gold plated connectors
 

more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

I'd not say the difference would be either measurable or audible. If
an ultra low resistance connector was desirable, you wouldn't use a
phono. ;-)


Good point. Think I'll just go with the 49p plugs I mentioned for now, they
look like they might take the thickish "low loss satelite coax" I just
bought 100m of pretty well.

--
Jim H jh
@333
.org

gold plated connectors
 

In message , Jim H
writes
more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

I'd not say the difference would be either measurable or audible. If
an ultra low resistance connector was desirable, you wouldn't use a
phono. ;-)


Good point. Think I'll just go with the 49p plugs I mentioned for now, they
look like they might take the thickish "low loss satelite coax" I just
bought 100m of pretty well.


Maplin do sell some nice gold-plated phono sockets and plugs with PTFE
insulation. No chance of melting the insulation as you are soldering
the wire. (I've had centre pins move out of line soldering thick co-ax
with low-temperature plastic insulation on the plugs)
--
Chris Morriss

gold plated connectors
 

In message , Jim H
writes
more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

I'd not say the difference would be either measurable or audible. If
an ultra low resistance connector was desirable, you wouldn't use a
phono. ;-)


Good point. Think I'll just go with the 49p plugs I mentioned for now, they
look like they might take the thickish "low loss satelite coax" I just
bought 100m of pretty well.


Maplin do sell some nice gold-plated phono sockets and plugs with PTFE
insulation. No chance of melting the insulation as you are soldering
the wire. (I've had centre pins move out of line soldering thick co-ax
with low-temperature plastic insulation on the plugs)
--
Chris Morriss

gold plated connectors
 

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 13:37:31 +0000 (UTC), Jim H
wrote:

Does it really do anything for the music? I'm about to but a load of phono
connectors from maplin, and HQ58N look pretty good at 49p a go. Does the
plug being shielded/metal/plastic really do anything at all?

If you wanted a quality connector, it wouldn't be a phono.
Rotating plug in socket occasionally will keep the contact clean. If
soldering your own leads, pick a brand you find convenient to work
with.

gold plated connectors
 

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 13:37:31 +0000 (UTC), Jim H
wrote:

Does it really do anything for the music? I'm about to but a load of phono
connectors from maplin, and HQ58N look pretty good at 49p a go. Does the
plug being shielded/metal/plastic really do anything at all?

If you wanted a quality connector, it wouldn't be a phono.
Rotating plug in socket occasionally will keep the contact clean. If
soldering your own leads, pick a brand you find convenient to work
with.

gold plated connectors
 

In article , Jim H
wrote:
more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

I'd not say the difference would be either measurable or audible. If
an ultra low resistance connector was desirable, you wouldn't use a
phono. ;-)


Good point. Think I'll just go with the 49p plugs I mentioned for now,
they look like they might take the thickish "low loss satelite coax" I
just bought 100m of pretty well.

FWIW I have tended to use the slightly more expensive Maplin "High Quality
Gold-Plated Phono Plug" range with some of their low-loss satellite/TV coax
for most of the phono audio cables I have made up in recent years.

The phonos I mean come in a range of sizes for different cable o/d's. E.G.
for 8mm, the JZ13P and JZ14Q.

The gold plating means I can expect them to make reliable contact with gold
plated phono sockets. (Which I also buy from Maplin.) These plugs have a
neat solder bucket for soldering to the central pin. They also have a
collet system for the outer/braid which I find easy to assemble, and
produces a good mechanical grip on the cable.

The HQ58N will work OK, but I find these fiddly to solder, and they don't
seem to me to be as mechanically reliable in the long term as there is no
real strain relief or strength. This may not matter, of course, if the
cable is just fitted once and not moved about. However the thicker
satellite cables can be quite 'stiff' so can exert a lot of force. You may
also have to drill out the hole in the plastic sleeve to fit a large
diameter cable.

Also, the plastic-backed plugs do not totally screen the inner. Again, this
should not matter in most cases, but may sometimes.

My experience is that gold plating isn't essential for good contacts, but
that non-gold does sometime begin to tarnish after a while. When I used
phono plugs/sockets that were not gold plated I used to clean them about
once a year, and this always removed a greyish deposit which was then left
on the cleaning cloth. With gold they are 'fire and forget' in this respect
so I don't have to remember to clean (or replace) them after a few years.

