Transparent Phono Cable

Thanks, guys. I seem to get more support for the PAD Venustas than anything else.

BTW, I'm really on the fence between the XV1S and the Universe. Opinions are about equally divided.

Ed

Thanks, guys, for all your responses. I'm looking forward to Dgad's thoughts on Universe vs XV1s. Since the order-ship time on my Graham Phantom is taking longer than I was initially told (doesn't it always in this hobby?), I can defer my decision a bit longer.

I'm still not sure which way to go on the phono cable, but my list is getting shorter.

Sir Speedy,

I know how you feel, I lost my Mom last August (I lost my Dad many years ago). It is very hard to lose a parent. I still miss her very much, especially on Saturdays because we almost always had lunch together, just the two of us (my wife works on Saturday). However, after nearly a year, the pain has gone away and I remember the really good times we had together and some of the great things she did and her favorite sayings and it is comforting.

I wish the very best for you and your family.

Best,

Ed

Sirspeedy,

My best friend passed away a week before my Mom last August. He had a theory that life's journey was series of upswings and downswings. When you are on an upswing, almost everything goes right for you, but when you are on a downswing almost everything goes wrong. You just have to learn to hang on and wait out the downswings because an upswing is coming. Maybe audio room coming through untouched is a sign that you are entering an upswing.

Best,

Ed

Hello again, guys.

Well, the cartridge issue is resolved for now. I got the XV1S. My SRA Craz racks and the Graham Phantom are due to arrive on Thursday. I have also replaced my Levinson 20.5s with Lamm M1.2 Reference hybrids which also are due to arrive on Thursday, which is shaping up to be a pretty big day.

I still don't have a phono cable yet, and need to order one this week. The shortlist of phono cables is:

TransparentReference Phono Interconnect
PAD Venusta
Silversmith

I would very much appreciate your thoughts on these phono cables. Also, should I get the phono cables with straight DIN or right angle DIN (TT is SME 20/2)?

Thanks,

Ed

Dan,

Please say it ain't so! Several hundred hours? That's like 500 to 700 hours. By the time I break in and listen to half a dozen cables it will be time to retip the cartridge!!!

BTW, my two SRA Craz Reference isoRACKS arrived today. I ordered them 31/2 months ago. I was very excited until I discovered that we cannot get them out of the crates. In the heat and humidity, the crates apparently swelled and the Craz will not budge no matter how we tug on it. We even turned the crate upside down with the top lid off and shook and shook it (it weighs 200 lbs so this is not child's play) The Craz did not budge a millimeter!!

So I moved one of them into the house and I'll have to let it sit in the A/C long enough for the swelling to do down.

Ed

Many thanks, Larry, for cluing me in to the Cable Cooker. It sounds like an indispensable piece of gear.

Tim, the SRA Craz racks are definitely the real deal. Instantly transformed my system into a world class sounding system. I think there may be more going on than just the lowering of the noise floor. It certainly did that and my wife and I hear much more low level detail than ever before. For example, on most CDs (still don't have my tonearm yet, but Bob Graham emailed me yesterday that he shipped it yesterday) we can hear the singer take a breath. Also, music is more satisfying and relaxing than ever. Imaging improved noticeably. But most amazing is that musical notes are extended and seem to have their full natural decay.

My Lamm M1.2 mono blocks arrived Thursday and I love them, but the Craz made a bigger difference in the system than the difference between my 16-year old Levinson 20.5s and the Lamm M1.2s.

I am having some difficulty with SRA over the dimensions of the Craz and I'll have more about that later.