More comparisons
I mentioned that the Reference Phono cable bears resemblance to the Black Pearl MkII and now it’s time to put that to the test by interchanging them between phono stage and preamp. And indeed, they have a similar character but the Black Pearl is even richer and smoother and also fuller-sounding. But although the Black Pearl is strictly speaking positioned higher up in the Vermouth hierarchy, in this context, it tilts the balance too much toward the smooth side. Of course, using a cable with thick conductors for a delicate phono cartridge signal is not ideal and this seems to manifest itself in a slightly over-polite sound that can do with a little bit more grip and expression. And this is precisely what the Reference Phono cable addresses.
If tonal fullness and overall richness are paramount, then there’s no beating the Black Pearl for general purposes and even phono cable use. But as seems evident, there is a good reason for the existence of a separate category for phono cables.
Listening – Thorens turntable
The Thorens TD1601 turntable in the other setup has its arm cable connected internally to a set of cinch connectors located on its rear panel. For this turntable, I’ll need the Vermouth Cinch-Cinch cables.
In this setup, due to the relatively recent arrival of the TD1601, I do not yet have a default cable. The Thorens (with the AT150mlx cartridge) has a very different sound than the Origin Live turntable, leaner, brighter, less full-blooded and earthy, but very expressive and coherent and lively. With the wrong cable, that can result in a sound that can be a little too bright and too forward.
Prior to this review, I had already established that while the AudioQuest Water works very well with the Ayon CD-10 II CD player in this setup, it makes the Thorens sound too dry and matter of fact. So, in this setup as well, it is the perfect time for a new cable experiment.
With the Vermouth Reference phono cable in place between the Thorens and the SW1X phono stage, the sound is much more balanced right away. As in the main system, the cable makes for a tonally full and just slightly smooth sound but without sounding too rounded. In fact, the bass slam and overall dynamics are excellent and there is a great sense of PRaT that consistently makes my head bob and my foot tap. Even if I know from the main system that a higher resolution is possible, the detail retrieval seems to be very good and I really don’t feel like there is anything amiss.
Swapping the Vermouth for the Origin Live Silver Hybrid confirms just as in the other setup that a higher degree of resolution and transparency is indeed possible. But, and here it is a very large but, these gains in purity come along with a tonality that now sounds noticeably tilted toward the treble. It’s very open and airy but rather slender and comparatively undernourished in the bass. The Vermouth cable, in contrast, sounds significantly more visceral and solid even if it is also rounder and sweeter.
The beauty of the Vermouth cable is that it does not encourage the listener to search for technical imperfections. Its satisfyingly full and well-balanced sound makes that (if you’re not an eternal tinkerer, as I am) it can be a fit and forget solution.
Conclusion
As with all cables, the ideal match for any system is dictated by system synergy and depending on your belief system, personal taste also comes into play. But in my experiments with two different turntables in two different systems, it is interesting to note how easily the Vermouth Reference phono cable fits in. It may not be the ultimate cable in all audiophile facets but it gets so much right, especially in the aspects that matter most for musical enjoyment, and at such a reasonable price, that I can only recommend it wholeheartedly. In fact, I have ordered two of them. One for each of my two analog setups.
External Links
Manufacturer: Vermouth Audio
