RCA Interconnects

[goonybird]

Probably been asked a gazillion times

I am looking at better rca interconnects between my Prem17LS and Prem12 amps.
Surely Conrad Johnson must have a preferred cable to use in their own systems?
I have always found it confusing on cables.
Currently using ProfiGold OFCCC cables
Not convinced I need to spend big but with CJ equipment it is deserving of a quality interconnect.
Admin move this i in wrong section....

[AnotherJohnson]

I think Blue Jeans Cables have been recommended by several here.

I like the AudioQuest McKenzies as a sweet spot in their more affordable single ended lineup.

I spoke with CJ about this interconnect issue, and I was told that their design was not as sensitive to interconnect choices as some others. My experience suggests that this may be true.

[admin]

*topic moved.

I don't think CJ has any specific cable recommendation. It's tough to make a recommendation as there are 100's of high quality cable choices out there (and 1000's of lower quality cables). I think it typically comes down to budget and buying from a reputable source. Beyond that it is trial and error on what sounds best to you.

As AJ mentioned, I think BJC is a lot of bang for your buck. No frills but high quality. AQ seems to be popular and they have a huge line going from inexpensive to "I can't be reading that right."

[goonybird]

I think Blue Jeans Cables have been recommended by several here.

I like the AudioQuest McKenzies as a sweet spot in their more affordable single ended lineup.

I spoke with CJ about this interconnect issue, and I was told that their design was not as sensitive to interconnect choices as some others. My experience suggests that this may be true.

This came up as *HiFi News has just reprinted an old review of the ART Pre Amp, and in their opinion it needed high quality cables Siltech etc.

*worth getting this just for the review

[goonybird]

This came up as *HiFi News has just reprinted an old review of the ART Pre Amp, and in their opinion it needed high quality cables Siltech etc.

Is there a recommended proportion of the value of the amps to spend on cables?

As so much out there and magazines have there bias as do forums

*worth getting this just for the review

[AnotherJohnson]

I am currently running $4k to $8k cables. They’re all balanced Thunderbird Zeros or Transparent Reference. I think the total in my four source system is about $35k (just the msrp of the interconnects).

So … my bifurcated advice is

I liked the AQ McKenzies for the CJ systems. You might too.

OR

Do the trial and error buying and selling that will help you converge on your best choice.

Reviewers rarely have your identical system, and they never have your room or ears.

Is it worth it to splurge? Depends on your budget, your ears, and your value system.

[roberto]

Hola goonybird,

My experience is: Silver is for detail and silky highs, copper is for bass. You might try to use both metals. The silver coating cable works and the price won't crash your wallet. You can find a lot of different type of cables and prices too. There is another inexpensive well built cables: silversonic by DHLabs. This brand does not advertise in any mags. All cables are American made.

www.silversonic.com

[admin]

SignalCable is another manufacturer of relatively inexpensive cables that one can consider.

[AnotherJohnson]

Is there a recommended proportion of the value of the amps to spend on cables?

I’ve seen guidelines published, but in my experience, they’re silly unless you’re a novice with a big wad of thousand dollar bills in your pocket and you’re anxious for a salesman to relieve you of them.

And on the used market, who knows what it means? If you buy a $13k preamp for $6.5k, do you price pick cables for the msrp, or for your depreciated deal?

I think it makes much more sense to brace yourself for the amount of money you’re willing to experiment with. Maybe buy used from places like tmraudio.com, and listen. Don’t like them? Return them during the authorized return period. There is at least one company doing regular advertising who is buying and selling interconnects and cables in sort of a lending library model. I’ve not tried them.

I’ve owned different levels of fancy cables for the last 40 years. I was not expecting cables to matter as much as they do.

I am no longer a fan of single ended connections, but with CJ single ended is the only option. On the bright side good single ended interconnects are cheaper than good balanced interconnects.

I like AudioQuest for three reasons … they generally sound good with a wide range of gear, they have a VERY wide range of price points, so there’s a choice for every budget. And, they do have excellent margins so the dealer may have considerable wiggle room if you have a good relationship.

