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SUT Interconnects

What cables have you tried between an MC SUT box and 47K MM phono stage? What was your favorite?

I’ve tried the AudioQuest upper-line "normal" ineterconnect cables (Sky, Fire) - great cables in other slots - but very colored coming out of a SUT. Not great performance. I assume that at 1.0m+ lengths, their capactitance is far too high for this application. I’ve tried 0.5m runs of Wind & Niagara (a bit lower in their "normal" IC line, slightly smaller guage wire and less shielding to boot) and got better results. However, my best results by far are with a 0.5m AQ WEL Signature LP phono cable (optimized for low capacitance phono applications). I’ve also tried the Bob’s Devices custom cables, 0.7m, both copper and solid silver versions - these have good performance (particularly the silver), but are more on the level of the 0.5m Niagara, still short of the WEL LP.

The problem I have is that the WEL LP is quite spendy, and I want a 2nd good SUT cable for a 2nd arm & SUT setup. Looking for more reasonably priced options. I’ve had excellent results with a Synergistic Research Foundation phono cable on a tonearm (DIN plug), and wonder how a short all-RCA run of it might do off a SUT (also interested in the Atmosphere X series). Any experience with SR or other cables off a SUT would be appreciated!

mulveling

Showing 3 responses by westcoastaudiophile

westcoastaudiophile
512 posts
 

MC to SUT connection is a “low impedance: high current, low voltage” one, while SUT to Phono-amp is a “high impedance: low current, high voltage” variant of it. SUT to Phono-amp connection is very sensitive to RFI and other outside noise, thus shorter connection is better (ideally SUT is integrated into phono-amp). To optimize performance of MC to SUT line, need to check resistance between each of head-shell wires and phono cable SUT input ends. Resistance of each line should not exceed 0.5Ohm (in my setup ~ 0.1Ohm). Aged tone arm wiring, oxidized contacts could cause significant resistance increase, which will negatively affect SQ. Capacitance of MC-SUT cables is less important, than SUT-Phonoamp ones, because resonant frequencies are much higher than audible range there. 

good overview online: https://myemia.com/Loading.html

westcoastaudiophile
512 posts
 

"By using a meter which measures capacitance” yeah.. capacitance changes vs frequency, that’s why I measure capacitance / inductance / loss / resistance at 50/1000/10000/20000Hz points. 

westcoastaudiophile
512 posts
 

Lewm, here is some cable manufacturer material to read about cables. There is also amplifier circuit input capacitance, which could be quite hard to measure. http://www.mogami.com/e/notes/capacitance.html

"For cable using material having good high-frequency characteristics in non-polar molecule, such as polyethylene, these vales are not varies with freauency and temperature. But for the cable using PVC compound and other polar molecule material, capacitance is largely depends on frequency and temperature."

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