CUTTING DOWN A TONEARM CABLE

Yup, it’s got to be low, when it get shorter it gets lower, pretty simple.. :-)

I’ve never heard anyone say "make one longer it makes no difference"..

Like I said it’s not hard to make good RCAs. If they are already good, you’re not going to make them sound worse or add some flavor unless you use crap solder and crappy terminal ends. You can make good cables better or worse..

Pay attention, you’ll be fine.. Are you running a low output MC cart? It can only get better unless you make it worse.. LOL

Choppers remorse.. Be bold.. Go for it.. :-)

Regards

Only thing: De-solder the plug, chop at that end to the desired length, and re-solder the plug exactly as it was.  Don't chop in the middle. Not that you would necessarily do that, but...  There would be an "ideal length" if and only if you are targeting a certain capacitance that you want to be added by virtue of cable length.

@lohanimal

Please do your math:

First ID capacitance per unit of length of your tonearm wire, than figure out how much you’re "saving" by cutting.

These minuscule fractures are completely and entirely negligible in audio so I’d rather spend sometime with beer or watching dirty videos.

Unless it’s a Litz…

I am a robot with a soldering iron in a surface Mount world

Let's think this one through. First you said you have too much length. But the only reason given has nothing to do with length. Nothing about having to coil it up, no room for yards of cable, nothing like that. Your whole "reason" seems to be some vague fear of "something to do with capacitance." That is not a need. That is a feeling.

You asked if there is any reason not to. Sure. Plenty. Phono leads are real finicky. It is real easy to make one noisy, real hard to make one quiet. You might do everything perfect, beautiful solder joints, put it back together, monster hum. No idea why or where it came from. Back you come looking for advice from the same guys who failed to warn you in the first place. Not me. Other guys.

The best reason to not do it really is there is nothing to be gained. But plenty to be lost. Whatever your lead is worth now, guess how much less it will be worth when sold as "I cut it down because of something to do with capacitance but I know what I'm doing trust me." 

Thanks. Pass. Future value: nada.