Phono interconnect under $500 used

Zd, if you haven't already seen it there is some good further discussion of Ralph's point about the balanced line standard in this thread.

Caution: Long sentence below; not sure how to put it more simply :-)

Ralph, in the case of a phono cable though, as opposed to a line-level interconnect, even in a low impedance balanced configuration isn't it still possible that sensitivity to cable differences might result from differences in cable capacitance altering the frequency and magnitude of the ultrasonic resonant peak resulting from the interaction of that capacitance with the inductance of the cartridge, with that change causing the phono stage to respond differently to ultrasonic energy that may be present?

Best regards,
-- Al

I am happy with the Silver Dragon phono cable from moonaudio.com in Raleigh. It is custom made to your length and connections from ~$200 to 350.

Hi Al. That's a long sentence :) the answer is 'yes', or 'sort of'.

A better way of looking at it is that once the proper loading is achieved (which is a combination of capacitance and resistive elements, usually the cable being the capacitance), then it will be found that the cable is really not contributing to the sound.

With your typical LOMC, the capcitance will play a very small role as the impedance of the cartridge might only be 10 ohms with perhaps 100 ohms at the other end. It would take quite a large amount of capacitance to mess with that at audio frequencies.

You can see where I am going with this- its entirely a different matter at RF frequencies. It is the RF aspects that usually describe how effective the loading of a LOMC cartridge actually is.

So- the cable might have some effect (although not artifact) at RF frequencies, but certainly not at audio frequencies.

That is the nature of 'sort of' :)

Atmasphere says

The phono cartridge is a balanced source. Zd542, if you hear differences in balanced cables, then the equipment you are using is not supporting the balanced standard.

Using your logic, since most cartridges sound different even when using balanced cables then the phono cartridge is not supporting the balanced standard.

03-28-13: Dougdma
Using your [Atmasphere's] logic, since most cartridges sound different even when using balanced cables then the phono cartridge is not supporting the balanced standard.

Dougdma, I fail to see the logic in YOUR statement. Ralph did not say that cartridges or other equipment supporting the balanced standard all sound the same. That would be absurd, of course. What he said was that equipment supporting the balanced standard will eliminate sonic differences between the cables that are used to connect that equipment.

His point about the sonic quality of many recordings from the so-called "golden age" of hifi, which in many cases were recorded in halls necessitating extremely long cable lengths, and which pre-dated the advent of exotic cables, seems to me to be persuasive proof of that contention.

Also, note that his response to my question above leaves open the possibility that in the specific case of a phono cable, used in a balanced configuration with a LOMC cartridge, there might still be perceptible differences between cables if the design of the phono stage is such that audible frequencies can be affected by ultrasonic or RF energy that may be present at its input. That energy perhaps being introduced by the recording, in the ultrasonic region, or perhaps by something else, in the RF region.

It should be noted, btw, that moving magnet and other high output cartridges, with their higher impedances, are a different story altogether.

Regards,
-- Al