Best cable for Graham 2.2

Dear Mike: All the cables named in this thread, and many others out there, are very good cables: it does not matters their prices.

There are no " rules " here. As a fact the better cable is that that makes the best synergy with your system and with your " music bias ", especially the phono cable.

I have the opportunity to try more than 20 differents phono cables, at the end the ones that I prefer ( in my system ) are: Silver Oval by Analysis Plus, Pro Silway by Harmonic Technologies and the KCAG from Kimber Kable. These ones are what I'm using and they are in the low range price. My opinion is that the price in cables tell us nothing about its synergy with our system, the price can tell us about the quality of the material, design and construction: that's all.

Sirspeedy: for many years I usually use a record clamp ( differents ) over the records that go in a vaccum hold down mat.
The record clamp do a difference ( for the better ) in the quality sound reproduction. The use of the clamp do a help to almost " kill " vinyl resonances that the cartridge could reproduce.
My TTs are of the non-suspension design, I use heavy clamps: this heavy weight clamps do the best for the sound.
You can do a test: put your record on the Sota ( with the vaccum " on " ) and hit with your finger near the center of the record label and " hear " the kind ( frecuency ) of sound that produce, then put the clamp and do the same, the reproduce sound is different: less resonant.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Thanks guys for all your imput. Mike

Raul,thanks for the valuable info!!

I agree with Raul on the value of record clamps, for exactly the reason he stated: resonance dampening. The sonic benefit is obvious even on flat records. I'd want to use one even if I had a vacuum hold-down platter.

I use the knuckle-rap test he described on nearly every record. Tapping around the clamp (in the dead wax of course) is a great way to make sure the clamp is screwed down just enough. Clamping pressure is alot like VTF, too little is as bad as too much. Under-tightening doesn't engage the resonance-control capabilities of the clamp. Over-tightening beyond the "dull rap" point does not improve sonics, and it can actually break a record (trust me!). The knuckle-rap test lets me find the happy medium.

This is why I prefer a threaded clamp to a weight. Every record needs a different amount of clamping. A threaded clamp offers control and adjustability that a weight cannot.

Doug, Speedy and Raul, you may be right, though I wonder that they don't use other than the vacuum on cutters. My Goldmund table has a very slightly concave platter, and except on perfectly flat records, if I apply too much clamping, a segment of the record will actually lift off the platter. I was considering a mat; do you use one?