BEST TONEARM CABLE PURIST VENUSTUS GRAHAM IC 70

Oh,I forgot to mention what could probably be a salient point.My friend,Sid,who has WAY more experience,and knowledge than anyone I've ever met,in this hobby,brought up the point that when there is less bass present,there is always the perception of greater high freq extension.I don't know for sure,but I'd hate to attribute the slightly more enhanced high freq performance of the Veustas(GOD it WAS gorgeous,though) to the slightly lower bass impact,it had compared to the IC-70.BTW both cables were STUNNING overall and I'm splitting hairs,yet there seemed to be real silky beauty derived from the Venustas,and Big Boy bass bloom from the IC-70,with a definitely wider stage presentation.I could happily live with either,yet when I factor in that I've got to spend about 7-8 hundred bucks,out of pocket if I go for the Venustas(taking into account what I'd get for the IC-70),I have to wonder,based on how critical the cart/arm voicing was,and how it impacted overall performance(AFTER the original NO CHANGES comparison(which was closer than you'd think),whether the money would be better spent in going to the SUPERB Winds guage instead.My current guage is accurate to 50/100's of a gram,and we do tune by ear,after a point.However once we found the EXACT downforce,the 1/100 of a gram Winds guage proved indispensable!HMM!My pal Sid felt this was as valid an expenditure as moving to the Venustas.Actually he felt it was the fine tuning of the arm/cart that was the "end all" here,and the "cable thing" was audible,yet of
little consequence as compared to the differences attributable to the voicing of arm/cart.I am still in the dark,as to how I feel about the whole issue,but it's my dough,I'll be spending!

"What, O What to DO"!!

Speedy,

If everything's right with the arm/tt setup, then the Venustas should give you flat response top to bottom. If it doesn't, then it may be you need to adjust the cartridge loading in the phono preamp to a slightly lower value, to compensate for that extra DIN connector which is adding resistance (and unductance, which sucks up bass) that the Graham doesn't have to contend with. (That's why I said using the adaptor wouldn't give a true comparison)

Try using the Venustas without the extra DIN. Throw a loop in the pigtail (so it won't affect the suspension) and secure the outgoing side of the loop to the TT base with a nylon cord clamp secured to the bottom back edge of the base.

I don't think I originally made myself clear.Instead of the straight line connector,originally used on the Venustas,Jim used the Cardas "right angle" connector instead.However due to the pin positioning in the bottom 2.2 arm block this basically rendered the Cardas right angle connector as no better than if we went with the original connector.The cable,still ran sideways.No real big deal,but the IC-70 goes straight down,as the pin orientation is exactly lined to let the Graham right angle connector do it's thing.The Cardas,as supplied by Venustas did NOT require any additional adaptor.It worked just fine.

Also,please don't get me wrong.The Venustas DID give superb flat response,top to bottom.It's just that we DID do a very extensive comparison.Both cables compared with EXACT arm/cart parameters.Then both cables compared with a "small" voicing to what the three of us felt they both "liked the best".How many people do you think actually "like doing this"?It SUCKED,as I was the "schlep" set-up man!

In the first(no change case)there was really not nearly as big a difference as we'd have expected,except for a slight darkening in the Purist,with smooth,not rolled,highs.The IC-70 may have been a bit more diffuse,but had clearly more dynamics,and deeper bass.We are talking SMALL,but detectable differences.

In case two,we voiced to each cable's preferences,based upon how they related in the overall sound of my friend's system(quite legit,actually).Here a small voicing of fluid/downforce/vta(really small,btw)definitely impacted what our perceptions were.The overall slightly dark(in a good way,to my tasres)Purist cable was more enhanced in it's "harmonic" strengths,with the IC-70 edging it in dynamics and bass power(the Venustas was NO slouch in bass,though).These were our observations,though my friend who actually bought the SUPERB Venustas was really beginning to lose some credibility,as he clearly "wanted" the Venustas to smoke the IC-70,which it did not.

I tried to really be open minded,yet it was my friend SID,who is a qualified music and audio maven(BIG TIME),he wrote the original Mercury LP reviews for TAS,who really hit the comparison on all cylindars,and I really heard it ALL as he did.

The Venustas was,and is SUPERB.Really in ALL areas,but I don't think anyone touting the Purist stuff has done this particular comparison,as we did(real blood,and sweat)on Friday.Even you,Nsgarsh(and I definitely take all comments by you as knowledgeable,and informative,as well as pretty accurate)admitted to getting the Purist because it was a "good deal",which is FINE with me.You knew it was great,and could not,and did not go wrong!Yet,as is human nature, it is all too easy to dismiss another "no longer implemented in one's set-up" product as "significantly" inferior,which is what I've been led to believe about the IC-70.Well it simply is NOT the case,based upon our observations.The IC-70 is competitive,and I really think the "actual" system personality will dictate which is preferred.My friend's set-up is Kharma based,and we have always felt it was a bit lean.It is better now,no doubt.I run Avalons,with Cardas Golden Cross speaker cables(I had to run the Cardas for two reasons.First-I have to tri-wire,and anything else would be very expensive.Second-my Amp and speaker are cabled with Cardas,so it was common sense,to go this way).To me,a beautiful,articulate and warmer sound than my friend's stunning Kharmas.Maybe the IC-70 would meet my tastes,here.Who knows for sure?

Well that's about it,but I'm not definitely ruling out a change.

Best,as usual!!

Actually Speedy, there is a thread somewhere here (if I'm not mistaken, you were a participant) in which the Purist, Hovland and Graham were compared. See if you can find it. I'll look too.

I think I posted that one. But it was using the Graham IC50. Btw, I've enjoyed reading this thread. I too, have spent countless hours redailing in my TT/arm with the Purist Venestas. Something about these better cable reveals more.