The Best Phono cable

I have tried the Graham 70, Synergistic Research Tricon, Hovland MG2, Cardas Golden Reference and Silver Audio Silver Breeze. In my system, the Silver Breeze is at another level and is the cable I use.

Analog Rig: VPI TNT Mk IV fully upgraded; Graham Phantom Mk ii; Clear Audio Stradivari; EAR MC-4 SUT; and a Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 in MM mode completely overhauled and modded by Bill Thalmann of Music Technology (former lead engineer at Conrad-Johnson).

In this setting, the Silver Breeze pulls it all together, gets out of the way and makes music.

Brent

I guess some of you know that Hovland closed their doors, and supposedly Graham purchased and will be making the MG2.

Flyfish, I'm not totally sure about this (anyone chime in if I'm missing something), but of all the phono cables mentioned here, only the Silver Breeze and the phono cables from Purist are constructed using substantial (thick) mechanical vibration shielding as well as the customary electrical shielding. When cable designers include this feature, background and/or noise floor seem to get blacker and detail comes forward.

...the phono cables from Purist are constructed using substantial (thick) mechanical vibration shielding as well as the customary electrical shielding. When cable designers include this feature, background and/or noise floor seem to get blacker and detail comes forward

Maybe yes, maybe no. It has absolutely nothing to do with Quality. Cheap foam inside makes it thick but has no influence for sound quality. Purist has thick cables and very simple thin leads inside :-)

Good phoncables should show some Physical knowledge and low capacity. Most don't have a dedicated "Phono" Cable, they re-brand a normal NF Cable, double the price and that's it.

Syntax - you take a rather dim view of high end cable makers' integrity it seems ;-) not that one shouldn't be cautious, of course -- however, due diligence can clear up a lot of assumptions.

Actually, Purist uses a paste called Ferox, made with powdered iron oxide, to fill the jackets surrounding their gold/silver alloy (not plated!) conductors. Why did you assume it was 'cheap foam'? ;-) Ferox is quite heavy, but flexible. Purist has in the past used fluid-filled jackets as well, and now have sort of combined the two in a material called Contego. In any case this design very much contributes to a really clean music signal. If you ask people who own Purist products, the first thing they'll tell you is how quiet they are.

I'm not sure what materials Silver Audio uses but its a similar design, i.e. mechanical isolation + electrical shielding combined into a homogeneous substance.

Dear Nsgarch,
don't worry, there are good Designs out there and better ones. It has nothing to do with 1 company. One of my friends opened some PAD cables some time ago (and others)...I did a Phono Cable comparison some time ago and there are big differences among them, independent from price (when I remember I had here Siltech, Kondo, Cardas Golden Cross (?), KSL-Vz, Graham-70 (?, the best from him), XLO Signature, PAD Venustas, and some other brands I forgot).
Most cables - in general - have own" characters" and are used to compensate or to support something in the main System. That makes it difficult to "recommend" because no one knows what "priorities" are asked.
Some are shielded, some not, some have good connectors, some not, some have developed a separate Phono cable, others say, they did, too, some have high quality strands, some have standard...you will find nearly everything and I agree with you, the PAD Venustas is a VERY quiet cable.