Stanton681EEES said:
Howard the Petras improved the sound that much. How hard was it to change em?
Maybe I will do my SL1800MKII when I have mine apart to paint the plinth.
Thanks.
John, it's worth it. Just some FYI first. I learned this by accident. Petra makes two different cables, audio and video. The audio is the equivalent of Belden 89259 (stranded core, braided shield), and the video is the equivalent of Belden 1694A (solid core, braided + foil shield). Both have low capacitance around 17pF per foot. I have used both and they yield the same degree of improvement. However, 1694A is better shielded and protects better against EMI coming from power cords, etc. The disadvantage is that it's not as flexible as the 89259. I bought the 5-pack thinking they were all the same, but there were two audios and three videos.
After putting the audios on the PL-630, it did hum when the cables were hanging down the back near the power cords and other electronics. When pulled around the front of the table the humming disappeared. Unless you really need the extra flexibility, use the video cables. I used them on the Yamaha, and no hum near power cords. Most prudent approach is to buy the 12 foot set of the three video cables. It will make 3 pairs of ICs when cut in half. I have been making mine 5 feet long.
Starlink, where I bought the first set of Petras is out of business due to the death of the owner. Here's another source. Even if shipping is $10, that comes to $6 per set of ICs. Hard to beat that.
http://www.sjgreatdeals.com/pet10-5012.html
If making cables yourself (using stock cable and attaching your own connectors), the best to use is Belden 1505F. Its double braided shielding is the best protection from EMI according to Blue Jeans Cable, who tested different cables. Plus it has braided core--don't know if that adds flexibility--it might be offset by the double shielding.
For prefab cables, if you don't mind paying more than Petra (but still a bargain when you consider what you're getting), Blue Jeans has developed their own cable that combines all the best qualities, including ultra low capacitance @ 12pF/foot, which naturally makes longer runs possible.
Usually there is a circuit board to which the ICs are connected--I think that's the case with the 1800MK2. It's just a matter of desoldering the old ones and soldering the new ones. Just make sure you know what goes where. You also need to buy some stranded wire for the ground wire. Usually the only problems occur in physically routing the cable out of the table--some modifications may be necessary. Petra is usually much thicker than the OEM cable. Good luck!
