Replacing stock tonearm cable

My SME V came with a Van den Hul cable. Nevertheless I have substituted Cardas, Purist and HMS cables for the original cable, all with significant improvements. You can argue that it's the most important cable in the system.

You said: Please no "try it and hear's".

So, you are going to rely on and trust the opinions of others without listening for yourself? That is not a very sound approach.

I'm not condoning that advice is always bad, but don't rely on it as making the final decision for you. Especially, in this expensive "hobby."

Timo - Actually every purchase is a "try it and hear". I am just looking for educated opinions based on experience. The buyer is always the final determining factor. I sometimes get frustrated, though, that hi-fi isn't finite enough. I really enjoy the process of doing my homework and shopping but, for example, a $700 rug is better than a $100 rug. That's not the case in audio. So the "try it and hear" is expensive. Cable's seem to be the biggest culprit. Thanks for your opinion.

TWL - isn't your response a quandry? I know what you mean and thanks. But "see what it can do" is still mystifying. I may think all sounds great. But, how would I know without countless comparisons. It's very difficult to remain satisfied in this "hobby". That's why I look for strong opinions. Thanks.

I agree with TWL's recommendation.

BTW, I think where TWL is coming from is that the Tri-Planer is a high quality arm, that "should" come with a high quality cable. (Perhaps not the very best, but certainly something that is not easily, or cheaply beaten).

I think the thread question you should have posed was:

"Are there any Tri-Planer owners out there that have upgraded their stock cable? And if so, what cable did you upgrade to, and what was the resulting sound like?"

Most of us are merely answering based upon our past experiences with our tonearm cables, and not necessarily with the Tri-Planer cable.

By the way, NICE SCORE on the equipment. I am jeolous!

Richardmr, I think that you're right about many different things being able to make a sonic difference in the system. It's hard to know what will be best. However, in many cases, what is best for me might not be best for you, due to certain synergy considerations.

Therefore, I mentioned the recommendation of "don't season your food before you taste it". I think it makes sense to see what you've got before you change it. Not all changes are upgrades.

FWIW, I think that Discovery tonearm cables are used by many high end tonearm makers, and they are quite good. But they may not be better than what came in your arm. At the level of a Tri-planar, you are getting one of the best arms in the business. It's a good bet that there are some very nice wires in there, in stock form.