Pure silver XLR's ??

[Wakefield Turntables]

Does anyone know of a supplier that can supply me pure silver male and female XLR plugs??

[Mike]

Nope, but you could look for some of these, maybe? http://xhadow.com/page3.html

[HighFidelityGuy]

I think you may have found a niche in the market. I've just checked all the makes I can think of and none of them do solid silver. The closest I found was silver plated pure copper. Even the £2000 Atlas Asimi XLR cables only use silver plated copper connectors despite having pure silver conductors. :confused:

[Marco]

Hi Andrew,

I wouldn't get too bogged down about solid silver, when it comes to XLR plugs.

The best XLR plug I've used, by a country mile, is the Furutech CF-601M, which I've fitted to the DC cable on my Techy (the superb Paul Hynes solid-silver DCSXL), along with its matching female connector, the Furutech FP-682F, onto the back of my SR5 T/T PSU:

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/7262/furutechcf601m.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/furutechcf601m.jpg/)


http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4131/fp681andfp682.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/fp681andfp682.jpg/)


Highly recommended! Mark Grant or Mains Cables R Us are stockists :)

Marco.

[Welder]

What Marco said ;)

Nice quality plugs and sockets albeit a bit expensive.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Hmmmm...... I dont like the idea of using silver plated connectors, you can buy male/female connectors which are silver plated for less than a fiver. I cant see what the futuretech will add to the balanced interconnects i'm making. All I can see is a bit of carbon fibre which makes the thing stiffer and probably remove mechanical vibration from the 3 plugs. Sorbothane can do the same job and considerably cheaper. I also dont like the idea of using Ohno casted silver 99.9999% pure silver onto a plated silver xlr plug with tin solder:mental: I'm planning a new design, it'll probably be crap and rubbished but we shall wait and see. :eyebrows:

[Marco]

Lol - s'up to you, dude... All I can tell you is that the results I've achieved with the Furutech XLR plug and connector are STUNNING! :)

Marco.

[Barry]

Hmmmm...... I don't like the idea of using silver plated connectors, you can buy male/female connectors which are silver plated for less than a fiver. I can't see what the Futuretech will add to the balanced interconnects I'm making. All I can see is a bit of carbon fibre which makes the thing stiffer and probably remove mechanical vibration from the 3 plugs. Sorbothane can do the same job and considerably cheaper. I also don't like the idea of using Ohno casted silver 99.9999% pure silver onto a plated silver xlr plug with tin solder:mental: I'm planning a new design, it'll probably be crap and rubbished but we shall wait and see. :eyebrows:

Nobody uses solid silver pins in plugs. It's just too soft and not strong enough.

What's wrong with 'tin' solder? Anyway you should be using silver-loaded solder. :lol:

[Wakefield Turntables]

Nobody uses solid silver pins in plugs. It's just too soft and not strong enough.

What's wrong with 'tin' solder? Anyway you should be using silver-loaded solder. :lol:

Well if I get my way I'll be only plugging the plugs in once so that should stop them from being broken, and I use 11% silver solder, but still 89% impure with other rubbish!

[kcc123]

Nobody uses solid silver pins in plugs. It's just too soft and not strong enough.

What's wrong with 'tin' solder? Anyway you should be using silver-loaded solder. :lol:

LOL! I may not be the only person who uses solid silver for speaker cables and interconnects. But I have also used pure solid silver mains plugs and even solid silver IEC sockets for years, not to mention the silver Bullet phono plugs as well.:lol:

[Thing Fish]

Why not solder silver wire direct. Doing away with the need for any plugs...?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Why not solder silver wire direct. Doing away with the need for any plugs...?

Normally I would but I have active speakers which would mean that I would have to remove the back of the speaker and solder directly onto the amp's PCB, this would then also get rid of the XLR socket in my amp :eyebrows: I may experiment with pure silver in the valve system but this may make it sound too bright which is something I'm trying to avoid in that particular system :scratch:

[Marco]

In my experience, Andrew, (quality) pure silver anything never sounds bright, in a well-sorted system.

I have recently fitted a pure silver digital coaxial cable, with solid-silver WBT plugs, between my transport and DAC, and it made my system sound smoother (yet more open and detailed), and I've had similar experiences with phono plugs and DC cables: bright they weren't.

If it sounds bright, then blame the sonic signature of the partnering equipment, as good silver cables and plugs are simply more 'truthful'. Silver is, after all, the best electrical conductor, so it will simply allow you to hear more of what's already there.

Silver-plated copper, well, that's another matter... ;)

Marco.

