Gordon J. Technologies Inc., parent company of Clarus high-fidelity audio cable, power conditioners and digital-to-analog convertors, and its sister company, Tributaries A/V Cables, today announced two new series of high end audiophile turntable cables — Aqua and Crimson — designed to provide a signal path for the output of a moving magnet or moving coil phono cartridge that will reject external noise while maintaining a low noise musical signal with wide dynamic range and full bandwidth capability.
“Due to the low voltage output of phono cartridges, the phono cable is the component most susceptible to audible noise in an audiophile system” says Founder and CEO, Gordon J. Technologies Inc. “The link between a high performance turntable and an external phono stage is often the source of audio problems. This is why it is so important to use a cable engineered to maintain the musical signal’s integrity and prevent external audio interference.”
Clarus Cables’ New Crimson and Aqua Phono Cables
Clarus Aqua and Crimson Phono Cables are a combination of a single-ended pair with a 14AWG silver-plated PCCC Ground Cable. Aqua’s double shielding and Crimson’s triple shielding protects the delicate phono signal. The Ground Cable provides a solid ground connection ensuring the turntable’s mechanical system is at the same grounding potential as the phono stage component thus preventing a dreaded 60Hz hum. Clarus Phono Cables provide a clean, low-noise musical signal.
Clarus Aqua and Crimson phono cables are packaged and sold in pairs, and are custom made to order in Orlando, FL by skilled craftsmen at Gordon J. Gow Technologies headquarters.
Suggested Retail Prices for Clarus Cable’s Crimson and Aqua Phono Cables
- Clarus Crimson Phono Cable 1m: $1,845
- Clarus Crimson Phono Cable 2m: $2,265
- Clarus Aqua Phono Cable 1m: $975
- Clarus Aqua Phono Cable 2m: $1,185
For further information, visit https://www.claruscable.com
The Audiophile History of Clarus Audio
Clarus Audio is a relatively new name in high-end audio, but its roots go deeper than they might appear at first glance. The company was developed by Joe Perfito, the founder of Tributaries Cable—a long-running brand with a strong presence in the home theater and custom installation markets. Tributaries built its reputation on offering well-made, performance-oriented cables for everyday use, particularly in environments where reliability and value mattered.
But as the audiophile market continued to evolve, so did the opportunity to go beyond the mid-tier. Rather than rebranding or repackaging existing designs, Perfito made the decision to start fresh. Clarus Audio was created as a dedicated high-performance line, with its own design philosophy, materials, and target audience. It wasn’t meant for the mass market—it was built for listeners who pay close attention to how their systems sound.
From the beginning, Clarus worked closely with Jay Victor, an experienced engineer known for his detailed approach to cable geometry and electrical design. The goal was to build cables that could pass signal with minimal interference or coloration, using materials like high-purity OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) copper, advanced dielectric insulators, and multi-gauge conductor designs. These weren’t flashy on the surface, but there was clearly thought behind each choice.
When Clarus launched its first line of interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords, the reaction from listeners and reviewers was mostly positive. Users found that the cables delivered clean, consistent results in revealing systems—improvements in noise floor, detail retrieval, and tonal balance were commonly reported. These weren’t dramatic, night-and-day changes, but rather incremental gains in performance that serious listeners tend to appreciate.
One thing Clarus focused on early was build quality. The connectors were solid, the jackets were durable, and the overall presentation gave the impression that these cables were designed to last. In a market where the visual design of a cable can sometimes overshadow performance, Clarus struck a middle ground. The products looked good, but not overdone.
As the brand gained more visibility, it began expanding into more specialized products. That included USB cables for digital playback, balanced XLR interconnects, phono cables for analog systems, and eventually, AC power products. Clarus introduced the Duet and Concerto power conditioners as part of this broader focus on the full signal chain. These weren’t large-scale regenerators or massive isolation transformers—they were compact, passively filtered units designed to clean up line noise and reduce interference between components.
Clarus didn’t try to position itself as a luxury brand or a challenger to the biggest names in ultra-high-end audio. Instead, it focused on consistent design principles and gradual system improvements. The company allowed for modular upgrades—a customer could start with speaker cables and add interconnects or power cords later, all within the same product line and voicing.
Dealers appreciated that Clarus products performed well in demos and didn’t require a lot of explanation. The technical story behind the products made sense, and the pricing, while firmly in the high-end category, wasn’t out of line with what experienced hobbyists were used to spending. More importantly, the products were reliable and didn’t require constant revision or support.
The relationship between Clarus and Tributaries is also worth noting. While the two brands serve different markets, they share infrastructure, leadership, and some aspects of production. Tributaries continues to serve installers and home theater customers, while Clarus focuses purely on the two-channel audiophile market.
Why Upgrade Your Audiophile Cables on Your Turntable
Turntables are finicky machines. That’s part of their charm—and part of the challenge. You’ve got mechanical resonance, electrical noise, grounding issues, and cartridge loading all working together (or against each other) to get that tiny stylus vibration turned into music. So when people ask if upgrading the cables on their turntable setup makes a difference, the short answer is: yes. But it depends on what you’re starting with, and what kind of system you’re feeding it into.
Most turntables, especially entry-level and midrange models, ship with basic interconnects. Sometimes they’re hardwired, sometimes they’re detachable, but either way they’re usually nothing special. These stock cables are designed to get the job done, not to get the best possible sound. They’re built to a price point, and that price point is usually low.
If you’re running a good phono stage, a nice cartridge, and the rest of your system is revealing enough to show you what’s happening upstream, then cable upgrades can absolutely make a noticeable difference. We’re not talking about magic or night-and-day transformations, but more like refinement: lower background noise, better image focus, improved separation between instruments, and a more relaxed, less “etched” presentation overall.
Phono cables are a bit different from standard interconnects. The signal coming from your cartridge—especially with moving coil—is extremely low voltage. That makes it especially vulnerable to interference and signal loss. Shielding, grounding, and capacitance all matter more than usual in this part of the system. A well-made phono cable will control those variables in a way a generic cable can’t.
Then there’s the grounding wire. A lot of hum and noise issues in vinyl rigs come down to grounding. A proper phono cable upgrade often includes a dedicated, better-quality ground connection, which can reduce—or completely eliminate—those low-level hums that always seem to show up when you’re listening at night.
Also worth noting: not every cable works equally well with every cartridge and phono stage. Capacitance, for example, affects the way a moving magnet cartridge behaves, and the wrong cable can shift the tonal balance in a way that doesn’t work for your system. That’s why it’s worth choosing cables designed specifically for turntable use, rather than just grabbing a generic RCA set off the shelf.
If your table uses RCA outputs, switching to a better cable is easy. If it’s hardwired, that’s a trickier conversation, and might involve a tech or a full rewire job—something not everyone’s ready to do. But if you can upgrade, and your system is revealing enough to benefit from it, you’ll likely hear the difference.
At the end of the day, turntables are sensitive instruments. Everything matters—cartridge alignment, tracking force, platter material, even your rack.
