[GregC]

I use Morrow Audio MA5 cables with Eichmann silver bullet plugs.  I have an Origin Live Sovereign table, Origin Live Conqueror arm, Miyajima Labs Shilabe cartridge, and a Modwright SWP 9.0 SE phono stage.  I am very happy with the sound.  Prior to that I used Signal Cable Silver Resolutions with Eichmann silver bullet plugs.

[Sonny]

There isn't any shielding that would be flexable enough, nor thick enough on interconnects to stop 60hz hum.
The shielding is for RFI, or very high frequency EMI. Low frequency EMI can't be shielded, only re-directed (mumetal) or "soaked up" in soft iron.  Anybody own a tonearm where the internal wires are shielded?  Didn't think so.

This is true, I have a friend who even used a metal conduit tube (the flexible kind) to try to reduce the hum, it help in RFI and EMI, but not the "ground", 60hz hum...the strange thing is why would say a monster cable not observe this "ground" hum?  Is it rolling off something?   

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

(1) I'm using my own cables made from RG-6 and gold plated RCA compression fittings.
(2) The cable is foil and braid with a 18awg center, solid conductor. 50pf capacitance for a 1 meter cable (rivals Bluejeans).

Wayner

(1) I'd not use any standard  RG6 types CATV type coaxial cable for audio use. Why? It is the conductor itself which is not pure copper. Standard RG6 type centre conductor is copper coated steel wire which is OK for RF to pass thru due it RF skin effect.

But for audio which the music signals pass thru the entre conductor - No good.
That said, certain Belden coaxial cables get copper conductor which can be considered.

If coaxial cable is chosen straightly for its EMI/RFI shielding effect, there are other better solutions wich takes care of the sound as well. Also coaxial cable shielding is not a cure-all even if it is built PERFECTLY coaxial. The problem is not many commercial standard coaxial cables available in the marketplace are built perfectly coaxial. Only the centre conductor is built perfectly coaxial to its overall shielding can get the 100% theoretical EMI/RFI cancelling effect.

(2) IMO, I worry much much more about the sonic effect the shielding of the cable. My experience tells my picky ears NO, repeat no OVERALL shiedling sounds much better than cables with shileding. Much much less capacitance to start with.

That's why ALL the audio interconnects I DIYed are TWISTED pairs of 4N purity solid silver conductors (AWG#18)  WITHOUT overall shieding - they sound so much better.

c-J

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

Anybody own a tonearm where the internal wires are shielded?  Didn't think so.

Because the signal wires inside a tonearm are TWISTED pairs. One pair for each channel. PROPERLY twisted pair can effectly shield up to 1MHz EMI/RFI.

That's why ALL my inteconnects, including phono interconnects are TWISTED pairs without any shielding. They all sound better than cables with shielding. Sonically, the music sound UNcompressed, more dynamic & more musical thru cables without shielding, IMO.

c-J

[neobop]

Co-ax cable is readily available with a copper center conductor and copper or alum shield, sometimes both with foil over copper. Guitar, instrument, and signal cable is usually stranded 20 to 22ga center conductor. Microphone cable is similar with 2 center conductors, usually twisted. Both of these types are often used as interconnects. "Balanced" single ended interconnects are made by using 2 conductor microphone type cable and using the 2 center conductors for the signal. The shield is usually hooked up to the ground on the source end but not the receiving end. This acts as a drain for noise (?). Many of the popularly priced cables (AR, Monster) are usually made this way. You can buy these types of wire from places like Parts Express. I think Blue Jeans uses similar single conductor wire for interconnects. I don't know if they sell it unterminated.

The appeal of Blue Jeans (LC-1?) is the low capacitance for use with HO carts. 12pF/foot is probably about as low as it gets for high quality wire. For LO carts it doesn't matter much although long runs to phono preamp aren't recommended. That said, I have some unshielded twisted interconnects that sound really good. They tend to sound more open. Like all interconnects, they don't sound better in every application.

[Minn Mark]

Anybody using anti-cables as phono interconnect??

www.anticables.com

Are these equivalent to "unshielded, twisted" interconnects?

Mark

[Sonny]

Anybody using anti-cables as phono interconnect??

www.anticables.com

Are these equivalent to "unshielded, twisted" interconnects?

Mark

Mark, tried it and it hummed like a bird in my system.

[BaMorin]

Hi.Because the signal wires inside a tonearm are TWISTED pairs. One pair for each channel. PROPERLY twisted pair can effectly shield up to 1MHz EMI/RFI.

That's why ALL my inteconnects, including phono interconnects are TWISTED pairs without any shielding. They all sound better than cables with shielding. Sonically, the music sound UNcompressed, more dynamic & more musical thru cables without shielding, IMO.

c-J

well, yes and no.  I have yet to find a factory arm, Linn, AR, any Jelco, Mayware, Sony, Roksan, etc where the pairs are twisted. Although I do counter twist each pair when I rewire a tonearm, and my headshell leads are twisted as well. In normally pivoted arms that twist can't occur where the wires exit the arm tube and into the vertical post, as it creates a tremendous amout of torque at pivot. I agree though that shielded cables sound different. Better or worse is subjective. I prefer unshielded.

[Sonny]

normally, the tonearm ground lug is connected to the tonearm itself...which, for regas, is the shield, per say.
So, if you do a continuity test from the tonearm ground lug and the tonearm, there should be continuity.
T

[Delta Wave]

Assuming your arm and table are wired correctly and properly grounded. Have you checked the main ground for your home? I had to re-terminate mine when I bought my house, it was badly corroded and hit with a mower one too many times giving me some terrible noise in my system.

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

Anybody using anti-cables as phono interconnect??

www.anticables.com

Are these equivalent to "unshielded, twisted" interconnects?Mark

Nope. Per the link you provided, Anti-cables are speaker wires with no shield.
There will surely be hum when used to handle low level signals from TT or preamps.

When I said NO shield means there is phyically no overall covering shielding in form of metal foils/braids over the signal conductors. But in order to achieve the shielding effect for LF inductive noise, like hum & EMI/RFI, the incoming signal conductor & the return signal conductor MUST be properly wisted so that any noise get into the conductors will be cancelled out due to common mode cancellation. The condition is:- the 2 conductors to be twisted together MUST be of same gauge size & of same material.

c-J

[neobop]

If you click on the products tab on the link, you'll see the Anti-interconnects. This looks like a straight run of unshielded cable with one conductor wrapped around like a coiled headphone cord. It doesn't look like it has the right twisting even though the wires might be the same.

[Sonny]

If you click on the products tab on the link, you'll see the Anti-interconnects. This looks like a straight run of unshielded cable with one conductor wrapped around like a coiled headphone cord. It doesn't look like it has the right twisting even though the wires might be the same.

Yep...just a straight run of solid core "magnet" like cable as the center conductor with the same solid core cable as a coil...don't know what that coil does though...but know that it hummed like a bird in my system once.

[catastrofe]

Grover Huffman here. . .just received it today!

[TONEPUB]

Furutech AG-12 on a couple of tables, Furutech Silver on my AVID Acutus Ref SP, AudioQuest LeoPard on another, and am almost done evaluating the new Audience phono cable (with excellent results so far)