Hand-built in France — usually ships in about 2 weeks.
Richard Cesari, who founded Esprit, thinks of a hi-fi system as a chain, and a phono cable is one of its links. A beautiful source and a fine amplifier can still lose the essential, he says, if the signal is harmed on its way through a phono cable.
The Esprit Celesta Phono Tonearm Cable is a pair of tonearm cables from Esprit's Celesta range. Each Celesta phono cable is made by hand in Confolens, in France's Charente region, in 1.2 and 1.8 m pairs and three connection types.
A step up
Celesta marks a clear step up in the Esprit hierarchy, and the Celesta phono cable is built to make that step. Esprit's goal at this level is a quieter, more stable and more natural transmission, which the Celesta phono cable shares with every Celesta link. Esprit's own description of Celesta speaks of clearer micro-information, and the Celesta phono cable is where many listeners first meet that idea. Richard Cesari has been making cables since 1996, and the Celesta phono cable carries three decades of that work.
Made by hand in Confolens
Esprit's team designs and assembles the Celesta phono cable by hand in its workshop in Confolens, Charente. Richard Cesari insists that assembly counts as much as materials, so each Celesta phono cable is checked at every stage of the work. The first complete check of the Celesta phono cable is made by the person who built it, and nothing moves on until it has been validated.
Listening
Esprit describes Celesta's sound as refined, open and coherent, and it points to clearer micro-information and a more stable stage from the Celesta phono cable.
The Celesta phono cable combines PVC and silicone insulation: Esprit associates the firmer PVC with density and bass weight, and the softer silicone with a more fluid, open midrange and treble. Its connectors are Esprit's own Eh 50 type, built around a copper body with a silver-plated copper center pin (5-micron silver), because Esprit designs a connector on the Celesta phono cable as an extension of the conductor itself. Esprit specifies the shielding of the Celesta phono cable as fully shielded. Each conductor of the Celesta phono cable is made of 40 strands of 40 AWG.
Choosing your phono cable
The Celesta phono cable is level 3 of Esprit's nine, above Beta and below Eterna. The Celesta phono cable is offered RCA to RCA, DIN to RCA or DIN to XLR, in 1.2 and 1.8 m, so check the output of your tonearm and the input of your phono stage. The full Esprit collection shows the Celesta phono cable alongside the rest of the family.
Specifications
| Range |
Celesta, Generation 10 (GenX), level 3 of 9 |
| Type |
Phono Tonearm Cable |
| Sold as |
Pair |
| Lengths |
1.2 m (3.9 ft), 1.8 m (5.9 ft) |
| Connection |
RCA, DIN or XLR |
| Connectors |
Esprit Eh 50 connectors: copper body with a silver-plated copper center pin (5-micron silver) |
| Conductors |
40 strands of 40 AWG |
| Dielectric |
Asymmetrical dielectric |
| Dielectric polarization |
No |
| Insulation |
High-Temperature polyvinyl chloride (PVC) + Silicone |
| Shielding |
Fully shielded |
| Plating |
5 micron copper/silver multilayer plating |
| Made in |
Confolens, France, assembled entirely by hand |
Questions
How does the Celesta phono cable differ from the Beta phono cable?
The Celesta phono cable sits one level above the Beta phono cable. Compared with the Beta phono cable, the Celesta phono cable uses high-temperature PVC plus silicone insulation.
Which connectors does the Celesta phono cable use?
The Celesta phono cable uses Esprit Eh 50 connectors, which have a copper body with a silver-plated copper center pin (5-micron silver). Esprit has developed several connector generations so that each range, the Celesta phono cable included, has an interface matched to it.
Which connection should I order for the Celesta phono cable?
The Celesta phono cable is made RCA to RCA, DIN to RCA, or DIN to XLR. Look at the socket on your tonearm base and the input on your phono stage, or send us both model names and we will confirm the right Celesta phono cable for them.
What does the Celesta phono cable cost?
The Celesta phono cable ranges from $899 to $1,249 per pair, depending on the options you choose. Sales tax is included in the price of the Celesta phono cable, and we deliver it free anywhere in the USA.
Where is the Celesta phono cable made, and when will it ship?
Esprit builds every Celesta phono cable by hand in its workshop in Confolens, France. The Celesta phono cable usually ships in about 2 weeks, with free delivery anywhere in the USA and sales tax included in the price.
From our boutique to your listening room
HiFi Boutique is an authorized Esprit dealer. Delivery is free anywhere in the USA, and sales tax is included in the price. Hand-built in France — usually ships in about 2 weeks.
