Vertere VeRum Solo Tonearm Cable-Tonearm cabling in general

[Ben Glasgow]

Just looking for general tonearm cabling opinion and specific opinion on this cable

Vertere VeRum Solo Tonearm Cable which I've purchased today obviously on a trial period-not cheap obviously but if I see this as the final stage (I'll crack the jokes) to my system.

Keen not to get into general cabling debate but obviously people who have tried more expensive tonearm cables and stuck with cheaper ones I would value that experience and obviously people who've found some fundamentals in experimenting with cables to get the right one.

Cable arrives Saturday so I will update next week once I have given it a run so I can share that experience.
Cheers

 

[Ben Glasgow]

Nobody?
Not even a general in my experience speaker cable or interconnects are more important than tonearm cable?

 

[mtemur]

Power cords are the most important cables in my experience.

As for interconnects — the last one you install often makes the biggest difference, but not because that particular position is more critical. It’s simply because once you replace the last weak link in the chain, you finally hear the full benefits of the other interconnects you’ve already upgraded.

 

[Ben Glasgow]

Power cords are the most important cables in my experience.

As for interconnects — the last one you install often makes the biggest difference, but not because that particular position is more critical. It’s simply because once you replace the last weak link in the chain, you finally hear the full benefits of the other interconnects you’ve already upgraded.

Thanks for the reply.

My system has been stripped back to the basics here's what I need now. Only a vinyl system.

3 power cords.
Speaker cable.
This tone arm cable.

Both the power supply for and my integrated amp-go straight into my wall. That wall socket was changed to a Furutech one-that in my opinion made some positive impact. I invested in an Acrolink power cord (£500) for my amp before I augmented it with the Esoteric power supply.
I stuck with the silver based power cord I had-I thought it sounded marginally better than the Acrolink.

So you then have the dilemma will a more expensive power cord make a difference? I don't know.
I have lower level power cords but the main ones I use were actually made by an ex-work colleague who made them for one of the Glasgow dealer's. He used high quality components but would this match the state of the art high quality ones? I suppose not.

But back to the tonearm cable -this is the single interconnect in my system.

 

[Ben Glasgow]

So I got the cable and installed it today.

I always play some tracks just before changing, just as a memory jog.

My initial finding?
So no major jump up, nothing obviously earth shattering right away.

However in the limited time I had I started to perceive a tightening up of the sound, some more detail especially in quieter bits and arguably a bit more space/air around the vocals. This over about an hour-perception or reality?

I suppose conventional wisdom will state even though this cable is used it needs a few hours to run in, so I'm not going to give daily updates -I'm going to run the cable most of this week then around Thursday-I will swop it back out and put in my old cable.

The obvious dilemma I might have is if the cable is a minor improvement-this cable costs £3.1K new I have this one at £1.7K -could I get a similar improvement at a lower cost-I really did fancy Furutech based on reviews but deals on these are rare and you have the problem of burn in versus return time on a new cable. Sort of swithering whether to pull the trigger so I have two cables to compare.

My current cable cost £120.

Ok anyone wanting to chip in with comments, advice or observations then please do.
If not I will be back later in the week.

To sign off I listen to a wide variety of music but I have changed so much in the last few months I have several reference tracks I refer to.

Artists are Miles Davis, Radiohead, Kraftwerk, Rush, Nick Drake, Keith Jarrett, Boston, Kansas, Van Halen, David Holmes, Pink Floyd, Aphex Twin and quite a few of the recent Atlantic 45's along with the Steely Dan UHQR's....

 

[Ben Glasgow]

Ok so the Vertere cable went in on Saturday. I made sure my system was warmed up and played a selection of the tracks mentioned.

Firstly I should say the cable is really well constructed and the fit into both my amp and the din socket on the turntable arm are noticeably superior to the J7 cable. It's got a confidence about it.

However off the bat I could not really discern any difference. Ok it's an ex-dem cable some would argue it will still take time to settle.
Ok then after a few tracks I thought I started to hear more low level detail and over the next few days I was convinced yes this was an annoying step up on sound that wasn't groundbreaking but was going to be difficult to live without. More clarity, more air around vocals and the aforementioned low level detail. So I just went on listening and enjoying.

Around Tuesday I invited my son-whose hearing is better than mine and is usually a good gauge-he played his favourite Wire tracks from Pink Flag and we listened to the start of DSOM and I said to him don't you notice the low level suff at the start of the track is clearer. He kind of squirmed and went no Dad not really. To be honest I sort of discounted his opinion but knowing I had the escape route of putting the old cable back in.

Today I listened to a lot of music and spent some time for fun just trying different pucks and removing my mat. I consistently repeated (as it's easy with pucks and mats) a couple of minutes of Everything In It's Right Place by Radiohead, Gallows Pole by Zeppelin and Nick Drake's When The Day Is Done.

I thought you know what this is a good time to put the old J7 cable back in. And my son was right-those tracks just sounded the same and certain markers I had identified as not really hearing before were actually there with the old cable. Just switched back to regular listening and yup my system sounds to my ears wonderful with a bog standard tonearm cable in it.

Without telling my Son I said listen to the same tracks as before and he came out with Well I'm starting to think there might be something subtle but I can't define what and it's certainly not big. And then I told him it's the system as before and went I would send that cable back.

I guess 2 things surprise me.

1) Is the inability to determine anything different of note between the cables, I mean zilch.
2) The frightening concept that in terms of retail a cable that costs a wopping £3K is equalled by a cable costing £100 and this is NOT an endorsement for J7.

I've contacted the dealers today for advice on return of the cable.

I don't think I'm done I fancy hearing a Furutech tonearm cable in my system just to eliminate the notion that there could be something better for me.

Any thoughts team? Similar experiences? My system is pretty stripped back there's not a lot happening in it in terms of components maybe that makes my system close to "pure" and maybe I'm there...well we're never there but you know what I mean.

 

[tony22]

@Ben Glasgow , is it a J7 Rewires cable or the ORB J7 cable?

 

[Ben Glasgow]

@Ben Glasgow , is it a J7 Rewires cable or the ORB J7 cable?

J7 Rewires cable