worked beautifully as a tonearm cable, it made sense to try the std Venustas IC here as well.

It took me no time to realize how the Venustas XLR was as refined over the NBS as the K-S XLR had been....but just in different ways. In any case, the NBS was history as a cable from Io to Callisto. The Venustas XLR was used from then on in the Io-to-Callisto link and remains there today until I can further compare the top-echelon of XLR cables. The tonearm cable shootout of the SB vs. Venustas RCA followed with the results previously reported.

I do not think it mattered what cable I had in the Io-Callisto link when it came to hearing the tonearm cable differences. Tonally, the SB vs. K-S RCA and the SB vs. Venustas RCA are so very close. The strengths of the K-S (ultimate resolution and silence) and Venustas (dynamics) are what came through vs. the SB tonearm cable. And once again, for the price, I feel the SB has no peers. It really is that impressive.

I have since managed to again borrow K-S Emotion RCA and compare to Dominus RCA from my DAC to the Callisto. The strenghts of these two cables is consistent at each link I compare them. The Io-Callisto link comparison remains as I have not been able to borrow a Dominus XLR. When I can locate one, I will again borrow a K-S Emotion XLR. So far these two lines impress me the most. And they work so very well together. It is a personal balance between the ultimate see-through nature and detailed top end of the K-S vs. the more lively, bass-extended and textured Purist.

Hope this answers your questions.

John

John, thanks for the additional info. Now I understand what you did.

For those who aren't aware, and to back up what John mentioned, using balanced interconnects (if your equipment allows) between (especially) cartridge > phono preamp > preamp, or CDP/DAC > preamp, almost always results in better sonics. (Phono cartridges, whether MC or MM are inherently balanced output devices anyway.)

I mention this because balanced ICs are often only discussed in the context of long runs between preamp and amp (to eliminate noise.) And often people forget (or don't even realize) that balanced circuits usually provide more signal strength as well.

Nsgarsh,as a very good friend of EBM,and having almost the exact set-up as him,except speakers,I'll have the good fortune to compare the Venustas Phono link to the IC-70.This in about two weeks,as he HAS ordered the Venustas.I'm intimately familiar with his set-up,as I helped in setting it up,and have heard it dozens of times.I cannot wait for this,final comparison,for me,before really knowing any meaningful result.Should the Venustas "trump" the IC-70,then I will obviously move in that direction.BTW--it was your influence and input that put me up to recommending my friend move to a Venustas,since he was very curious about it possibly improving his already superb phono performance.He has a very "high res" system,that is Kharma based.

As an aside,I just called Bob Graham to ask for his input on this cable choice matter.His answer was very firm,in that he felt STRONGLY "there is no way the IC-70 can be improved",and "any other choices will only diffuse the sound,or add a different flavor".Obviously I hope he's correct,as this will save me some dough,but I will finally have my answer,soon!Thanks for being so generous with advice,but I DO hope you are wrong,on this one!

Speedy, my suggestion? Get out your checkbook!

For some time though, I wished I'd had a chance to hear the Silver Breeze before the Venustas (accidentally) came my way, fully broken in and about 2/3 off retail. Which I mention only because that's the only way I would have bought them sight unheard without an audition. As for the SB, I'll take John's word for it since he's apparently spent a lot of time comparing.

PS: Well what the hell did you expect Bob to say?

Neil, I wanted to make one clarification concerning the Aesthetix Io phono stage. The ARC PH2 and BAT VK-P10 are balanced phono stages from input to output. I had always read the Io's INPUT is not balanced; the input signal is ultimately converted to balanced on the input stage and then balanced from then on.

I used a DMM to confirm the above. The Io has XLR and RCA connectors on the input. With the RCA ICs into the Io, the DMM confirmed that the signal-return line is indeed grounded. It is easy to see this with the L & R returns measuring zero resistance relative to each other. The two phases could have been lifted from ground with the use of a separate ground line but the Io does not support this.

I then plugged in the SB's XLRs into the Io and the measurement indicated each minus phase was grounded. An easy confirmation on the XLR's pins of the Io's chassis showed this was indeed not due to the SB cable. So yes, the Io grounds the cartridge's return signal for each channel rather than floating the cartridge above ground which would result in the cartridge acting as a "balanced" or complimentary device.

I'm not sure why the Io was designed this way, but in the final analysis, I'm currently not running my cartridge in a truly balanced manner. There is no benefit to use a tonearm cable terminated with XLR cables into the Io. But perhaps with a unit like the BAT VK-P10 which also has XLR and RCA inputs, but with the XLRs being truly balanced, maybe the SB would outperform or be closer to the RCA terminated Venustas ICs.....just a thought.

The proof is in the pudding as the Io far exceeds the musical performance of the very good PH2 and VK-P10 that I had before; there is much more going on than processing the cartridge as a balanced device but I have to believe it would be beneficial.

John