Phono or shielded IC : previous Morrow owners, what did YOU upgrade to?

I have a VPI Prime with a Bob's Device integrated VPI SUT which means the turntable-to-SUT hop is eliminated as the turntable now has a SUT directly connected to the tonearm's wires.

Therefore, a phono cable isn't necessary to use. Any shielded IC is fine. However, only the phono cables from Morrow are shielded as their regular ICs aren't and therefore produce major hum.

I'm interested in exploring outside of the Morrow brand and would like suggestions from those who upgraded specifically from Morrow to tell me what they purchased and stuck with, assuming what they bought outperformed the Morrows.

Please keep in mind I'm sensitive to high frequency energy and therefore don't want to migrate to anything that'd be bright and/or accentuate the highs. Clearer highs (to an extent) are OK but no *extra* highs. That's what I got with one manufacturer so trying to avoid that in the future.

 

Make your own cables.

I like these wires as they're neutral and shielded.

"Mogami W2549 Neglex Long Run Microphone Signal Cable 1 ft." from www.parts-express.com!

At the stupid low price per foot of many cables you can order several different types and hear the differences for yourself.

It's a nice fun project!!

 

AudioSensibility Statement SE Copper Interconnects - Huge fan! Everyone tends to get their silver stuff but I really like these. I'm using them as a phono cable and have had no issues with hum or interference. VPI Prime/Grado Reference to ARC LP-1.

Interconnects (OCC copper and OCC silver) + Audio Sensibility

 

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't solder. Unless there's a company that provides the service for a cheap fee?

I heard good things about Mogami cables before. They also seem to be gaining popularity in the guitar world, too!

 

There are screw clamp rca connectors so you don’t have to solder.

 

Why no soldering? If someone as incompetent as me can solder so can you. 15W Soldering iron, flux and solder and a steady hand is all that is really needed - oh, and some good wire strippers and . . . patience.

For all the money you'll save you can go out and buy some media!!! or a nice dinner!!

 

Well, I could always use good strippers.

Were you shown how to solder or did you learn yourself?

What time do you want our reservation to be?

 

Why are you looking outside the Morrow brand? Just wondering. I recently bought their PH6 phono cables to connect my VPI Classic 4 to my Manley Labs Chinook and really like them. I had an RF noise issue that was cured by the PH6's.

 

Curious as to what other brands could deliver. Ideally, I'd like an expanded soundstage and more detail in the mids. I'm not married to the Morrows but am not dissatisfied with them either.

 

Blue Jeans Cable:

Stereo Cables at Blue Jeans Cable

Double braid shielding, ultra low capacitance, well made, custom lengths and affordable.

 

I read about it on the net and youtube. Apply flux, heat joint/wire and 'tin' the parts to be connected. Position wire where you want it, heat joint and wait until the solder flows. Hold the joint motionless until solder hardens and there you have it!! Easy Peasy

 

If you lived closer I'd let you use my equipment

 

Do some research on Mogami 2497 and 2803 cable. I have some custom built I/Cs I made with these particular Mogami cables and KLEI connectors in my system. They will not get changed - ever.

 

You upgraded directly from Morrow to those?

 

Blue Jeans >Morrow ph1-ph6's are brighter sounding than Audio Sensibility Statement. The AS cables have a more fleshed out sonic presentation as well as less capitance than the Morrows. I own all of the cables mentioned, as well as Morrow MA2 to MA7's.

M~

 

a selection

Microphone Cable & Signal Cable in the Wire & Cables Department at Parts Express | 1610

 

Interesting. Fleshed out is an interesting phrase. More detail and musicality in the final sound, I take it?

How would you say the AS cables affect soundstage versus the Morrows?

 

Yes, last year. I did some research on Morrow and sent them back. This Morrow chap is far from a scientist or engineer. He is a salesman with a record store - and now a cable business. I know some people like his cables, but not me. Never again....

 

How were the Mogami better than the Morrows? Bass, mids, highs, soundstage, etc?

Sorry for the rather daft questions but I'm genuinely curious and I have little experience with swapping cables.

 

A more weighter or the sonics have more body to them.


I want to say the imaging is better, but I have to be vague here because I'm breaking in a pair of phono cables along with a set of interconnects, a phono stage and an integrated amp. The one thing that I did, was a quick cable swap test on was the phono input and output and the AS combo was hands the winner. It wasn't even close.


M~

 

Everything is balanced now top to bottom and clear- and I mean crystal - clear. Sibillance is now cleared up. These cables maintain signal purity. You are going to hear the music as it is recorded. Well, at least as it is pressed in the case of vinyl. These cables manage to maintain real signal coherency and you can actually hear it. AT least I can. The Morrow cables operated as tone controls. There were some other things going on too, but I couldn't tell you what about the cable was causing it. All I know is there was a serious change for the better with the Mogami 2497 on my turntable. Similar revelations were experienced with the 2803 cable from my DAC to the Preamp. JT was standing in the room with me. Go to the Mogami site and read about these. I believe the Audience SU-24 uses the 2803 cable underneath all the cable dressing to rave reviews.

 

The Audio Sensibility Impact SE phono cable is an absolute no brainer in the lower price ranges and probably at 3X-4X their cost in this application.

Much better in my system (which is listed) than Mogami 2534 (Jelco), a custom (and much more expensive) cable I had built using Cardas wire, Van den Hul cable which is included with the SME arms and sells for around $350-$400 U.S. etc. etc.

Buy it from Steve and pay the extra $10 or whatever he charges for burn in. It's false economy not to and you're unlikely to hear the cable's full potential for a very long time without it.

No experience with the Morrow admittedly but you will rarely hear anything but serious raves about the Impact SE phono cables from AS.

 

Morrow cables beyond the #1 are quite unsuitable for MM cartridges, and a step-up transformer transforms the way a MC behaves into one more dependent on capacitance for your MM input.

My turntable came with cables. I would suggest composite (RGB) video cables, 2 meters, there are always a pair of the obsolete cables around somewhere, if not in a Goodwill bin. They will provide a standard and expected load, capacitance, high bandwidth and have satisfactory shielding. They even work for digital coax where a lot of audio RCAs fail. Only if those are insufficient would I have a custom RG6 with compression RCA fittings substitute in.

Rub chicken blood on them while you dance in the full moon, a $100 upgrade for the cost of a $5 fryer.

 

Correction, I meant component video cables. Composite is the single yellow video cable (a pair of which also would work fine).

 

I'm using an MC cart and there is no need for any capacitance talk as I do not have a standard phono interface and have my tonearm directly into a SUT. Look up the Bob's Devices Integrated VPI SUT to see what I'm referring to. This is not a traditional setup and the only reason I mentioned a phono cable is due to the fact that aside from phono cables, Morrow's aren't shielded. Regular ICs is all I need to use unless phono cables of whatever brand I opt to try next only uses shielding for the phono ones they offer.