Transparent Audio ULTRA Phono Interconnect (RCA)

The Ultra Phono Interconnect (RCA) is Transparent’s LIFELIKE-tier cable for the tonearm-to-phono-stage signal path — the most demanding link in any vinyl system, since it handles a signal that can start as low as 0.2 mV from a moving-coil cartridge before the phono stage brings it up to line level. Ultra Phono shares the same machined acrylic network module architecture as Ultra RCA, but the Gen 6 network inside is calibrated specifically for the microvolt levels and high gain of the phono chain.

The physical build addresses phono’s specific requirements at the LIFELIKE tier: low-capacitance, low-noise construction with 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 Gen 6 acrylic network module sits atop precision isolation feet with epoxy-resin damping — vibration control that matters more on phono than on line-level cables, since the cartridge itself is a mechanical transducer picking up any vibration in the signal path.

Ultra Phono is designed for vinyl systems that have moved into the resolving analog front-end tier — a Clearaudio Innovation or Da Vinci V2, running into a high-quality phono stage 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 is available for tonearms that require it (Linn LP12, some Rega, etc.) — specify tonearm make and model when ordering. Level-matched LIFELIKE companions include Ultra RCA, Ultra Balanced, and Ultra Speaker Cable. Fully upgradeable through Transparent’s Upgrade Program to Reference, XL, Opus, or Magnum Opus Phono.

The Ultra tier is where Transparent’s cable engineering starts to make audible differences in what a resolving phono stage puts through to the rest of the system — and where head-to-head against Super Phono makes the tier decision honest. We keep Ultra Phono on hand in both Scottsdale and Tempe. Walk in during business hours, or book ahead if the audition involves specific tonearm and cartridge combinations we should have set up.