Transparent Phono Cable

Nsgarsh,for the first time,since I have began reading,your usually well thought out posts,you make a "silly" case,against my logic!
Firstly the IC-70 is a "seperate" 750 dollar cable.It happens to be a fine match,for "any" Graham arm as the internal wire "matches" this.A NO brainer,actually.The "Bullet Plugs" have been reviewed,independantly,and even those,though not fancy,are considered the best sounding the industry has produced.It was compared to the likes of the WBT Nextgen.Impressive!
Also,let's face it,it "ain't" easy to compare many of the phono cables available to us.It takes a good deal of legwork,and alot of folks somply will never do this.Especially in lieu of the "fact" that there are so many good choices,and it really is hard to make a bad decision.
Lastly(sorry,but true)I have A/B'd the Venustas with the IC-70,and the result(with a 2.2 arm,and the Transfiguration Temper-v)was a "clear" superiority,in running the IC-70!More dynamic,and better bass impact.Better contrasts.This was the opinion of the other hobbyists at the time,but my original friend,who had already spent money on the Purist,was committed already,and uses it.This will vary in other systems,I hope!
I think you are a little too influenced by "price"(though you DO mention the Silver Breeze cable),and why would you assume the Siltech is SO great,if you have not heard it?Big bucks?Reputation?Why?The Silver Breeze,to me,looks like a very good choice,if someone is adamantly against a particular manufacturer's cable(and why,anyway?).You did mention the Silver Breeze,and it was a good choice.
I had called Bob Graham,last winter,just as my pal was moving to the Venustas.I thought it would be a good idea to get his thoughts on cable design,using his own arms.He made a very convincing argument,in favor of the IC-70.So "that" was my logic(as to your querry),in keeping it,along with it's performance.
Best!
Mark

Mark, as I said, I didn't know if the Graham cable came with the arm. And I am well aware of all the obstacles to auditioning cables -- but it's no excuse for grabbing the first thing and running with it. If there's a will, there's a way -- especially when one is planning a (retail) expenditure from $800 up to $2000 or more.

Three of the excellent cables we discussed are all in the $800 +/- range (four, if you include the Cardas GR) so even avoiding the pricey stuff, if you just "go with" the first thing that comes up (for whatever reason) then you are automatically "unchoosing" all the other candidates. You wouldn't by a car or a computer that way?

BTW, I don't go by price alone, and for a very good reason, I can't afford the most expensive products. If I hadn't been offered a Venustas phono cable for 1/3 retail, I probably would have wound up with one of the $800 choices, but only after first listening to at least three of them.

I don't know from personal experience that Siltech is the best, but I talk with a very dispassionate guy who sells Siltech, Purist, Transparent, Argento and has heard the rest. He wants me to hear the Siltechs in my system, but I courteously declined.
.

Dear Ed: Congratulations for your XV-1 ( wonderful performer ) and your up-grade analog system!!!

I never had the opportunity to heard the phono cable by Transparent but I heard ( in my own system ) several ones: Cardas, Siltech, Nordost, Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technologies, Wireworld, Kimber kable, Purist, Van denHul, Silversmith, etc, etc.

From all those I keep it : Analysis Plus and Harmonic Technologies, both are superb and for less money than almost all those cables ( including Transparent )that don't justify its very high prices, at least in my system.

Now, the cable selection is a very subjective one and system dependent, to be sure that you have the best one means that you have to test several ones till you find the right one

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Nsgarsh,just for the record,I and any of my fellow hobbyist pals have never "automatically" chosen any product.Be it cabling or any other.That would be "diluting" the possible potential of a given product.If I gave the impression that the IC-70 was added,only as in this case,I appologize!Also,as I am lucky enough to have a few pals who have similar stuff,it becomes easy to use their experience with multiple choices,to make a final decision.BTW,I have had other cables in my 2.2 set-up.
Also,to be fair,I would LOVE to try to "hitch up" a quality Siltech to my own rig.What I usually get away with,is talking a well off pal,into making the "move",and going from there.-:)A bit under the table,but I always recommend good stuff,so my pal usually comes out on top.

Best
Mark

Ed, please come back with your impressions of the XV-1s in regards to all of the music genres that you listen to. I've heard this cartridge with some classic rock and jazz, which is not supposed to be it's best application if you listen to some. I'm curious to hear from you if your impressions come close to my own in this regard.

I'm guessing that the IC-70 does not come with the Phantom since that has not been the packaging model used by Graham in the past. It's a very good cable, but I agree with the suggestion of getting as many cables as you can to listen for yourself. It would be even better if all of the samples have enough hours on them so that you're hearing what they sound like after breaking in. For example, I know that Venustas (and the Ic-70 for that matter) don't sound all that great until they get several hundred hours on them and I'm betting that is true for all cables.

Have fun!

Dan