"Pooh Bear" wrote in message
...

Use a better connector than 3.5mm.

There are basic limitations with the 3.5mm connector - not least those of
contact area and contact pressure which is probably where all the noise
issues
come from.
Nickel is actually quite a good connector material ( I doubt you're
actually
looking at tin - that's normally reserved for permanent
interconnections ).
Replacing it with gold doesn't address the basic problems of the
connector.

The quantity manufacturers get gold plated stuff to look good mainly. It
costs
little in practice. A connector specialist once referred to the process as
'waving the connector around in some gold fumes for a second or two' -
lol.
Do you *have* to use 3.5mm ?
Graham

Thanks for the info. 3.5mm is what is on the input of my MiniDisc recorder.
My comparisons are based on what my ears tell me. If I extend the
microphone cable using stereo leads with gold plated jacks (as supplied by
Sony on their Fontopia & W.ear phones, there is minimal noise when the
connection is made, and rotating the plug is a "quiet" operation. Not so
with the tin or nickel plated varieties which seem to tarnish quite rapidly,
and produce quite noticeable noise until rotating plug in socket has scraped
it clean again.
As stated in my original post, I'm aware of XLR connectors etc. but am
trying to keep size down in this instance.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

Malcolm Stewart wrote:

Thanks for the info. 3.5mm is what is on the input of my MiniDisc recorder.
My comparisons are based on what my ears tell me. If I extend the
microphone cable using stereo leads with gold plated jacks (as supplied by
Sony on their Fontopia & W.ear phones, there is minimal noise when the
connection is made, and rotating the plug is a "quiet" operation. Not so
with the tin or nickel plated varieties which seem to tarnish quite rapidly,
and produce quite noticeable noise until rotating plug in socket has scraped
it clean again.
As stated in my original post, I'm aware of XLR connectors etc. but am
trying to keep size down in this instance.

I sympathise.

I have a mini-disc recorder too and you're stuck with the connectors.

You specifically want to *extend* the connection ?

Since you're stuck with the 3.5mm jack on the recorder - but you have sourced a
lead that makes good low-noise contact - why not replace the mic connection on
the end of the extension lead with something still small but higher quality ?

Switchcraft make a kind of 'mini XLR' if that's of interest. No rotating parts
to be noisy.

http://www.switchcraft.com/products/connectors-23.html

I've sourced these in the UK before and they are in another league of
reliability.

Canford audio have them - but they aren't cheap ( ~ £5 ea )

http://www.canford.co.uk : search for 'tini-qg'


Graham

"Pooh Bear" wrote in message
...
Switchcraft make a kind of 'mini XLR' if that's of interest. No rotating
parts
to be noisy.
http://www.switchcraft.com/products/connectors-23.html
I've sourced these in the UK before and they are in another league of
reliability.
Canford audio have them - but they aren't cheap ( ~ £5 ea )
http://www.canford.co.uk : search for 'tini-qg'
Graham

Many thanks for that pointer - they're new on me.
Certainly looks as though they're worth getting. Added both URLs to my
bookmarks...

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

Pooh Bear wrote:


Switchcraft make a kind of 'mini XLR' if that's of interest. No rotating parts
to be noisy.

http://www.switchcraft.com/products/connectors-23.html

I've sourced these in the UK before and they are in another league of
reliability.

Canford audio have them - but they aren't cheap ( ~ £5 ea )

http://www.canford.co.uk : search for 'tini-qg'

Graham

The small Lemo connectors are also very nice - they're often used on
radio mic belt packs and I'd guess that Canford would also sell them.
Studiospares are another good source of connectors and are sometimes
cheaper than Canford.

Cheers.

James.

In article ,
James Perrett wrote:
The small Lemo connectors are also very nice - they're often used on
radio mic belt packs and I'd guess that Canford would also sell them.

You seen the price? ;-)

--
*When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.