SUT Interconnects


What cables have you tried between an MC SUT box and 47K MM phono stage? What was your favorite?

I’ve tried the AudioQuest upper-line "normal" ineterconnect cables (Sky, Fire) - great cables in other slots - but very colored coming out of a SUT. Not great performance. I assume that at 1.0m+ lengths, their capactitance is far too high for this application. I’ve tried 0.5m runs of Wind & Niagara (a bit lower in their "normal" IC line, slightly smaller guage wire and less shielding to boot) and got better results. However, my best results by far are with a 0.5m AQ WEL Signature LP phono cable (optimized for low capacitance phono applications). I’ve also tried the Bob’s Devices custom cables, 0.7m, both copper and solid silver versions - these have good performance (particularly the silver), but are more on the level of the 0.5m Niagara, still short of the WEL LP.

The problem I have is that the WEL LP is quite spendy, and I want a 2nd good SUT cable for a 2nd arm & SUT setup. Looking for more reasonably priced options. I’ve had excellent results with a Synergistic Research Foundation phono cable on a tonearm (DIN plug), and wonder how a short all-RCA run of it might do off a SUT (also interested in the Atmosphere X series). Any experience with SR or other cables off a SUT would be appreciated!

128x128mulveling

I always though it was more critical to keep capacitance low AFTER the SUT, rather than BEFORE the SUT, becasue of the after-SUT’s capacitative load supposedly "reflecting back times the sqaure of the turns ratio" (i.e. the opposite of what happens to load resistance)?

@mulveling Its critical to keep the capacitance down on either side of the transformer. Ultimately you'll want to load the transformer correctly for the cartridge you have and the input impedance of the phono section (typically 47KOhms). Some SUTs are designed for a specific cartridge and assume a 47KOhm load so these are less worries. Something like a Jensen which is designed to work with a wide variety of cartridges will need very specific loading to work right. The interconnects are part of that loading and very simply have to be low capacitance.

@atmasphere 

Could you please explain why it is important to have low capacitance cable before the transformer. how does that affect the transformer ?

I understand the need for low capacitance after the transformer, but not before.

I would have assumed you want low capacitance all the way from the cartridge to the phono inputs. Now you’ve got me thinking.

audioguy85, can you say more about your 1:10 SUT that results in the cartridge seeing 100 ohms? Insofar as transformers have no intrinsic impedance (ideally) you would have to place a 10K resistance across the secondaries of a 1:10 SUT to achieve a 100 ohm load. Maybe that’s what you do. Just curious.

@lewm 

The Rothwell MCX uses both primary and secondary internal loading to achieve a 100 ohm load for the cartridge from a 1:10 transformer and minimise ringing etc.

 

@mulveling I have tried numerous interconnects within my system and have had a very tight focus on the Vinyl Chain from Cart' Tag Wire through to Phon'.

After trying  many Cables and then commencing in a investigation of Wire Types.

I urge you to look into a Cable that has a PC Triple C Wire or a D.U.C.C Wire. 

With your willingness to trial and compare, I think this will be a great addition and very very worthwhile to add to your trials.

At first I thought I was over rating the positive influence I was being met with, but after loaning the Cables in both PC, 5 Pin DIN Phono and RCA Phono, the responses from others has pretty much proven to myself, these cables are adding extra in a very attractive way.

I am now working with a few friends to produce and Internal Tonearm Wire in both Wire Types, as well as the RCA and Later on XLR Cables in PC Triple C to be used upstream of the Phonostage.