AudioQuest, Nordost, Transparent, Cardas, Shunyata, and many others make nice interconnects and cables.

In my own case, I am at my last stop on the tour. I discovered the Thunderbird Zeros when AQ dropped the product I was trying to buy from their line. I decided they were REALLY GREAT in my system, and ended up using them nearly exclusively. A 25’ pair of balanced was beyond my comfort zone, so I subbed a 25’ used pair of Transparent Reference grade, and since I bought them from a Transparent dealer, Transparent custom tweaked them to my gear. They are every bit as good as the AQ Thunderbird Zeros in my system.

I would say that $200/m pair at retail is the beginning of good stuff. In a system with 3 m from pre to amps, and 1 meter from two sources to the pre, you’ll looking at $1000. Probably not out of the reach of most. One thing I like about Transparent is that the price isn’t really per meter. You pay to get into the level of their lineup and then longer cables don’t make it a lot worse.

[Wildcat]

I've been using Cardas Cross between amp and preamp, and preamp and DAC. But I also like how the Morrow Audio cables sound on the phono side of things, and might eventually switch the system over to those. It's reported that they need break-in time, but I'm not really sold on how much difference that makes. Yet I just bought a new phono interconnect and I'm breaking it in anyway. (I made a setup where I can run white noise through the cable 24/7.)

[AnotherJohnson]

TheCableCo.com has a cable lending library. 215-862-4870.

I’ve never tried them, but they might be worth a phone call.

image.jpg (2.09 MiB) Viewed 3468 times

[Joe Appierto]

Think they charge a percentage (15% ?) of the value of the cable to try them out. But, if you make a purchase it's applied to the purchase price. I've never tried this feature myself but especially for those without easy access to a dealer it's attractive. And even if one does have access, they have such a wide range of brands and product lines a potential buyer is almost sure to find something that'll fit the bill.

[admin]

I know it's not going to be for most people, but I will just chime in that making your own cables can be a relatively easy endeavor. It's also very inexpensive as the markup from raw cable/connectors to finished product is very high.. You can pick and choose the cable type, connector, solder, look (I recommend looking at techflex), and of course things like custom length is automatically up to you.

I'm actually making some custom cables for my 2nd budget stereo right now.

[Paolo]

A humorous experience for me regarding audio wire was when I compared a pair of $2500.00 Japanese speaker cables to my DIY pair which cost approximately $65.00 plus about 90 minutes of time to assemble. That included everything including banana plugs, shrink tube, and techflex to make 'em pretty. I already have the tools like wire strippers.

There were insignificant differences but no clear "winner." I sent the $$$$ wires back.

[goonybird]

Ok so bought some cables to try. I always believed using a good quality interconnect was a good thing in place of freebies.
Have been using Profigold for years as cost/performance is good. OFC with good locking RCAs
Bought a pair of Van Den Hul "The Wave" 0.8m interconnects but also was looking at Cardas Iriduium, Chord Shawline etc.
But these were 50% of new price (As new)
Also I was coming round to thinking that solid core, silver platerd would be optimum.
(if you imagine the PV17 pre and Prem 12 were one unit I guess the circuit would have been continous circuit board copper track)
I admit being a bit of a skeptic with hifi accessories and cables.
But! I Believe

Who'd have thought it, but I reckon 10% improvement checked by swapping back and forth.
Before system sounded great and I was happy with the sound (who isn't with CJ gear)
But Diana Krall was suddenly in the living room singing not between/behind the speakers, and other music exhbited slightly stronger bass, better soundstage etc etc
Look this is crap I am starting to sound like a reviewer.
But have to admit money well spent £150 and will look for more.

[admin]

It's amazing how much of a sonic difference a little piece of wire can make in the overall presentation. In my very early years of the hobby I didn't believe it. I thought it was just magical talk from those that liked the idea of having "fancy wires" in their system. When I actually started experimenting with different interconnects, I was amazed. I've been a believer since then.

