I have an annual ritual of cleaning all the contacts in the systems with DeOxit and even with gold contacts, you still accumulate stuff from what's attached.
My speaker cables don't, however, as the spades are rhodium plated.
Quality non-crazy priced RCA cables?
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My speaker cables don't, however, as the spades are rhodium plated.
mroboto
Super Member
I have an annual ritual of cleaning all the contacts in the systems with DeOxit and even with gold contacts, you still accumulate stuff from what's attached.
My speaker cables don't, however, as the spades are rhodium plated.
On gold I simply use Isopropyl Alcohol, 50 times cheaper than DeoxIt.
But it's a good idea to clean contacts.
Yes gold to gold is good, but ..
In my experience what's under the gold is potentially important to the sonics of your system ..
Best would be gold plated copper but it's rare .most connectors are gold plated brass ..
It lasts so long for me that cost becomes a non issue. Still have some Cramolin from forty years ago!
mroboto
Super Member
It lasts so long for me that cost becomes a non issue. Still have some Cramolin from forty years ago!
I don't want to deny the Deoxit efficacy, but it may leaves residues.
Cheap Alcohol too, but not as worse.
There is some contacts where I prefer to use Zero residue electrical contact cleaner, which smells like Alcohol.
If you don't wipe off the surfaces afterwards, that is quite likely.
John Ess
Well-Known Member
I've had really good luck with Canare 2 or 4 conductor mic cable. It uses a braided shield that's more effective than a served shield. Used this with Rean RCA's...makes lots of bang for the buck. Always put a dab of solder where the metal strip that connects to ground enters the outer shell of the connector. The Canare is also good for building headphones cables.
AC50
Active Member
Often brass with a layer of nickel first, then a very thin layer of gold.
wyn palmer
Addicted Member
Yep. If you don't have a barrier metal the copper migrates through the gold pores and tarnishes.
Pretty ironic don't you think when you consider the audiophile objection to ferromagnetic materials.
Rhodium/palladium can be plated directly over brass or copper so in that sense it's superior.
similost
Rockin and Rollin....
I know some will scoff at them, but I've got a bunch of monster cables, only because I got them free. They were exhibits in for patents at a firm I worked at, and they were going to destroy them, but said I could take them.. They've been great cables, and I've even bought a couple more after trying the free ones. I've had them more than 15 years and never an issue.
twiiii
Lunatic Member
I still have pre-used RCA Monster Cable connectors with the split center pin and the knurled surround that grab on to the barrel of the chassis connector. They are gold plated or of course. I make my own line level cables using RG cable. saves a lot of money that way. . I do use Blue Jeans loss cables for the cable between the TT and pre-amp even though I use low impedance moving coil cartridges where the capacitance is really of not that much concern. The issue is line loss. I wish they made cables available with right angled connectors on one end however. I don't like using adapters when used with turn tables.
wyn palmer
Addicted Member
Line loss? Do you mean the DC resistance of the cable or what?
AC50
Active Member
Right now I'm mostly sticking with nickel over brass connectors and listening to music. And as E-Stat mentioned above, keeping those connections clean.
AC50
Active Member
Looking into the materials in Rean connectors, it turns out they have steel cable clamps, even though all the contact points are nickel over brass. I'll think about this for a few years while the cables break in.
twiiii
Lunatic Member
All cables with connectors have line loss, whether measured with DC tests or the real impedance at different frequencies. Hopefully its insignificant. But let a little corrosion develop and it can be a major issue. Back in the 60's when we all used Barker cables the Rca connectors in line and the chassis connectors all needed to be cleaned and lightly polished annually in damp climates and in my case bi-annually in dry desert climates because of our high air pollution coming across the border from old Mexico and our copper smelting, wire factories and four diesel, jet fuel, air craft and automobile fuel refineries. We are now down to two refineries owned by one company. That way they don't have to meet the rigid air quality controls of the large refineries. Our problem is because they are independent they charge what ever they want when ever they want. Right now they are 25 cents under the national average, but Houston is even 20 cents cheaper, Regular at Costco is $2.42.
I can remember when the first cables with gold connectors came along. Then came monster cable. Some time I would go over 15 years without cleaning or tightening RCA connections. Tip ring and sleeve 1/4" phone plugs are still an issue how ever for me. I also use XLR connectors with gold pins. I prefer the original Cannon XLR's, but use mostly Switchcraft now.
I can remember when the first cables with gold connectors came along. Then came monster cable. Some time I would go over 15 years without cleaning or tightening RCA connections. Tip ring and sleeve 1/4" phone plugs are still an issue how ever for me. I also use XLR connectors with gold pins. I prefer the original Cannon XLR's, but use mostly Switchcraft now.
I use Belden or Canare shielded wire. Used it in radio stations for too many years and never had noise from the cabling.
A good friend of mine that’s an EE likes the Soundpath interconnects from SVS: https://www.svsound.com/products/soundpath-rca-audio-interconnect-cable-pair