Audience announced the Au24e Low Z, High Z and MM phono cables, the first high-end phono interconnects that are impedance-matched to optimize the electrical characteristics of the phono cartridge to the cables and to the preamp.
Given the extremely fragile nature of the signals coming from the phono cartridge, it is critical that every effort is made to preserve the integrity of those signals. Cartridge output levels can be quite low, typically in the 3-5 millivolt range and often as low as 100 microvolts. Because of the weakness of the signals, they can suffer significant degradation and loss when passing through a phono cable.
“We have conducted considerable research into the electrical characteristics of phono cables and have concluded that any single cable cannot possibly be optimal for every phono cartridge,” noted John McDonald, president of Audience. “This is why we now offer three different types of Au24e phono cables — to obtain the highest levels of fidelity and musical accuracy from the cartridge/cable/preamp interface in a high-end audio system.”
The available Audience Au24e models include the following:
- Low Z — for moving coil cartridges with internal resistance up to 30 ohms.
- High Z — for moving coil cartridges with internal resistance between 30 and 100 ohms.
- MM — for all cartridges with internal resistance above 100 ohms, which includes high output moving coil cartridges rated at 47k ohms and most moving magnet or moving iron models.
The different internal electrical characteristics of phono cartridges make choosing a cable designed to preserve and enhance those characteristics an all-important consideration. Unless the cable is properly impedance-matched, precious low-level detail information can be lost that is essential to the overall sonic presentation. Each Audience phono cable is designed to optimize the electrical characteristics of the cartridge to the cable and preserve signal flow to the phono stage without detrimental influences.
The performance of the cables is further enhanced by the use of continuous cast high-purity copper and low-loss cable geometry. Conventional copper wire has thousands of crystalline barriers in every meter. In order for the signals from the phono cartridge to pass through these barriers, energy has to be expended — and lost. When dealing with the ultra-low-level signals produced by phono cartridges, these harmful crystal barriers are significant impediments to the transmission of critical musical information and can cause audible signal degradation. For this reason, all Audience Au24e phono cables are constructed using the highest purity oxygen-free continuous cast copper. In addition, all Audience Au24e cables are shielded.
Pricing:
| 1.0 m | 1.25 m | |
| Low Z RCA — RCA: | $1,090 | $1,180 |
| Low Z RCA — DIN: | $1,295 | $1,385 |
| High Z RCA — RCA: | $1,090 | $1,180 |
| High Z RCA — DIN: | $1,295 | $1,385 |
| MM RCA — RCA: | $479 | $505 |
| MM RCA — DIN: | $729 | $755 |
RCA- or DIN- to tinned end cables are also available for users who wish to fabricate their own terminations.
