Graham IC-70
Hovland Magic Groove 2
Revelation Audio Labs
All available with right-angle DIN |
The manufacturers mentioned by rgurney, and almost all others have or can make their cables with rt. angle DIN connectors. I have a SME V and have used both straight and rt. angle DIN connectors with it.
The DIN on the SME tonearm itself is already a swiveling rt. angle fitting, so a rt. angle DIN is really not that important, unless there is very restricted room under your armboard due to the particular construction of your turntable and a rt. angle DIN would help route the wire out the rear.
Either way, always make a one-turn spiral loop in the tonearm cable right after the DIN connector and before the cable exits the back of the TT, to help de-couple the TT from any vibrations that may arrive via the tonearm cable!
The two favorite cables for the SME V seem to be the Hovland Music Groove 2, and the Cardas Golden Reference (not the Neutral Reference). They are both around $600 +/-. If however, you want the absolute best IMO (retails for 3x the price of course! :~) go for the Purist Audio Design Venustas. |
I highly recommend the Audioquest Leopard. DBS, pure silver in teflon. The DBS really makes breakin a non issue and is is especially difficult with a phono cable. The sound... absolutely coherent with depth and a great sense of space. Also, toneally very even. The silver has great texture without any sense of brightness |
Check out Harmonic Technologies single crystal cable for phono. I use a pair and I couldn't be happier. Plus they don't cost an arm and a leg. |
I second the vote for Purist, but Venustas is not the top of the line. The Purist Dominus (Revision C, you'll never find a B any more)is absolutely extraordinary, and in DIN to RCA (I use a straight DIN with my SME V/SME 20.2 combo) isn't even all that horribly expensive. |
I`m using a Graham; it meets your physical requirements. |
To me,the problem with this type of question,is that it is REALLY hard to quantify each person's cable of choice,without some kind of actual MULTI-CABLE shoot-out,in the same system.I,myself,have gone from the Graham IC-30 to the IC-70,with obvious improved results.
My next,and logical question,would be -Do I think moving up to a cable like the Purist Audio Venustas(the Dominus would be too unwieldly,for me)would,again,be a step up?I DO believe that the Phono cable IS an extremely important link,but with the prices of the better stuff it is really hard,and outright dumb,to simply take another Audiogoner's opinion here,no matter how knowledgeable or able to express themselves in print.That being said,there are some fabulous possibilities for furthering a really fine analog rig,by staying open to the likes of better cable links,even if we like what we already paid serious bucks for!!Frustrating hobby,heh?And we used to think Golf was a toughy!! |
I use a XLO Phono Signature. It is available with a right angle DIN to RCA cable. This one is specially made for phono, not like others, which is the same like their normal RCA cables but only with a different printing. |
I use harmonic technology. Great price & a huge improvement over the VDH cable. I also heard about rewiring the internal tonearm cable. I hear it can make a huge improvement. If you do that you can go with a single cable from cartridge to phono stage. From what I have read SME V has 4 joints in the internal tonearm cable. Removing those should yield an improvement. I haven't tried it myself. Also I placed blue tack on the arm in certain areas & it yielded better musicality. One of the better very inexpensive tweeks. A little near the V part & a little under the headshell. Good luck. |
Thanks for all the responses. Some food for thought and target's for the piggy bank to meet! :-) |
To answer the question properly you reaaly need to try out different tonearm cables from the cable library at USEDCABLE.COM.A cable is so system dependent you need to borrow several at a time and try them out.I've narrowed mine down to Kimber AG Silver Tonearm cable,but my system is different then yours.I would suggest you try them out
then you would'nt be spinning your wheels as much and they do a great service. |
Maybe I'm too late but I highly recommend Howland Groove 2,which replaced my VDH mc.
Importend is the burn in period. For the new cable I let build an adapter (DIN to RCA) and used the cabel on an old CD player and let it run a month long 24 hours a day with a Burmeister CD. The improovment on sound quality is unbelivebel.The burn in period on SME arm takes too long due the very low mAmps... |
Demeter, I would like to do what you did (using the Granite Audio phono burn-in CD) and make (buy?) a male DIN to male RCA adapter, so I can include my Purist phono cable in the burn-in process.
