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Phono cable/grounding/loading questions

Hi, I am finally settling with my analog set up which I run in balanced(RCA @ TT end with ground wire and balanced at phono pre-amp, balanced from phono to preamp..)configuration. I do have some questions that I need answered to convince me what is right. I have looked in to archives but have not found clear cut answers. So here goes:

1. Is the purpose fully designed phono cable always better than the regular ics used as phono cables?
2. If there is no hum present without ground wire connected at TT end, technically is it correct to do so? (When I connect the gorund wire, the presentation a little more articulate but on brighter side)
3. Could I use phono cable with RCA/RCA and use RCA/balanced adapter at phono preamp end? Would I be getting full benefit of balanced configuration this way?
4. My helikon cartridge loading with all new burn-in cables sits at 40 ohms currently and there is still peak (4-5 db) at 10 K hz. Rest of the spectrum very good but this peak is annoying at times. Why is this happening?
5. Bi-wire question: Is it okay to use biwire speaker cables with Jumpers or is it defeating the purpose? More importantly is this dangerous?

Sorry to load you with too many questions but I wanted have only one thread to put my mind to rest.

Thanks in advance!!
nilthepill
nilthepill OP
842 posts
 
Viridian, Thanks for clear cut to a point answers.

In response to item 4) The arm is SPJ that came with La Luce turn table. I believe the arm is very good. I am using Cardas freq check LP (there is 10 K HZ track and 30hz-30khz freq sweep among others)-and using Radioshack SPL meter. To be fair, the overall sound is more like neutral. The peak I mentioned is on max side, lowest peak being may be 2 db (you see the SPL meter flickers within 3-4 db during 10 k hz tone).

It may be that since the cartridge selection my taste has changed towards sound where high freq is rolled off a bit.
May be Cardas GR phono cable is the answer. ( which I tried few months back)Disconnecting ground wire reduces high freq to more neutral but boosts bass and reduces transparency. May be the new cables are not completly broken in yet.
Post removed 
nilthepill OP
842 posts
 
Dgarretson, Looks like you and I posted above responses about same time.
1) Thanks for the technical insight.
2) Good. I just disconnected the ground wires and sat down for critical listening sesson. What do you know, the sound 'fell' in to place!! The highs are more realistics, midbass warmer and actually due to contarst the sound is more transparent!! Believe it of not with ground wires off the 10 Khz peak went flat. Bass has 2 db peak than before, but I can handle that.
3) I don't have din plug but RCA jacks at end of tonearm wires. That is why I had cable specially made-ground wires added at RCA/RCA end and balanced at phono preamp end. If cartridge in inherently not balanced, what is the purpose of balanced phono stages? Sounds like your phono is balanded too (BAT), How have you connected at phono input?

4) I have 100 ohm resistors on order from clearaudio, just in case, But 40 ohm may just work fine. But as I said connecting ground wires gets this 10hz peak and may be slightly lower peaks progressively from 1 k all the way to 10 k hz making the sound brighter overall. My ears and measurements don't lie.

5) It seems I may not have use jumpers, since bass is back. thx to burn in completion and ground wires off.
dgarretson
2,598 posts
 
Nilthepill,

I bought my Hovland phono cable a long time ago and had it terminated DIN to XLR for the BAT P10 prior to reading Victor K's remarks about the preferability of an RCA connection into a phono stage-- a balanced phono stage. I may reterminate the cable RCA. The Hovland people also told me that their cable would sound better with RCA than with XLR, particularly when a low-mass plug such as Tiffany is used.

Inside the balanced phono stage a fully differentially balanced circuit can be derived from a single-ended source and passed to downstream components.

Not sure how your custom cable handles ground. You might just try running a separate chassis ground wire from the TT to the ground post on the phono stage. It probably won't affect the sound.

Not sure what you mean about the speaker jumpers. Are you saying you've biwired the speakers but you prefer the sound with the jumpers in? If so, you've defeated the biwiring and you are not hearing the biwire speaker cables as they were designed to work. But it's also possible that the speakers sound better when not biwired.

Dave

larryi
3,993 posts
 
As with anything having to do with audio, there are no hard and fast rules. I think you just have to continue to do what you have been doing, which is to experiment. I had a Helikon, but, at that time, I also had a phono stage with a fixed 125 ohm loading. It seemed to work well with this phono stage.

With my current Titan, I actually run it almost wide open (47k ohms). This gives me a very extended top end and a better sense of hall sounds. I tame some of the top end sibilance by setting VTA very slightly low (tail of the cartridge pointing down). I find Lyra cartridges to be quite sensitive to VTA changes. It is surprising what even 1/2mm of height at the pivot makes.
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