AudioQuest Golden Gate Tonearm Cable - Straight Din -1.5 Meter

AudioQuest Golden Gate Tonearm Cable Ships With a Ground Wire Included

A tonearm cable carries the phono signal from a turntable to a phono preamplifier, one of the most noise-sensitive links in the whole vinyl chain, since the signal here is far weaker than a line-level source. A premium cable differs from the plain lead a turntable ships with in conductor quality and shielding.

AudioQuest's Golden Gate tonearm cable connects a turntable's straight DIN (JIS) tonearm output to a phono stage's RCA inputs, built around Solid Perfect-Surface Copper conductors with a ground wire included in the box.

Solid Perfect-Surface Copper Conductors

AudioQuest says solid conductors prevent strand interaction, a major source of dynamic distortion, and that Perfect-Surface Copper minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries. All internal conductors are direction-controlled to reduce RF noise.

Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation

AudioQuest's Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation shields noise effectively, the company says, absorbing and reflecting most RFI before it reaches the cable's ground layer. Foamed-Polyethylene insulation's high air content minimizes energy absorption for a clearer sound.

The Connectors, Explained

Golden Gate terminates in a straight DIN (JIS) plug on the turntable end and a pair of cold-welded, gold-plated RCA plugs on the phono-stage end, AudioQuest's solder-free, high-pressure termination method, with a separate ground wire included.

Who Is This Cable Best For?

• Your turntable has a straight JIS-style DIN tonearm output — Golden Gate's DIN plug connects that output directly to your phono stage
• You want a genuine ground wire included rather than sourced separately — Golden Gate ships with one in the box
• You want AudioQuest's direction-controlled, gold-plated construction on a tonearm cable — that same approach used across AudioQuest's line applies here
• You are feeding a phono stage with real resolution to protect over a short run — Golden Gate's Metal-Layer shielding is built specifically for this sensitive connection
• Your turntable's tonearm output is RCA rather than DIN — check your turntable's actual tonearm output before ordering; this cable only fits a straight JIS DIN tonearm socket

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Connect the DIN plug to your turntable's tonearm output and the RCA plugs to your phono preamplifier's phono input, then connect the included ground wire between your turntable's chassis ground post and your phono stage's ground terminal.

Then power up the system as usual. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

A tonearm cable is one link in the vinyl playback chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Turntables — the source of the signal or ground point this cable connects to
• Phono Preamplifiers — the usual destination at the other end of this cable
• Phono Cartridges — the cartridge is what actually generates the signal this cable carries
• Stereo Amplifiers — many integrated amps include a built-in phono stage of their own

Frequently Asked Questions

Does direction matter when I connect this cable?

Where a maker marks a direction on a tonearm cable's conductors, connect it running from the turntable end toward the phono stage as marked, so induced noise drains away from the circuits it would otherwise disturb.

Is this cable balanced or unbalanced?

Unbalanced. Standard RCA and single-ended DIN connections are unbalanced; this cable is not a balanced connection unless its listing says otherwise.

What does Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation do?

AudioQuest says it shields noise effectively, absorbing and reflecting most RFI before it reaches the cable's ground layer.

Does a ground wire come with this cable?

Yes. AudioQuest's own product name for this cable includes the ground wire, and it ships in the box alongside the signal cable.

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