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Phonograph Cables
We offer stereo phonograph cables which are suitable for either of two styles of interconnection: first, cables which terminate in a five-pin DIN connection of the type typically seen on turntables, and second, conventional RCA cables with an added ground wire for turntables where the outputs are presented as RCA jacks.
Phono DIN cables (and ground wires):
The most common phono DIN type connection need is for a cable running from the DIN out to two RCA connectors to go to a conventional unbalanced amp or preamp input. For this, we recommend our MSA-1 miniature stereo audio cable, with an added ground wire running to a No. 6 fork terminal. For the less usual situation where you're running out of a turntable DIN into XLR inputs, our recommendation is Canare MS203-2BS, a two-pair cable with shielding both on the two pairs and on the whole bundle; we telescope the overall shield, tying it only to the DIN end, and ground the pair shields to the same pin at the DIN end as well as to pin 1 of the XLR output. You shouldn't ordinarily need an additional grounding wire with this configuration, so we've left it off. Both in MSA-1 and in the Canare cable, we've avoided mixed shield materials (e.g. copper braid over aluminum foil) because triboelectric noise can be meaningful when your signal levels are, as in a phonograph output, absurdly tiny!
Alternative connectors:
While the great majority of turntables use a small DIN-type connector, with the male on the turntable and the female on the cable, there are a handful which either have the female on the turntable and need a male connector on the cable, or which use a larger style of DIN. Our conventional phono DIN connector is shown at the left, and the larger style, which we have seen only on Bang & Olufsen turntables, is shown on the right. If you're in doubt as to which you need, note the small locator notch at the bottom of the large DIN -- if your connector doesn't have a corresponding nub, it's almost certainly the standard phono DIN.
If you have one of these unconventional setups, needing either a male connector or the larger DIN, we don't offer these in the ordering tables below, but give us a shout and we'll quote it for you. We normally have these connectors in stock and can substitute them, but there will normally be an upcharge due to higher connector expense.
RCA-to-RCA Phonograph interconnects
If, rather than connecting to the phonograph DIN, you're simply running cables from a pair of RCA jacks on the turntable to a pair of RCAs on your amp or preamp, things are a bit simpler. Our regular LC-1 Analog audio cable is ideal for this sort of application, with its highly effective double-braid shielding and low capacitance; the only trick is that you'll want a ground wire as well. We can put the two cables of the pair, along with a ground wire with No. 6 terminals, in an overall techflex sleeve to keep them all together in a neat bundle; this combination is available below.
Special cases and unusual applications:
If you have some sort of connection need that doesn't fall into these categories, drop us a note. We assemble all of the cables described on this page in our shop in Seattle, so we have very little difficulty making changes or special assemblies as the need arises. Let us know what you need, and we'll see if we can help.
US Assembly, unconditional return policy:
These cables are all assembled here in our own shop in Seattle, and are individually tested before they go out the door. We think you'll be impressed with their performance; but we also offer a simple and easy return policy. If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, just return the cables, undamaged, within 30 days and we'll refund your purchase price in full.
To Order:
Enter the length and any options you need in the appropriate form below, hit "calculate," and the price will appear at right.