Could you explain how you made the adapter (or where you purchased it?) so I can do the same.
TIA
Neil
. |
Mgottlieb, you mentioned that the Purist Dominus phono cable "isn't even all that horribly expensive." The Cable Company is showing a retail price for a one-meter cable as $5,830 (!). Is this an accurate price?
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Bob, I don't know the MSRP for a Dominus phono, a Venustas is $1800. However they are both available new for the following prices:
Venustas-$1150.00
Dominus w/Ferox-$3300.00
I'm using a Venustas with my SME V / Tranny W, and the sound is quite spectacular. I'd like to hear a Dominus just to see what (if anything) I'm missing, but up til now, the Venustas is the best I've ever heard. |
Dear Barolo: Almost all cable manufacturers can give you the right-angle that you are looking for.
I agree totally with what 76doublebass already post.
You don't have to put several KK dollars for a stellar cable performance, there are many great cables for a low price, between them: Harmonic Technologies, Analysis Plus, XLO, Kimber KCAG.
I own all of them ( silver ones ) and in the past I try severals top dollars cables ( including Purist Design, Nordost, Siltech, etc... ). Those ones outperforms the top dollars cables.
Be careful when you make your phono cable choice.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Barolo: A little mistake: the XLO is a cooper material cable.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Many cables require a break in period of several hundred hours. Translating that into hundreds (perhaps, even more than 1000)of LP sides and accompanying stylus wear before full break-in should serve to strike dread into the hearts of anyone considering new cables between the tonearm and step-up or preamp. Add to this a right angle mini DIN plug and the fact that many cables, such as Cardas, maintain that the signal flow during break-in establishes the directionality of the cable, and you realize that you can't just plug the RCA end into a tuner or infinitely repeating CD player and go about your business while the cable breaks in.
Cardas sells a male mini DIN plug for $6.00 that can be soldered to appropriate L-R wires of the cheapest RCA cable you can find. After completion of the soldering and wrapping of the connections (shrink wrapping or electrical tape will do just fine)plug the the RCA to male DIN to tonearm DIN cable end of this wondrous new appliance into a tuner, probably best with the gain set relatively low, or CD player with some sort of magical break in sweeps* or other with the RCA end of the tone arm cable into a high level preamp input. Listen to make sure that both channels work, and make sure that it's the tone arm cable RCA end that goes into the pre so that directionality is correct.
Once sufficient time has elapsed, disconnect the tone arm cable from the wondrous appliance, plug into arm, and see how it sounds.
Why Cardas and others who sell tonearm cables with mini DIN plugs needing extended directional break in don't include this cheap and easy accessory as part of their megabuck cables is beyond me. Cardas told me they have made these for a few customers who also apparently did not delight in the prospect of listening to each nuance of change during the break in**, but shelved an idea to market them. I mention Cardas only because I went through this after purchasing a set of Golden Reference for my SME and had to talk to them about this. No one else selling to this sector of the market offers these break in cables. I checked. I may market mine for a mere $300.
Footnotes:
*Our crack research team charges more for this disc of carefully, extensively, and expensively researched electronic tones than one of interesting original music made by real live musicians who are trying to make a living.
**You know who you are. |
Hi Nsgarch,
An elektrician has make the adapter for me. A simple male DIN on one end and 2 RCA (also male) ontheother.You plug the RCA to your cd player out, DIN to phono cable and phono RCA' s to your (pre)amplifier and let cd player run. You can use also the CARDAS DIN plug, which Rouvin mentions.
For the burn(or break) in period:
1.)You have the plug the cable into an amp but dont have to let amp run all the time. Just listen first, to make shure the connections are right and shut off the amp then.
2.)I prefer to use real music cd's for "break in". I choose sampler cd's (like Burmeister or JM Lab) with all kind of music on it,like classic(small and big orchester), organ(importend),jazz, pop, rock. Of course you can use "burn in" tracks of some dedicated CD's, but I prefer music.
3.)I dont prefer using a tuner for break in, becouse their top ends are around 15 kHz. CD's have more on buttom and top (but not so much as an analog :-)).
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