Unplated copper spades/banana

Copper is more conductive than gold.  If you're worried about tarnishing, put a thin layer of silicone grease on the bare copper surface.  But will you hear a difference?  Does it matter that you have a pure copper spade with no plating if the jack is nickel plated?  Let's assume even the jack is bare copper, will it matter while the leads of any resistors or capacitors in the signal path are a tinned metal inferior to bare copper?  Will it matter if you have pure silver speaker wire if the interconnects leading to the inputs of your amp are copper running through plated brass jacks, which are fed by copper traces on a printed circuit board?  Honestly, where do you draw the line if you're going to chase nonsensical things like this?

There are bigger fish to try, such as upgrading to better quality electronic components within your current equipment.

In theory sure bare copper or silver is more conductive than gold plated connectors. In use, there’s no way anybody could hear the difference all else being equal. We’d be talking about a fraction of a decibel that’s just not close to being audible. So it makes sense to use gold over copper to avoid corrosion. 

@megabyte - I agree with your post but would add that in my world bare copper is fine too as long as you clean it occasionally.

@logistics 

There are bigger fish to try, such as upgrading to better quality electronic components within your current equipment.

Absolutely, but if you read these forums, you will find that audiophiles fry very small fish quite frequently.

@tommyu - I have seen that info from Furutech and even though they offer unplated options for AC plugs, and  IEC connectors, it seems their preference is for plating, and they seem to like rhodium over gold for durability reasons.  They indicate that erosion and gold dust build-up occurs over time with gold-plated connectors, which must be rectified by occasionally disconnecting/reconnecting the connections.  Oddly, they don't mention cleaning them.  They do address perceived sonic differences between gold and rhodium.  I have used their gold-plated connectors for years with no issues.

Cardas also appears to prefer a silver/rhodium plating and seems to have stopped making their gold-plated and bare copper GRS U Spades (at least I cannot find them on their website).

@mitch2 

Not sure about the spades.. mostly had Gold or Rhodium over the years but on wall receptacles I use the Furutech Cu, I have 3 Furutech NCF outlets in my power strip and rhodium NCF plugs on 3 of the 4 power cords I have..

But if I run the Furutech NCF at the wall feeding the whole system it's too much of a good thing the tonal balance gets ever so slightly white or grey sounding and not as natural as the copper feeding the whole system.

It's a definite balancing act and every system is different and all the platings have a different flavor. you don't know till you try.

Gold doesn't do anything but slow down corrosion vs. copper, so unless you're putting them outside in the wet Florida air for a few years, there's no point in spending more.