A question of metal type; the value of matching RCA phono plugs to sockets ?


A question of metal type; the value of matching RCA phono plugs to sockets ?  If voided warranty, accessibility, time and cost poses little or no issue, does anyone on the forum find musical value in replacing some or all of the gold plated RCA sockets usually supplied with equipment for alternatives? With use of silver IC’s and, for example, either ETI Kryo or KLEI Absolute Harmony silver (plated) RCA plug terminations, it seems obvious to consider whether replacing standard gold sockets for these manufacturer's silver makes a difference worth the effort for a quiet high resolving system (vinyl records, TVC, SET & horns) ? Before I set out testing, I'd be grateful to read observations from golden (or silver) eared metallurgists or others on the forum with time to entertain what is at issue. All good wishes for the season. 
 

psf4972

I use some silver coated banana plugs for their conductivity.  I have not done any A/B tests and nor is there any warranty etc issues.

Knowing full well that they will oxidize, its no issue replacing them (easy) way down the track or perhaps a quick polish from time to time which is prudent for connections anyway of whatever metal.

Same if pure copper.

Incidentally, rhodium is a relatively poor conductor.  Worse than gold (from memory).  I don't know why rhodium is sometimes promoted, its certainly not because its cheap.

Best estimate, five years, maybe ten, of messing around trying things to fully comprehend the full breadth and magnitude of just how irrelevant this is. Knew a guy once put 30 years into it, still never caught on. In spite of this, I try to keep it positive.

There are few terminal ends that the wire pocket has a thick enough clad to withstand a cold weld. But with a one size fits all mentality of assemblers or want-to-be cable builders it's no wonder most folks don't understand WHY most of the terminal ends sound the same.

As soon as you solder it you've removed any reason to use anything BUT what the solder is comprised of. You have to mechanically join two pieces and the solder has to secure it, NOT JOIN IT. It's a different type of solder connection. It's like skip soldering every 4" on a 12" run, all the rest of the cable is mechanically joined but not insulated with solder one surface to the other. Technique is VERY important.

The quality of the terminal end, and the quality control of certain terminal ends YOU, not ME have to pay attention to. You cannot trust someone else's BS. I've tested a few different RCA and speaker ICs. FEW have passed muster through the years.

Personally I like pure red copper or pure silver. BOTH are expensive but not when you figure you don't need that many pieces in an entire system. They have a 100 year life, pretty easy. You clean and oil just like ANY unfinished metal. I use contact enhancer when I assemble cables. Cold weld, compression dimple or screws (there is a trick with screws too).

Have fun and pick your gear and add YOUR terminals. THEN enjoy the magic of really good terminal ends and QUIT selling your STUFF, pretty simple..

Two shops full of experiments.. We won't talk about the basement. IT'S a different kind of experiment.:-)

Regards Franken-oldhvymec..

 

Regards

I’ll just add this about Vintage RCA Jacks material, corrosion, size:

My old McIntosh mx110z, and other older receivers ... the rca jacks age and corrode, they were not gold plated. you can clean them but they corrode again. You get balance issues, can be random.

Audio Classics overhauled my mx110z, they replaced all the rca in/out with new jack panels, gold plated. Oh Happy Day.

Also, the McIntosh jacks were slightly undersized diameter, replacements nice and tight.

I changed my cables to Locking RCA connectors, to avoid inadvertently disrupting a connection somewhere while moving something else.