Fancy connector walk of shame

So a couple kind SBAF'ers are making me a switcher and another device for trade. I get nervosa about adding boxes to my chain, so I wanted it to be as transparent as possible. So I got the best switches by Elma, OCC copper Neotech wire throughout, and I found some pure copper connectors both XLR and RCA, figuring that pure copper would be more transparent and better at lossless signal transfer. I got Viborg Rhodium plated XLR connectors which are a whopping $20 per piece for the chassis mount ones, and Vampire Wire pure copper gold plated RCA plugs which are about the same.



Then I had a friend put a Viborg pure copper Rhodium plated 4 pin XLR plug on a Forza Audeze cable.



It took me a while to A/B it comprehensively with a cable with a old plain Gold plated Neutrik 4 pin XLR connector (NC4MXX-B). I was shocked at how much I preferred the 5 dollar Neutrik connector to the $30 Viborg pure copper cable (which to it's credit, the friend who installed it said it was incredibly well made and well engineered). But the tonality was wrong, going back to the Neutrik plug everything just sounded right. Plus I kind of thought the Neutrik plug was more resolving and clear. Who the f**k knows why. I could just have my head up my ass. I didn't' think there was likely to be a real noticeable difference at all, and if there was, it would surely be positive with their pure copper connection.

So I got more nervosa, and thought it must be the rhodium plating because pure copper had to sound better than copper/bronze like Neutrik uses. So I re-bought all the Viborg pure copper XLR jacks in gold plated instead of rhodium plated.



A while later, I A/B'd the Forza Audeze cables again and liked the Viborg even less and realized that it might not be the rhodium plating that was to blame.

So I wound up ordering all standard Neutrik XLR and RCA connectors. And now I have like $1000 worth of unused Viborg XLR connectors and an asshat on my head.





I'm sharing this because it's a great example of nervosa gone wrong. Way wrong. Sometimes paying more for what seems better doesn't translate to sounding better. You really have to listen and hear something to know that it's actually better. "Nice ideas" don't translate to good sound.

So...walk of shame. But hopefully this will help others. Neutrik connectors sound the best to me, so far. Vs Furutech rhodium plated connectors and Viborg pure copper connectors.

I haven't tried the EIZZ pure copper connectors though!....

um. send me a pm if you want some really nice pure copper XLR chassis mount connectors they're really really good.

 

Why even bother with connectors and wire? Be a man* and arc weld all your components together while beating your chest standing over the corpses of discarded equipment.


*or substitute whatever your acceptable life choice is, we don't judge here

 

Have you cryo’d the superluxe connectors and run them with a signal for 200+ hours?

Thanks for this…It’s good to know there’s no need to switch out my Reans/Neutriks

 

Shesh, expensive nervosa!

But wait... Silver not tried yet?

 

Pure silver or bust, baby! Quit bein' a cheap-ass!

 

In Japan the DIY/hobbyist equipment builders only use Neutrik and Switchcraft connectors. Sometimes Amphenol too

Say no to douche-fi!

 

With connectors it can be important to match the plating material. So, gold-gold, nickel-nickel, etc. Otherwise there are electro-chemical reactions between the dissimilar metals.

 

That's what causes those little bubbly noises one can hear with the volume high and one's ear against the speaker.