Last year I built a pair of RCA interconnects using Mogami 2549 unbalanced microphone cable. The results for less that $20 were better than I expected with a precise, musical clarity and a quiet, open soundstage. Encouraged, I decided to build an ultimate, budget set of interconnects. So I went to the Mogami catalog and found two bulk cables they consider "HIFI interconnects": The 2803 and 2497. Initially I was interested in the 2803 cable but online searches didn't turn up much about it. Mogami states they only make small amounts and pre-terminated sets are said to be special order. In addition, I worried its mystique, reputation, and scarcity made it a prime candidate for counterfeiting. So I gave up on the 2803 and decided to use the easier to find 2497 cable.

Image courtesy of Mogami

EXCERPT FROM THE MOGAMI "TECH" CATALOG:
"The 2803 has been evaluated as the world's highest resolution and rich detailed cable in the world market. Because of pursuit of reducing the effect of the cable to improve resolution to the utmost limit, it may not suit all systems depending on the situation. This cable works well when a vivid original sound image, without any colouration to the signal, is wanted. Since the only degradation of a 2803 cable will be caused by the RCA phono plug used this must be carefully selected. The key point of the plug lies in its size to keep metal parts, other than cable itself, as short and small as possible. 2497 has been available for a long time before 2803 was developed. Its larger cable structure makes it easier to use than 2804 and so is preferred in some applications.

Preassembled cables are also available from us in Japan. In case of 2803, an exclusive moulded RCA plug is used, and in case of 2497, Mogami Part No. 7553 RCA plug is used. Part No. 2803 and 2804 are difficult to manufacture and have a very low yield rate. So we can make relatively small amounts of them."

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THE 2497 PROJECT
Redco in Stratford, CT who I buy my cable from carries the 2497 in bulk. So I walked in and bought 16 feet which Mogami only makes in black (red and blue would be great). I found it flexible and fatter than normal cable at 8mm in diameter, but not too exciting to look at. For the record the 2497 has a capacitance of 67pf/meter at 1khz. DC resistance is 35 mohm per meter on the center conductor and 8 mohm on the outer.

I'm not a fan of large, ultra expensive connectors that are several times the price of the cable. Luckily Mogami states that RCA connectors should be as small and short as possible. They do make the #7553 connector which is is sold online from overseas but the high price put it out of reach for the total of 8 that I would be using.

After some research I decided on the Canare F10 which has a quality gold-plated brass inner shaft and a nickel outer shell. The quality pedigree of Canare makes it a good pairing. The only negative is that there is no black or red marker for the channels.

BELOW: I was pleased the F10 without the strain-relief spring fit the Mogami 2497 cables perfectly. The gold-plated brass insert was high quality too. It soldered easily and the sleeve screwed back on smoothly. NOTE: The 2497 braid is very thick and the white pvc center insulator is a fat 5mm in diameter. This leaves little room inside the RCA sleeve for both. So I clipped about 75% of the braid and twisted/tinned the small remainder before soldering to the tang.

RESULTS
True to Mogami's description the 2497 has a vivid sound quality with no coloration. I found them to have a pure and musical sound, not dry or sterile. The soundstage is inky black and has no hash or grunge as a signal decays. Instead of only accenting the transients they seemed open and correct. No hyperdetail or obscuring sharp edge. The Canare F10s are high quality connectors with accurate machining and a smooth, firm action that grips the component RCA the entire length of the ground sleeve. They are my new favorite connectors.

There are naysayers who maintain that sonic differences between cables don't exist. However, the recording industry has known for decades about the different cable types (litz, high impedance, high/low resistance) and use them to their advantage. My own belief is that using cables as subtle tone controls is contrary to the concept of passing the purest signal between your electronics. Cables should be transparent and musical and not be used to 'brighten up' the sound.

So is the 2497 the best sounding cable to use for interconnects? Considering Mogami's long reputation, large catalog, and research into sound quality my opinion is the 2497 has pretty serious gravitas for a competitor to match. NOTE: Mogami should create a signature color for this cable such as crimson or deep blue, black is boring.

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