MS Audio RCA sockets.

[awkwardbydesign]

The MS Audio plugs have found favour here, but has anyone used their rhodium plated RCA sockets? I need some new sockets for my LDR pre, and usually buy the silver CMCs from Valab. He seems to have gone over to the MS Audio sockets, so I wondered if anyone has tried them.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUyWDYwMA==/z/njoAAMXQ0pNRp5QF/$(KGrHqFHJBkFBRkuV0(lBRp5QFhzEw~~60_12.JPG

[Fulci]

I was also curious about these. I'm in need of 4 pairs for a phono stage and a... hmm... pair of wall plates for an underfloor interconnect extension cable. Needed to know if they are any good, preferably those with the solderless connections.

[synsei]

I am also considering these as an upgrade for those on my 306. Silly money really so worth a punt I reckon ;)

[YNWaN]

I find Rhodium as a plating a bit odd as copper, silver, gold and even aluminium are all better conductors.

[Marco]

It’s harder wearing than silver or copper, dude. That’s why it’s used :)

I’ve also found it has rather nice audio properties (sonic signature), as all my rhodium-plated solid copper conductor plugs and sockets sound superb, and in a unique way.

Marco.

[DSJR]

You need to insert and withdraw (:eyebrows:) normal gold plated plugs and sockets many, many times for wear to really show up. maybe you lot do, but most people only disconnect stuff once or twice a year. Rhodium is nice and shiny though :)

[Ammonite Audio]

The MS Audio plugs have found favour here, but has anyone used their rhodium plated RCA sockets? I need some new sockets for my LDR pre, and usually buy the silver CMCs from Valab. He seems to have gone over to the MS Audio sockets, so I wondered if anyone has tried them.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUyWDYwMA==/z/njoAAMXQ0pNRp5QF/$(KGrHqFHJBkFBRkuV0(lBRp5QFhzEw~~60_12.JPG

I have a set of these on my phono stage and they certainly work, having a nice snug fit with pretty much any RCA plug. I did take a metal file to one to see if it is indeed copper underneath, but the metal looked suspiciously brassy.

[awkwardbydesign]

You need to insert and withdraw (:eyebrows:) normal gold plated plugs and sockets many, many times for wear to really show up. maybe you lot do, but most people only disconnect stuff once or twice a year. Rhodium is nice and shiny though :)
My gold plated Deltron type plugs are losing their gold plate through wear.

[awkwardbydesign]

I have a set of these on my phono stage and they certainly work, having a nice snug fit with pretty much any RCA plug. I did take a metal file to one to see if it is indeed copper underneath, but the metal looked suspiciously brassy.
Valab only claim the central connector is tellurium copper. The negative is brass.
Anyway, I bought 2 sets, they seem OK. But I had to make a thinner back plate for the preamp, as the thread is not very long.

[Reffc]

Valab only claim the central connector is tellurium copper. The negative is brass.
Anyway, I bought 2 sets, they seem OK. But I had to make a thinner back plate for the preamp, as the thread is not very long.

...which is completely the wrong way around imho...the lowest impedance should be the grounding collar, not the signal. It's not one I'd use for that reason. Even if they'd used a copper alloy with a higher conductivity than brass for the collar, it would have been an improvement in design.

Why go to all the bother of a low impedance shield and then present it with a brass collar?

The issue though is that pure copper is usually too soft for making plugs from so very few that claim to be pure copper, are. They often need to be alloyed for greater strength and resistance to bending. Tellurium (a by-product of copper production) is often used to allow greater strength for alloying with copper.

[brian2957]

Any recommendations Paul ?

[Reffc]

Any recommendations Paul ?

Anything that doesn't use brass in the earthing collar. Personally, I stick with KLE and Furutech but there are plenty of other alternatives.

There comes a point where I advise customers who would otherwise contemplate spending ££££'s that it might be worth their while hard wiring components together and doing away with the the connector interface. Most resist this because they like to play around with cables and moving/swapping out kit. My advice is that once you are happy with your kit and want to eliminate any uncertainty due to connections, get them hard wired and forget them. The next best thing is to simply use the best quality connectors your budget allows (and that includes attention to design).

[brian2957]

Thanks Paul, I agree to a certain extent regarding hard wiring . I did hard wire the crossovers which you refurbished for me and I've been more than happy with the speakers ever since . Plus it stops me wondering about new speaker cable as it would be a bit of a faff to put plugs on the box which houses the crossovers . However, as I've said before since you did the crossovers for me I've had no inclination to change the speakers or the cables. As for hardwiring into the equipment , I'm afraid that this is beyond my technical capability and so I try to buy the best plugs I can . Problem is price isn't always a guide to quality or suitability.

[YNWaN]

For RCA sockets I have recently used these (pre-amp and phonostage) and they work well and sound good:

http://www.hificollective.co.uk/catalog/80525cuag-copper-thick-silver-plate-sockets-pair-p-2163.html

http://www.hificollective.co.uk/images/rca_805fs_silverm.gif

[brian2957]

Not particularly cheap but I suppose you only buy them once . Thanks Mark.

[Ali Tait]

Thanks Paul, I agree to a certain extent regarding hard wiring . I did hard wire the crossovers which you refurbished for me and I've been more than happy with the speakers ever since . Plus it stops me wondering about new speaker cable as it would be a bit of a faff to put plugs on the box which houses the crossovers . However, as I've said before since you did the crossovers for me I've had no inclination to change the speakers or the cables. As for hardwiring into the equipment , I'm afraid that this is beyond my technical capability and so I try to buy the best plugs I can . Problem is price isn't always a guide to quality or suitability.

If you want any stuff hard wired, give me a shout mate.

[brian2957]

Thanks Ali , much appreciated . Hope we can all get together before the snow comes buddy .

[awkwardbydesign]

Not particularly cheap but I suppose you only buy them once . Thanks Mark.
Unfortunately I keep making stuff. So I have to buy more than once.

[YNWaN]

At £17 a pair they aren't cheap but there are a lot more expensive ones (they actually replaced ones that are £40 a pair).

Paul's comments regarding hard wiring are entirely valid, but my reality just doesn't allow for much of it. The problem with hard wiring components is that it seriously limits flexibility. When I moved my speaker crossovers external to the speakers I added a whole bunch of extra connectors - they still sounded better ;)!