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?

--
Jim H jh
@333
.org

In article ,
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 the material the plug or socket is made from oxidises in perhaps damp
conditions this may well have an effect on the sound quality. And gold is
one of the least likely materials to oxidise. However, make sure it is
indeed gold plated rather than just 'gold' finish. If Maplin say it's gold
plated you should be ok.

--
*A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.*

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

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

If the material the plug or socket is made from oxidises in perhaps
damp conditions this may well have an effect on the sound quality. And
gold is one of the least likely materials to oxidise. However, make
sure it is indeed gold plated rather than just 'gold' finish. If
Maplin say it's gold plated you should be ok.


Living by the sea (my front door is practically on the beach) cars/bikes
etc do tend to rust more quickly here than elsewhere, so maybe I should go
for gold plated.

Is the only advantage of gold that it oxidises less or does it also help
contact in a new cable like some people claim?

--
Jim H jh
@333
.org

Some of the cheaper gold plated plugs have a thin gold plating that can wear
over time under certain instances i.e. tight sockets. I've never seen this
happen to the Neutrik gold plated XLR plugs/sockets though - maybe they have
thicker gold plate.
Just my 2p's worth.
Mike

"Jim H" wrote in message
...
more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

If the material the plug or socket is made from oxidises in perhaps
damp conditions this may well have an effect on the sound quality. And
gold is one of the least likely materials to oxidise. However, make
sure it is indeed gold plated rather than just 'gold' finish. If
Maplin say it's gold plated you should be ok.


Living by the sea (my front door is practically on the beach) cars/bikes
etc do tend to rust more quickly here than elsewhere, so maybe I should go
for gold plated.

Is the only advantage of gold that it oxidises less or does it also help
contact in a new cable like some people claim?

--
Jim H jh
@333
.org

Some of the cheaper gold plated plugs have a thin gold plating that can wear
over time under certain instances i.e. tight sockets. I've never seen this
happen to the Neutrik gold plated XLR plugs/sockets though - maybe they have
thicker gold plate.
Just my 2p's worth.
Mike

"Jim H" wrote in message
...
more from the 'Dave Plowman school' of uk.rec.audio-ism:

If the material the plug or socket is made from oxidises in perhaps
damp conditions this may well have an effect on the sound quality. And
gold is one of the least likely materials to oxidise. However, make
sure it is indeed gold plated rather than just 'gold' finish. If
Maplin say it's gold plated you should be ok.


Living by the sea (my front door is practically on the beach) cars/bikes
etc do tend to rust more quickly here than elsewhere, so maybe I should go
for gold plated.

Is the only advantage of gold that it oxidises less or does it also help
contact in a new cable like some people claim?

--
Jim H jh
@333
.org

In article ,
Jim H wrote:
Is the only advantage of gold that it oxidises less or does it also help
contact in a new cable like some people claim?

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. ;-)

--
*Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

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

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

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

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

--
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