Originally Posted by
walpurgis
Plating conductivity is unimportant if the conductor cross section at contact areas is adequate. You could use lead or zinc for the difference it would make. Same applies to the plug structure. Choosing between metals like copper or brass should really be down to cost and durability, as the conductor cross section in phono plugs is usually vastly greater than required for the small signals involved. Anything else is just to look fancy.