[Dingdong]

Normally I would but I have active speakers which would mean that I would have to remove the back of the speaker and solder directly onto the amp's PCB, this would then also get rid of the XLR socket in my amp :eyebrows: I may experiment with pure silver in the valve system but this may make it sound too bright which is something I'm trying to avoid in that particular system :scratch:

Once you've gone to all that trouble of silver connectors it's then hooked up to the thin, probably copper, tracks of a pcb. I'm not sure if I get it.

[MCRU]

The pins in an xlr are far too thin for pure silver, if you need to construct an interface to connect 2 items to each other using pure silver then a pure silver iec inlet and pure silver iec connector will do the job nicely, both are made by IeGo if you want to google them.

[Wakefield Turntables]

The pins in an xlr are far too thin for pure silver, if you need to construct an interface to connect 2 items to each other using pure silver then a pure silver iec inlet and pure silver iec connector will do the job nicely, both are made by IeGo if you want to google them.

I've already seen the IeGo stuff and its very good, I'll probably be using this my next power supply upgrade. I wanted a pure silver plug, IeGo do these but they seem to be for the European market rather than the UK market. Silver plated plugs are ok but I think I can get my hands on some proper pure silver mains plugs. Then thats it for me, no more cable upgrades, I'll have gone as far as I can. I'll just be sticking to modding the 1210!

[MCRU]

No pure silver mains plugs unless you mean schukos or Nema plugs? 13 amp uk mains plugs were never made and never will be. The pure silver IEC is quite impressive, I am about to order another 10 if anyone wants one for a special price (pm me if interested).

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt309/themainsman/iego-1.jpg

[Wakefield Turntables]

Well Schucko plugs are useless as we cant use them in the UK unless you know something I dont :eyebrows: IeGo do produce a pure version of the Schucko plug but what would be cool is if they produce the NEMA type G BS 1363 (British 13 A/230-240 V 50 Hz grounded and fused) plug, in otherwise the good old 3 pin plug!! Using Schucko's would be nice and easy but for the time being i'll be sticking to silver plated plugs.

[Marco]

Well Schucko plugs are useless as we cant use them in the UK unless you know something I dont :eyebrows:


Schuko plugs (note the spelling ;)) and sockets are widely available. So if that's what you want, Andrew, simply buy them, and wire them in. Where's the problem? :)

I have the mains block, powering my system, hard-wired into the dedicated CU for my system, with no plugs and sockets (or fuses) used whatsoever......... ;)

Marco.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Schuko plugs (note the spelling ;)) and sockets are widely available. So if that's what you want, Andrew, simply buy them, and wire them in. Where's the problem? :)

I have the mains block, powering my system, hard-wired into the dedicated CU for my system, with no plugs and sockets (or fuses) used whatsoever......... ;)

Marco.
:lolsign: Well Marco, that just goes to show how much research I need to do, can you send me a piccie of your power supply setup?? I think I may have to dent the credit card and buy some Schuko's from IeGo and then get them wired into the Isotek!! I'll also need to buy some more 5N silver :( (looks like the old credit card will be dented even further :lolsign:).

[Marco]

Lol - I do have 13A sockets on my mains block and 13A plugs with fuses on my mains leads, though, as I like *some* safety in place!

However, the plugs and sockets I use are all top-of-the-range stuff from Furutech, so the 'sonic damage' done of having them is minimised to the point of insignificance - and I also use 'audiophile' fuses in all my mains plugs and components...

The cumulative sonic benefits of all of this is not subtle! :)

Marco.

[hifinutt]

Well Schucko plugs are useless as we cant use them in the UK unless you know something I dont :eyebrows: IeGo do produce a pure version of the Schucko plug but what would be cool is if they produce the NEMA type G BS 1363 (British 13 A/230-240 V 50 Hz grounded and fused) plug, in otherwise the good old 3 pin plug!! Using Schucko's would be nice and easy but for the time being i'll be sticking to silver plated plugs.

i had my sigmas mains conditioner converted to shuco and quite an upgrade

[MCRU]

phil it's schuko you numpty, see you at whittlebury?

[MartinT]

In my experience, Andrew, (quality) pure silver anything never sounds bright, in a well-sorted system.

Spot on, Marco. If silver sounds toppy, screechy or harsh it's usually highlighting a problem elsewhere in the system.

[MartinT]

Switchcraft make silver plated XLR connectors, as used in Kimber Select cables:

http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/4319-mini-xlr-3-pin-socket-line-ta3f-switchcraft.html

[MCRU]

If I had a pound for every time someone said silver plating makes the sound too bright I would be minted!

