Some IC's may be noisier than others due to build(shielding) If you choose to not use phono cables, just use a piece of wire for the ground(table to phonostage). You may not even need it. My VPI doesn't depending on cart used for whatever reason.
tonearm cable, do you need one?
I recently got a VPI classic 3. It has regular RCA outputs. All the arms I've used have always had built in wire with a ground on the end that hooks to the ground on the phono preamp. The VPI has a ground lug and I see RCA tonearm cables have grounds on both ends. How important is this? Do I need a tonearm specific cable?