[Wildcat]

When I actually started experimenting with different interconnects, I was amazed. I've been a believer since then.

I remember about a decade ago when I started upgrading my components to what I have now. For decades I always used the free interconnects that came with some of the components I bought. I bought "better" versions at a big box store but far as I know, they were just fatter versions of what I had, with fancy gold plated connectors.

One of my components came with a really good interconnect, and that spurred me on to start exploring a bit. I first bought some less expensive Audioquest cables but they sucked the life out of the music, especially the bass, and I was hearing a little more background noise.

I next made some cables using bulk coax from DH Labs (Silver Sonic) and those were dead quiet. At AXPONA in maybe 2017 or so, I came across Morrow Audio in the Marketplace area, and he had brought along his entire stock of cable trade-ins, from when he was taking in all brands of cables on trade. Ended up with two nice sets of Cardas Cross cables, and they live between amp and preamp, and the DAC and preamp. But through one of his show specials a year later, I bought interconnects for the phono side of my system, so now I have a few Morrow Audio cables in my system as well.

I'm not quite sure if I buy the concept of "breaking in" a cable, but I did notice that a shorter phono stage interconnect seemed to make things sound dull. Only now, it sounds as it should. I recently bought a longer phono interconnect (as I now need RCA to RCA, not DIN to RCA) and it, too, sounded dull when I inserted it. But this time, I made my own setup where I can break the cables in, separate from the system. (Basically some "dummy" cables with resistive loads that I can attach to the interconnect so I can play white noise over a tablet or other component non-stop for a few weeks.)

I like the philosophy behind Morrow Audio's cable construction, as well as the litz wire approach used by Cardas. I like the results I'm getting now, so I have no desire to change things up, other than to eventually make the entire system Morrow Audio cables. (Love the Cardas but they are too bulky and stiff, making them very difficult to route behind the rack.)

[Big Dog RJ]

Ok so bought some cables to try. I always believed using a good quality interconnect was a good thing in place of freebies.
Have been using Profigold for years as cost/performance is good. OFC with good locking RCAs
Bought a pair of Van Den Hul "The Wave" 0.8m interconnects but also was looking at Cardas Iriduium, Chord Shawline etc.
But these were 50% of new price (As new)
Also I was coming round to thinking that solid core, silver platerd would be optimum.
(if you imagine the PV17 pre and Prem 12 were one unit I guess the circuit would have been continous circuit board copper track)
I admit being a bit of a skeptic with hifi accessories and cables.
But! I Believe

Who'd have thought it, but I reckon 10% improvement checked by swapping back and forth.
Before system sounded great and I was happy with the sound (who isn't with CJ gear)
But Diana Krall was suddenly in the living room singing not between/behind the speakers, and other music exhbited slightly stronger bass, better soundstage etc etc
Look this is crap I am starting to sound like a reviewer.
But have to admit money well spent £150 and will look for more.

Good stuff matey! Yes, cables and accessories do make a difference. You can also customize the sound you're after by choosing the type of cable. Price doesn't necessarily dictate performance, the system as a whole has to gel well with the cables and accessories, so that synergy is the highest factor.
The only issue I've come across is that once you get a taste of it, it really doesn't stop, it's worse than a drug! It happened to me with Nordost cables and I nearly fell over the edge with their Odin series but my golly is it SUPERB! The good wife had to slap me silly... back to reality, and so I came round after major Nordost anesthetic... ha! He's alive she said. Now shut up and return those cables!

Sky's the limit really but remember to spend and only spend according to your finances... otherwise cables and accessories can turn you towards the dark side of the force. Not that there's anything wrong with that... just saying.
It's a bloody marvelous thing!

Enjoy! Woof!
RJ

[Paolo]

One very positive change in wires that I just did was to install a pair of Audionote Lexus IC's from my Gold Note DS-10 streamer to the preamp section of a Luxman class A integrated. (I'm awaiting arrival of an ET3 pre) The Audionote did a fine job of smoothing out digital glare. I had been using Mogami IC's prior.