Aro cable as interconnect?

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Although I don't have an Aro (yet) I was wondering if the arm cable would make the basis of a decent interconnect (assuming that I could find a length to make into an interconnect).

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Aro is the best sounding interconnect I have heard at any price, and I have compared it to many, many cables, some costing as much as 400 quid. Its availability seems limited to the better dealers, and many are reluctant to recommend it either due to ignorance, or possibly lack of the profit in selling a dearer (and inferior) cable.

Aro is incredibly cheap, it costs around 5-7 pounds a mono metre unterminated. It is easy to strip, solder and terminate. Bargain.

Tony.

John

PS. Any other recommendations for a fast, detailed interconnect (available in 1.5m lengths)?

if you're considering ARO as between phono stage and pre, you may find additional benefits in changing terminations to BNC; certainly worth considering, at least. ARO goes into BNC's like a dream.

HTH

Rico - musichead

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Will one of you please, please name the dealer who sells this off the reel as all of my own ringing around has proved fruitless.

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I bought mine from Studio 99 in London, though it looks like they have unfortunately gone out of business. The dealers most likely to stock it are the larger ones who handle vinyl replay, I would try Grahams or Audio Counsel.

Tony.

PS Can anyone from Naim suggest which dealers have been supplied with this product?

Grahams are likely to try and flog you Linn Analogue, which is not nearly as good as ARO. Accept no substitutes!

ARO is suitable as general interconnect, DIN-DIN excepted. You can terminate it easily with BNC's and a little patience, Phono's generally go on well; 4-into one DIN for (say) a tapedeck lead can try one's patience a little, but can be done.

If Audio Counsel don't stock ARO yet, I'm sure they'll be spotting a market opportunity right... - about... - now.

Rico - musichead

Six years ago, I heard a CDi, 72/HiCap/140 into ES14's in the 'concert room' at S99 and it was amazing, the room and sound was fabulous - I was hooked. In March of this year Jawed and I went for a NBL dem at S99 (I hadn't been there in the intervening period) and we were truly shocked. The SBL's were visibly badly set up, all the electronics were stacked upon each other and they had changed the layout of the room so it sounded appaling.

There used to be a South African guy called Dave Davies and he was really excellent, but I gather that he had left to pursue other interests.

Dev

Unfortunately, the ARO cable is too thick to effectively fit (without forcing or severe microphonic effects) two runs into the back of the DIN sleeve, even with heatshrink in place of its outer insulation (a la Chord construction). It uses a thicker dielectric between the braided shield and the center strands than grey four-core or Chord's twin-conductor Cobra 2 wire, both of which "work" in this manner.

In other words: ARO wire is not a viable proposition as a stereo run with a DIN, but might be fine for RCA or BNC single-conductor runs (its intended application).

Dave Dever, NANA

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Oddly enough, someone inquired about a bespoke RCA-to-DIN cable this morning, so I attempted to make one, as a time-study...believe me, you'd hate to build this yourself, as it took me over 45 minutes (and I build cables everyday).

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You ever worked with Kimber or Deltec - it takes way longer than that just to strip the damn stuff!

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Unfortunately, the ARO cable is too thick to effectively fit (without forcing or severe microphonic effects) two runs into the back of the DIN sleeve, even with heatshrink in place of its outer insulation (a la Chord construction).

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I stripped the Aro back a couple of inches, applied heat shrink on both individual runs, then used a wider gauge of heatshrink over both runs to act as a bit of strain relief. This is unfortunately a little too thick for the original rubber strain relief of the DIN plug, and requires it to be ditched. This seems par for the course with most decent cables - I have also had to do this with my TV, and when connecting 1/4" jack kit such as keyboards, mixers etc to the hi-fi.

Microphonics or no microphonics (I have heard no evidence of any), it still kills any other cable I have tried, and that list is unfortunately nearly endless...

Did you listen to the Aro after you had made it? After a little burn in it is stunning.

Tony.

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You ever worked with Kimber or Deltec - it takes way longer than that just to strip the damn stuff!

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And sounds as lousy too...

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This is unfortunately a little too thick for the original rubber strain relief of the DIN plug, and requires it to be ditched. This seems par for the course with most decent cables - I have also had to do this with my TV, and when connecting 1/4" jack kit such as keyboards, mixers etc to the hi-fi.

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The Nordost cables ditch the rubber boot as well (though they don't actually have to), but the metal DIN housing is still a restriction...

For what it's worth, I've stumbled upon the accidental coincidence that all of my non-hifi equipment (synthesizers / samplers / computer hardware) have 1/4" tip-ring-sleeve stereo outs, therefore a common ground and thus requiring only a single run of multi-conductor wire into a single DIN...

Dave Dever, NANA

Once wired I've fitted adhesive-lined heatshrink over the back half of the DIN connector body and the cable, in order to provide strain relief.

This could be a good technique for the ARO cable?

Andy.

(*) Valuable Music Listening Time!

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com