If the 'High Quality' Maplin phonos seem to expensive, then the "Gold
Plated Plug" FK18U and JH94C are also OK. I use these when I have a small
diameter floppy coax to fit as they work better that the "High Quality"
phonos with such cables in my experience. Unlike the HQ58N, they are gold
plated, have a metal outer, and also a supporting spring for the first part
of the cable to prevent excessive bending.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

gold plated connectors
 

In article , Jim H
wrote:
more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

I'd not say the difference would be either measurable or audible. If
an ultra low resistance connector was desirable, you wouldn't use a
phono. ;-)


Good point. Think I'll just go with the 49p plugs I mentioned for now,
they look like they might take the thickish "low loss satelite coax" I
just bought 100m of pretty well.

FWIW I have tended to use the slightly more expensive Maplin "High Quality
Gold-Plated Phono Plug" range with some of their low-loss satellite/TV coax
for most of the phono audio cables I have made up in recent years.

The phonos I mean come in a range of sizes for different cable o/d's. E.G.
for 8mm, the JZ13P and JZ14Q.

The gold plating means I can expect them to make reliable contact with gold
plated phono sockets. (Which I also buy from Maplin.) These plugs have a
neat solder bucket for soldering to the central pin. They also have a
collet system for the outer/braid which I find easy to assemble, and
produces a good mechanical grip on the cable.

The HQ58N will work OK, but I find these fiddly to solder, and they don't
seem to me to be as mechanically reliable in the long term as there is no
real strain relief or strength. This may not matter, of course, if the
cable is just fitted once and not moved about. However the thicker
satellite cables can be quite 'stiff' so can exert a lot of force. You may
also have to drill out the hole in the plastic sleeve to fit a large
diameter cable.

Also, the plastic-backed plugs do not totally screen the inner. Again, this
should not matter in most cases, but may sometimes.

My experience is that gold plating isn't essential for good contacts, but
that non-gold does sometime begin to tarnish after a while. When I used
phono plugs/sockets that were not gold plated I used to clean them about
once a year, and this always removed a greyish deposit which was then left
on the cleaning cloth. With gold they are 'fire and forget' in this respect
so I don't have to remember to clean (or replace) them after a few years.

If the 'High Quality' Maplin phonos seem to expensive, then the "Gold
Plated Plug" FK18U and JH94C are also OK. I use these when I have a small
diameter floppy coax to fit as they work better that the "High Quality"
phonos with such cables in my experience. Unlike the HQ58N, they are gold
plated, have a metal outer, and also a supporting spring for the first part
of the cable to prevent excessive bending.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

gold plated connectors
 

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 09:24:12 +0100
Jim Lesurf wrote:



The gold plating means I can expect them to make reliable contact with
gold plated phono sockets.

Be aware that gold can form insulating compounds when in contact with
other metals (IIRC, tin?)

probably best not to mix types of connector.

--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with
ketchup.

gold plated connectors
 

On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 09:24:12 +0100
Jim Lesurf wrote:



The gold plating means I can expect them to make reliable contact with
gold plated phono sockets.

Be aware that gold can form insulating compounds when in contact with
other metals (IIRC, tin?)

probably best not to mix types of connector.

--
Spyros lair: http://www.mnementh.co.uk/ |||| Maintainer: arm26 linux

Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are tasty and good with
ketchup.

gold plated connectors
 

In article , Ian Molton
wrote:
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 09:24:12 +0100 Jim Lesurf
wrote:



The gold plating means I can expect them to make reliable contact with
gold plated phono sockets.

Be aware that gold can form insulating compounds when in contact with
other metals (IIRC, tin?)

Do you have a reference for that? I've not heard it before, so would be
interested to see the details of what kind of insulating layer it may form
with tin, and why.

I have assumed that gold might form an alloy or similar with most other
metals, but that this would usually still be reasonable ohmic low
resistivity. i.e. not an insulator.

probably best not to mix types of connector.

IIRC other connectors tend to use metals like palladium rather than tin. I
think that palladium also resists tarnish fairly well, and may be better
than gold in terms of resisting abrasion rubbing it off the surface.

My own pref these days tends to be gold on gold which seems reliable, and
does not seem expensive since you can get decent plugs/sockets for less
than a pound a go. Is tin used in applications exposed to the air for
connector surfaces?

I recall an article in one of the hifi mags a few years ago that
deliberately tried to do 'rapid aging' tests to get tarnish. They found
this was harder than they'd assumed - even for non-gold plugs/sockets - and
even when visibly dirty, the results still tended to give a low resistance
link. Must see if I can dig the article out and re-read it sometime...

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html