RCA Connectors

Early B.

What's the deal with RCA connectors in terms of SQ? Is silver plated better than gold plated? Do locking connectors make a sonic difference? Do Eichmann bullet plugs actually "sound" better? Is there an advantage to 99.9% copper plugs?

Has anyone switched connectors on the same wire and noticed an audible difference?

I'm not looking for speculation here, but actual experience or links to unbiased articles that speak to this issue.

Thanks.

reeltrouble1

I suppose bare wire is the best connection, seems to me that as long as the connection is clean and a good snug fit thats about it. I changed from bare wire to banana's to spade on some 14 ga MC once and did not notice any real differences.

The gold will not oxidize like copper but I never have mine hooked so long this would be a problem, I do clean my connections yearly or so. I remember BJC only gold plates the inside of the plug since this is where contact is made. Of course I think the gold color looks really nice.

I am using a combination of connectors in my rigs, for me the connector does not have as near as high a priority as the speakers and gear.

RT1

PolkThug

You trying to start trouble?

There are no measureable differences between interconnects:
http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27287&highlight=interconnects+difference







Other threads:

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27555&highlight=choose+looks+difference

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27655&highlight=interconnects+difference

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27544&highlight=interconnects+difference

ND13

A nice quality IC will do just fine. You can get a quality IC for $30-$120 depending on the length. There's no need to spend multi hundreds or thousands on IC's, unless of course you just won the lotto and $$$ is no problem. Sure there's a difference between Wal Mart specials and Audioquest,Kimber,Carol, etc.., but those can still be had affordably. No need for hand assembled, $20,000 IC's. You can get nice quality IC's for well under $100. Just my opinion, I'm positive there are plenty that will disagree.

Early B.

PT and ND --

Let me clarify. I'm referring to the RCA connectors, not interconnects. My question has nothing to do with the wire itself.

Hope this helps.

ND13

Originally posted by Early B.
PT and ND --

Let me clarify. I'm referring to the RCA connectors, not interconnects. My question has nothing to do with the wire itself.

Hope this helps.

OOps, my bad.

Of course there's a difference in the connectors themselves, but there again. no need to go nuts.

jmierzur

Do some searching on AudioAsylum under the 'Cables' and 'Tweaks/DIY' asylums. Happy hunting.

DarqueKnight

Originally posted by Early B.
Has anyone switched connectors on the same wire and noticed an audible difference?

I have experimented with RCA connectors, speaker cable connectors, and speaker binding posts made of pure copper, gold plated brass, rhodium plated copper, gold plated copper, etc.

I have never been able to hear either a difference or an improvement when switching to a different type of connector on an interconnect, speaker cable, or speaker. Of course, there are those who claim they can hear an audible improvement. I suspect that most of them hearing an improvement are selling connectors or using equipment with ultra resolution capability.

I once rewired a couple of my pairs of speakers with heavier guage wire and heard no difference or improvement.

I do recommend high quality connectors for the more secure physical connection they provide. Assuming the connector material has good electrical conductivity, the distance the signal has to travel through the connector is so short that it makes minimal, if any, audible difference.

PolkThug

Originally posted by Early B.
PT and ND --

Let me clarify. I'm referring to the RCA connectors, not interconnects. My question has nothing to do with the wire itself.

Hope this helps.

There is no measureable sonic difference between a locking and non-locking connector.

ND13

Originally posted by DarqueKnight
I have experimented with RCA connectors, speaker cable connectors, and speaker binding posts made of pure copper, gold plated brass, rhodium plated copper, gold plated copper, etc.

I have never been able to hear either a difference or an improvement when switching to a different type of connector on an interconnect, speaker cable, or speaker. Of course, there are those who claim they can hear an audible improvement. I suspect that most of them hearing an improvement are selling connectors or using equipment with ultra resolution capability.

I once rewired a couple of my pairs of speakers with heavier guage wire and heard no difference or improvement.

