Signals from MM (Moving Magnet) and – even more so – from MC (Moving Coil) cartridges are highly sensitive to hum, noise and various forms of interferences.
The PhonoLink between the cartridge and preamplifier must ensure that the minute signal of the cartridge is optimally transferred to the preamplifier and at the same time must reject any unwanted signals from entering the signal path. In most cables, even very expensive ones, this is not taken sufficiently into consideration.
After most thorough analysis of these specific requirements we have designed a High End phono cable which meets all the requirements of the best phono cables in the world. The PhonoLink and Interlink use conductors which are made out of 99.999% pure OCC** silver and are cryogenic treated. Maximum shielding will prevent microphonic influence and cross-talk problems. This has resulted in a phono cable which sounds rich and precise with a full bodied midrange. In other words: musical addictive. The new PhonoLink is available as phono cable with 5pin DIN connector or as InterLink with both sides WBT cinch connectors. A balanced XLR version is available as well.
** OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) is the name given to the casting process developed to help defeat annealing issues and virtually eliminate all grain boundaries in copper or silver with a unique patented process. The OCC casting method uses specialized heated moulds in order to draw a single crystal up to 125 meters in length. With only a single crystal in very long lengths, there is an unimpeded free path for the best possible signal transfer. Along with this superior single long crystal structure, OCC provides copper and silver with the least possible oxides and other impurities.
Leonard S. –
Kenneth –
Having been a user of Audience SX phono cable and Ortofon TSW-5000 cable for quite a long time, I found the PhonoLink is a very competitive contender to these two high quality phono cables. I particularly enjoyed the rich tone of the PhonoLink a lot without having to sacrifice resolution or details in the signal. This is where I feel the PhonoLink can really shine.
That being said, I would tend to think the Ortofon TSW-5000 is capable of reproducing a slightly better spatial resolution, resulting in a wider and deeper sound stage. However, when comparing to the PhonoLink, the Ortofon TSW-5000 seems to have somewhat restrictive dynamics, especially in the bass so it is not the cable I like to use when listening to rock music or big symphonies.
When comparing to Audience SX phono cable, I think the SX cable sounds very close to the PhonoLink in many ways; they are equally revealing and able to preserve the slightest details in the signal. They also have similar tonal balance but, in my opinion, the SX phono cable seems to be able to separate different musical instruments better than the PhonoLink. However,, what I like about the PhonoLink most is its very tempting richness in the sound overall, which I don’t think the SX can match!