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!

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20pf/foot is a practical value for a cable. Mogami makes a console cable that specs in this area. Since transformers can receive either a single-ended signal or balanced, you could run a balanced connection from your arm to the SUT and thus obviate the sonic attributes (or artifacts, however you want to look at it) of the cable.

Shielding adds capacitance. Cable geometry also affects capacitance. The 12AX7 tube, often used as the input voltage amplifier in tube MM stages has a high Miller capacitance that adds to cable capacitance. Transistors also add capacitance at the input.

I use a very short 0.4m Van Damme XKE cable terminated with ETI connectors, made by Aurealis Audio, between my EAR MC4 SUT and Nagra VPS phono stage: www.aurealisaudio.com.au/phono-cables/

This is very low capacitance at less than 50pf per metre, is inexpensive and sounds very good. It is also the same as the captive cable of my Audio Origami PU7 arm.