I do recommend high quality connectors for the more secure physical connection they provide. Assuming the connector material has good electrical conductivity, the distance the signal has to travel through the connector is so short that it makes minimal, if any, audible difference.

I always wondered, if wires were such an important issue, why speaker makers use such crappy wire inside the cabinets. Since you have rewired some and found no noticeable difference, then my personal opinions have been verified.

DarqueKnight

Prior to doing my first speaker modification, I consulted with a Polk engineer and was told that replacing the wire inside the speaker would be a waste of time and money because the distance the signal has to travel inside the speaker is so short that higher quality wire would provide no sonic improvement. Of course, I went ahead and did it anyway (twice) and the Polk engineer was proved right in both cases.

Other than the short distances inside the speaker, it also has to do with the fact that connections inside a speaker are circuit level connections whereas interconnects and speaker cables are component level connections where impedance matching between components and conductor capacitance and resistance have a greater affect on signal transmission.

I compare it to running in mildly uncomfortable shoes. If you are just running across a small room, your trip is over before your feet have a chance to notice much discomfort. However, running a few miles in the same shoes would not be advisable.

ND13

Yeah, I had figured in the distances and drew the same results in my head. I would have thought from a build quality view, they might have used a little larger gauge, if only to impress people like us that would actually dare to take apart their multi- thousand dollar speakers. I have never opened up a set of $15-25k speakers, but would have to assume that they use basically the same stuff???

DarqueKnight

I visited Dunlavy Audio Labs' factory four years ago. While they were in business, they made floor-standing speakers that ranged in price from $2500 to $35,000. The drivers, crossover components, and internal wiring were of high quality, but nothing exotic. They were all off-the-shelf components. The internal wiring was high purity oxygen-free copper coated in PVC, but was not heavy guage wire.

John Dunlavy said that greatest costs of his speakers was in cabinet materials and construction, research and development costs, and the higer business overhead costs associated with low volume manufacturing.

The attached pic is from an old DAL brochure showing the crossovers from a pair of SC-V speakers ($15,000/pair).

ND13

Originally posted by DarqueKnight
I visited Dunlavy Audio Labs' factory four years ago. While they were in business, they made floor-standing speakers that ranged in price from $2500 to $35,000. The drivers, crossover components, and internal wiring were of high quality, but nothing exotic. They were all off-the-shelf components. The internal wiring was high purity oxygen-free copper coated in PVC, but was not heavy guage wire.

John Dunlavy said that greatest costs of his speakers was in cabinet materials and construction, research and development costs, and the higer business overhead costs associated with low volume manufacturing.

The attached pic is from an old DAL brochure showing the crossovers from a pair of SC-V speakers ($15,000/pair).

Now that's a friggin xover. How does that compare with say....a xover from the SRSs?

DarqueKnight

The Dunlavys used Solen polypropylene film capacitors whereas the SDA SRS's used electrolytic capacitors. The heavy gauge inductor coils and cermet type resistors used by each were of comparable quality. The SRS's used cheap binding posts with plastic retaining nuts. The Dunlavys used heavy gold-plated brass Vampire binding posts. Some SRS's had internal wire made of copper and some had steel wiring. The Dunlavys used MIL spec fiberglass PC boards. The SRS's used consumer grade PC boards.

I saw crossovers being hand-assembled in the Dunlavy factory. I don't know for sure, but I assume that SRS crossovers were supplied by outside vendors and that a combination of hand and machine assembly was used.

ND13

So basically, besides all the exotic woods/finishes, the major difference between mass produced speakers and ones like these would be in the xovers. That would explain why so many are upgrading their xovers. The drivers aren't that much different. I saw where a replacement woofer for the Amazings was only $25.
The rest would come down to marketing to the wealthier.

DarqueKnight

It depends on the speaker manufacturer. Some brands do use expensive, exotic, custom drivers. Others, as you said, are marketing to the wealthy (i.e. the "carriage trade").

Early B.

Gee -- you guys really know how to hijack a thread.:rolleyes:

DarqueKnight

We now return this thread to its regularly scheduled programming.