HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Terminitus is not a medical complaint but if it was then I would be diagnosed as a chronic case. Before I go any further I should explain that I know I can hear the differences between various cables so I am not a cable heretic.

What intrigues, puzzles & troubles me is the why should it matter what the cable is made of, how its manufactured (UP OCC or cryogenics anyone ?) how its designed if at the point of exit and entry the signal passes through a lump of plated brass that goes by the title of connector ?

This goes for every thing single component is the chain, the majority of which use plated brass connectors, sockets, binding posts etc. Both cable and equipment manufacturers often wax lyrical about their designs, their build quality and their utterly wonderful choice of components and yet they use brass plated connectors. If you want a good example please see this YouTube where at 1.38 McIntosh who are very well respected maker of high end amps talk about the polished brass terminals.



Where ever possible in my system I have used tellurium copper connectors, if for no other reason for the peace of mind I am giving the signal the best chance to flow but I confess the question of cables costing hundreds or thousands of pounds being terminated in to a lump of plated brass does get to me.

My system used to be hard wired. Every single aspect. Interconnects, speakers, tone arm, cartridge, speaker wire. You name it, it was hard wired.

Following my brain bleed, I didn't have a clue what I would be able to do in any aspect of my life from talking, thinking and moving. So the Mrs got it separated and it was stored away for 18 months.

Since I got back into it, I've not noticed anything missing with normal connectors, indeed I enjoy it more these days.

Good to hear from you Dan and thanks for your reply. Back in the day, when you decided to hard wire everything what was it that motivated you to do it because I imagine it took some time and effort to complete.

I started with my tonearm and I swear it made a difference. In fact every aspect I hardwired I swear it made a difference.

I was myopic is chasing the minutiae of improvements. It was what I did after a hard week of being a lawyer.

Looking back I spent to much time listening for differences and not enough time listening, except for times when I was drunk.

O and it was daft and a ball ache. I couldn't unplug anything or move anything.

Being on the sick as given me time to figure out what's important and piss about with equipment and forget the minutiae.

I always remind myself that what ever I do the sound I hear cannot possibly better that what the mastering engineer heard in his headset or monitors. I don't know for sure what the connectors used in the studio are made from but one model of Neutric connector uses Bronze contacts, which may be Gold plated. If the terminal is plated then the brass substrate is simply supporting the plating and the signal is flowing from the cable, via the solder to the plating material.

As an avionics specialist my concern is that the signal, what ever it is, gets through. These days the majority of signals are digital and terminals are a plated alloy crimped to the conductor. It works well enough. The main concern with connectors in this environment is reliability. Likewise if I am working with live sound my priority is a good reliable contact, and something Grand Piano proof. XLR connectors are GP proof, 1/4" jacks, irrespective of manufacturer, aren't.

By all means buy your Tellurium Copper connectors but all they are doing is reducing signal degradation.

I should have undertaken a genuine A/B comparison before swapping out the RCA connectors on some of my interconnects because theory is one thing but its the actual listening results that count . I should have also stated I have done my very best to avoid soldering cables because once again I am/was troubled by the possibility of signal degradation.

ps the curious and slightly obsessive side of me is ok with all of this, the other side of me thinks its silly, right now the curious side has the upper hand

It seems to be the nature of the game. I like this how can I improve it. When the whole reason at the start for most, was the music and that's where the enjoyment comes from. Who really knows how it sounded in the studio and who cares, as long as it sounds good in your room .

This +1. You should see what cables are used in a recording studio sometimes. Most of us wouldn't put them in the same room as our system never mind connect them up.

The problem is that many manufacturers are looking for an angle to sell their product. When we sent the LS7 off for review at Hi-Fi World, I was asked for 'the special details' about them.

I said...good quality metals, good quality isolation, good quality connectors, good quality shield, geometry designed to give low capacitance even over long runs. Not a cheap cable because the ingredients are not cheap. Oh, they said, no secret sauce? No little boxes at either end? No magic plugs? Silence....mmmm, what can we write then?

They are used to seeing cables that need BS to sell. I know from dealers that there are £300 interconnects where the packaging has cost double the raw materials of the cable. Many cables are sold 'on margin'. The percentage for the dealer is so high, and the cable is so heavily marketed, it's like free money.

Only what matters, matters. It seemed at one time to be a bit easier to rely on what you read. Now, you have to be sceptical and you have to hear it for yourself. After all, a lot of 'fancy stuff' is 'fancy prices'.

When many interconnects cost more than a thousand and speaker cables run in to the thousands and in a few cases tens of thousands it's almost inevitable that the market will attract the bullshit crew with their misleading claims.