Transparent Audio PLUS Phono Interconnect (RCA)

Plus Phono Interconnect (RCA) is Transparent’s entry-tier cable engineered specifically for the tonearm-to-phono-stage signal path — arguably the most demanding link in any system, since a moving-coil cartridge’s output can be as low as 0.2 mV before the phono stage brings it up to line level. Plus Phono lives in Transparent’s AUTHENTIC collection, one step above the entry-tier MusicLink Phono, and applies the same length-calibrated Network Technology that defines the Plus range to a cable dedicated to that microvolt signal path.

The physical build addresses phono’s specific requirements: a low-capacitance, low-noise construction with heavy, precision-wound OFHC stranded copper, terminated in gold-plated RCA plugs with a separate ground wire and mini-spade termination for the phono stage’s grounding post. The built-in network — matched to the specific cable length — filters RF and reduces resonance in the microvolt-signal chain, which materially lowers the residual noise floor a good phono stage will show through to the speakers.

Plus Phono is designed for vinyl-based systems where the analog front-end has moved past entry-level cartridges and phono stages — a Clearaudio Concept MC or similar, running into a phono preamp that resolves what it hears. Available in standard RCA-to-RCA termination with the ground wire pre-fitted; a straight or 90-degree DIN termination option is available for tonearms that require it (Linn, some Rega, etc.) — specify tonearm make and model when ordering. Fully upgradeable through Transparent’s Upgrade Program to Super, Ultra, Reference, XL, Opus, or Magnum Opus Phono.

We keep Plus Phono on hand in both Scottsdale and Tempe — hearing it in an actual analog signal chain, against the tier immediately above or below, is what tells you whether the cable is a match for the cartridge and phono stage the system is running. Walk in during business hours, or book ahead if the audition involves specific tonearm and cartridge combinations we should have set up.