Kimber Kable TAK Ag Tonearm Cable

Kimber TAK Ag — The Silver Tonearm Cable

Kimber Kable's silver-conductor tonearm cable, available in more than one length and terminated with high-quality RCA-type connectors fixed at manufacture. The Ag in the name is the periodic table's symbol for silver, and it is the whole difference from its sibling.

Silver is the most conductive metal there is. Whether that audibly matters on a cable carrying microvolts is a question people have argued about for forty years — what is not arguable is that Kimber builds the two versions identically apart from the conductor.

Design and Materials

The OCQ/2 Braid

Kimber's OCQ/2 braid — Orthogonal GyroQuadratic, two channel — is the company's answer to interference. Braiding the conductors so they cross at right angles means induced noise arrives on both sides of the pair equally and cancels.

That is why Kimber can claim the braid virtually eliminates electromagnetic and radio interference along with crosstalk. A braid does mechanically what a shield does electrically, and it does it along the whole length rather than at the surface.

Shielding Against Hum

Beyond the braid, Kimber uses a proprietary shielding material it says drastically reduces low-frequency hum. On a phono cable that matters more than on any other interconnect: the signal is the smallest in the system and hum is its companion.

Hum is the failure mode that ruins a phono stage rather than merely colouring it. A cable run beside a mains lead in a crowded rack is where it comes from, and low-frequency rejection is what a phono cable is really being bought for.

Choosing Length and Termination

The cable comes in more than one length, terminated with RCA-type connectors fitted at manufacture. Check what your turntable offers at the arm end before ordering, because the connectors are not changed afterward.

Measure the path the cable takes behind the equipment rather than the gap between boxes, and round up if you land between sizes. A phono cable under tension pulls on the turntable continuously, not just when you notice it.

Who Is It Best For?

• You want silver conductors — that is the distinction between this cable and the copper version
• Your rack is electrically busy — the OCQ/2 braid exists for interference, not for tone
• You are chasing hum — Kimber's shielding is aimed specifically at low-frequency noise
• Your turntable presents RCA — this cable is terminated with RCA-type connectors
• You would rather have copper — Kimber builds the same cable as the TAK Cu; both are in tonearm cables

How Does It Connect?

Turn the system off. Connect the arm end, then the phono stage, and then the ground wire to the ground post — do that before you judge anything about noise, since an unconnected ground is the usual reason a new cable seems to hum.

Pairs Well With

What most owners fit alongside a Kimber phono cable.

• Phono cartridges — the source of the signal this cable carries
• Phono preamplifiers — where the cable ends up
• Tonearms — the other end of the connection
• Cartridge alignment tools — worth a check whenever the arm is disturbed

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ag mean?

It is the chemical symbol for silver, and it denotes the conductor material. The Cu version of the same cable uses copper instead.

Which length should I choose?

Measure the route the cable will take behind the rack rather than the direct distance, and round up. A taut phono cable pulls at the turntable.

What is OCQ/2?

Orthogonal GyroQuadratic, two channel — Kimber's braid geometry. Conductors cross at right angles so induced noise arrives equally on both sides of a pair and cancels.

Will it help with hum?

That is what Kimber's proprietary shielding is aimed at. Connect the ground wire to the phono stage first, though — an unconnected ground causes more hum than any cable cures.

Can the connectors be changed?

They are fitted at manufacture. Establish what your turntable presents at the arm end before ordering.

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