Anyway I have something that may prove to be quite ground-breaking potentially in the next few weeks/months, pure silver mains lead terminated with a pure silver iec and wait for it, a pure silver mains plug, just in the development stages at the moment. It is a UK spec. mains plug too, taken many years to get to this stage, could not say much more but hoping all works out well.

[Reid Malenfant]

Even 925 sterling standard silver would be good imo. It'd be very interesting to have a properly hallmarked plug :lolsign:

Hmmm, 958 Britannia standard would be even better ;)

[MCRU]

A thing of beauty.........

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt309/themainsman/Oyaide/oyaidefocusxlrs.jpg

[MCRU]

Slight correction after the piss take, it will be 925 sterling silver as it would need to be if sold as silver in the UK otherwise it can only be called white metal.

[Reid Malenfant]

Slight correction after the piss take, it will be 925 sterling silver as it would need to be if sold as silver in the UK otherwise it can only be called white metal.
David, it can be 958 parts silver & sold as Britannia Standard m8 ;) Trust me, i know what i'm talking about :eyebrows:

Just realised i spelled it incorrectly previously :doh:

Wiki link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_silver) ;)

[Wakefield Turntables]

If I had a pound for every time someone said silver plating makes the sound too bright I would be minted!

Anyway I have something that may prove to be quite ground-breaking potentially in the next few weeks/months, pure silver mains lead terminated with a pure silver iec and wait for it, a pure silver mains plug, just in the development stages at the moment. It is a UK spec. mains plug too, taken many years to get to this stage, could not say much more but hoping all works out well.

I'm already making these, its not that radical ! Oh, and all the components in my plugs are OHNO casted as well and.............. well there are some things that I'll have to keep secret!!

PS Got the ONhO casted silver balanced XLR finished tonight, far too early to tell the differences, but they are burning in nicely

[MCRU]

OHNO casted is an extrusion machine bud, it makes wires, not components for plugs.

Production of net-shape products directly from the liquid is an attractive manufacturing route for alloys that are difficult to process or that cannot be rolled, drawn, or extruded. Developed at the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan, the Ohno Continuous Casting (OCC) approach not only provides significant cost savings, but also has the potential to create new products. OCC process equipment includes a melting furnace, crucible, mold level-control block, cooling device, and pinch rolls. OCC is currently used to produce copper rods and wires for audio and video cables, and aluminum alloy welding rods for hard-surfacing applications.

Nice one.

[jeremyrosehifi]

http://www.bocchtech.com/bocchinoaudio/baxlr_prices.htm

hope this helps, this is the only website i've ever seen with pure silver pins :)

Fine Silver pinned BAXLR TM are only available from Bocchino Audio. Fine Silver 99.9946%+ Silver.

This includes 2 x Male and 2 x Female connectors $US 2,618.15

[Wakefield Turntables]

http://www.bocchtech.com/bocchinoaudio/baxlr_prices.htm

hope this helps, this is the only website i've ever seen with pure silver pins :)

Fine Silver pinned BAXLR TM are only available from Bocchino Audio. Fine Silver 99.9946%+ Silver.

This includes 2 x Male and 2 x Female connectors $US 2,618.15

HI,

Thanks for the post but I can get these things much much much cheapert, but again thanks for taking the time out to post.

[RochaCullen]

The Guys who make these:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Dalkey-Audio-Cables-Bartra-Signature-XLR-Interconnects-/230589235614?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item35b030819e

I am sure could sort you out.

[jeremyrosehifi]

HI,

Thanks for the post but I can get these things much much much cheapert, but again thanks for taking the time out to post.

hi, just out of interest where can you get these much much much cheaper. i was under the impression that the silver pinned xlr's only came direct from them themselves (Bocchino).

[Marco]

Hi 'jeremyrosehifi',

Welcome to AoS :)

As directed in your registration email, could you please pop into the Welcome area and introduce yourself to our community, by telling us your real first name, basic geographical location, what system you use and what music you like?

This information is required of all members joining our community - cheers! :cool:

Marco.

[goraman]

Just a suggestion and they are on sale.
http://www.whitezombieaudio.com/zeropointzero.html

[Wakefield Turntables]

HI,

Thanks for the post but I can get these things much much much cheapert, but again thanks for taking the time out to post.

Not telling :ner:

[Z-A]

The Bocchino BAXLR in Copper is already a very good connector, best I've heard/ used, when you build with them you see why. The design and tolerances ensure an extremely precise fit.
Bocchino products are not available anywhere other than Carmine himself, or an authorised retailer.