Another one bites the dust Zxhao Binding Posts state pure copper core but are brass

Gardenstater

These are getting returned to Amazon. Scratched the shite out of a 1979 copper penny and I mean a deep gouge lol. And they look just like Brass.....hmmm.....do they think people are stupid ???



Scratch starts at the B in LIBERTY

audioluvr

Solid copperish.

Gardenstater

"THE CONDUCTOR IS PURE COPPER CORE......" LOL LOL LOL Umm how deep down is this pure copper core? Like they plated copper with brass but when you grind the end with a diamond hone you somehow cannot see the copper core??? And I know it isn't a super thick gold plating because that'd be non cost effective to say the least, and would definitely not scratch a copper penny

afterburnt

What year penny? I use to get a kick out of showing people how the zinc ones turn to ash on the stove as opposed to the real copper ones getting red hot. Anyway when I was looking most stuff was brass core regardless of the advertised "plating".

audioluvr

He had a 79. I think 82 and earlier were the most copper and even them are only 60% as 100% would be too soft.

audioluvr

Don't beat yourself up over this. I personally think the short distances here don't make much audible difference. Now if it was travelling a foot or 10 that would be a different story.

Gardenstater

1959 to 1982 copper pennies are 95% copper and the rest is 5% tin and zinc.

I think I understand how this Chinese company is staying "legal" with the claim of "pure copper core....." I took a **** punch and scratched the deep inside bottom of the area where the wire to the crossover network is supposed to go (the side of the binding post that is inside the cabinet) AND it scratched very easily and damned if it doesn't look a little copperish in there. I'm not sure the photo will show it. Anyway, maybe they do have a small rod of copper inside the brass, which is probably either cast around it, or maybe even more likely the copper rod is a heat shrink fit inside of the brass, which is then CNC machined. So the copper rod represents a core that starts very close to where a ring terminal or spade would be attached or a wire would be mounted prior to **** down the binding post nut (although these attachmnents would be decidedly in contact with brass first) and then the other end of the rod is deep in the hole where theoretically the end of your inside cabinet wiring could touch it or be soldered to it. The most this copper could be is 3/8" long.

Gardenstater

@audioluvr But how would the Ohno Continuous Cast Copper crowd feel about it? They worry about the electrons crossing grains of copper even, so what would be the effect of crossing from brass to copper and back to brass again? I was skeptical at first but as my system gets more refined I realize that I do hear these differences, much to my surprise.

I know that there is the crowd that says it's just a matter of what you can measure......ie. DC loop resistance, inductance, and capacitance. I've come to realize there is much more to it.

VR3

Eti makes a solid copper posts that is gold plated

https://www.hificollective.co.uk/binding-posts/eti-research-bp-20c-binding-post.html

audioluvr

True but look at all the solder that's in your amps/pre/wires/crossovers etc... Someone make it stop!

Gardenstater

Thanks @VR3 that's interesting. That's the Eichmann company that makes the Bullet RCA plugs. Turns out it's made of standard ETP electrolytic tough pitch copper which is what basic electrical wire such as lamp cord is made out of. 3N copper. Still much better than brass lol and is 101% IACS. I figured that a couple pair of those would cost me $92.70 shipped to me, a little more than the Cardas ones.

ETP Copper info:

https://alloys.copper.org/alloy/C11000

audioluvr

Or you could get the silver plated ones for only a couple hundred more.

Gardenstater

Ha! In for a penny in for a pound.

audioluvr

I actually may consider the silver ones when I upgrade the wiring in my speakers. @pitdogg2 linked me with some sweet silver hookup wire!

https://silversonic.com/products/hookup-wire/ofh-14/

F1nut

Shakes head.........

pitdogg2

Tried and proven

http://www.soniccraft.com/product_info.php/cardas-ccgr-binding-post-p-1389

Gardenstater

@pitdogg2 Thanks. Being that it's reduced from $96 for two pair to $72 now, I may just cough it up. That's a decent price and if I were to try to make these on my Taig Micro Lathe from copper it would cost a decent amount for the copper (haven't priced it) and the labor is substantial.

Gardenstater

@audioluvr The 12 gauge Neotech solid OCC wire I got from SonicCraft is like a coat hanger wire LOL. Not that I was expecting anything different. I'm going to use it for the midbass drivers only.


That wire you linked is interesting because it is stranded, however I'm one of those OCD types that is trying to avoid the effect where you supposedly get smearing of details when the electrons jump from one wire to the next so I told myself I'd either use solid core* or Litz. It would be nice and flexible for sure.

* as long as the frequencies being handled by that wire don't exceed the 100% skin depth rating at that gauge.

Gardenstater

@pitdogg2 I ordered the Cardas and am returning the Zxhao failed experiment.

Inspector 24

F1nut wrote: »

Shakes head.........

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