Gold connectors - worth it?

DonkeyStyle \o/

Howdy ho,
After shopping for cable bits and pieces this past week, I've been thinking about the difference between the gold connectors and the 'standard' grey/silver kind... now I'm sure there are many technical reasons why these gold connections are superior, lower impedance or whatever it is.
But would you really notice it in the end result?

And what if the connectors (say an RCA audio connection for the sake of an example) were grey/silver/generic and I used a gold connector on it... would there be any benefit? Or would I need to be using gold-on-gold to see the benefit.

Also, is it bad to use gold connectors on grey/silver connectors?
I remember reading something years ago about using sticks of ram that had gold edges in slots that had grey/silver contacts... that there was some build-up caused by contact between the two types of metal.
Is this just some old wives tale? or would this apply to larger scart/svideo/etc connections aswell.

So the bottom line really is... is it worth it?

Fallschirmjager

donkey,

i have used the following rule of thumb...

if you have a very expensive rig then it is worth it ...if you dont it isnt...with one BUT...

one thing to be aware is the standard plugs and cables that come with components (dvd paltyer etc) are ****e. I would always recommend getting better cables. you can pick up fairly good ones from monster cables etc. the same rule applies for connectors. if you spent a lot on speakers and good cable dont skimp on the connectors. personally i think there comes a point when it gets better but the return on investment is just not there..but hey that my opinion. i think you get to a point where its gets better but you cant hear the difference. at that poitn move that money into better components...

so i would move off the basic ones but you can get good value as well...the next question is how deep are your pockets...


finally on the metal meets gold issue, as i recall there is not a lot of point as you work at the lowest quality. thats is why a lot of good amps have gold plated connectors...so if you add gold plated then you get the best connection...

finally fiannly...best thing sometimes is to try it in the shops...i always thought before it was BS...but it certainly isnt..definitely on the cable front..

Xennon

donkey,

i have used the following rule of thumb...

if you have a very expensive rig then it is worth it ...if you dont it isnt...with one BUT...


>>>> You are kidding me?????...



one thing to be aware is the standard plugs and cables that come with components (dvd paltyer etc) are ****e. I would always recommend getting better cables. you can pick up fairly good ones from monster cables etc. the same rule applies for connectors. if you spent a lot on speakers and good cable dont skimp on the connectors. personally i think there comes a point when it gets better but the return on investment is just not there..but hey that my opinion. i think you get to a point where its gets better but you cant hear the difference. at that poitn move that money into better components...


>>>And this is based on what exactly????



so i would move off the basic ones but you can get good value as well...the next question is how deep are your pockets...

>>> Obviously marketing boffins have robbed yours


finally on the metal meets gold issue, as i recall there is not a lot of point as you work at the lowest quality. thats is why a lot of good amps have gold plated connectors...so if you add gold plated then you get the best connection...

>>>Utter rubbish based on old wives tales

finally fiannly...best thing sometimes is to try it in the shops...i always thought before it was BS...but it certainly isnt..definitely on the cable front..

>>Psychoacousitcs


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This twaddle about gold connectors having an influence on the audio quality of a signal is one of the biggest audiofool wives tales going around and many thieving companys are taking advantage of this.

I was waiting to see if you would start telling the OP that he have to watch out for the direction of the cable next.

The integrity of the audio signal in a sigle core sreeened line is dictated by the envoirenment it lives in, ie whether or not it is picking up interference from transformers etc etc.

In the world of pro audio where a top of the range mixing board costs alot more than your average yearly income a standard of cabling called 'balanced signals' is used. Funny thing is on these mixers you dont see any gold connectors, funny that huh??...perhaps because they are build by people who base their electronics on fact rather that campfire drunken speils from idiots with more money than sense.

Dont believe the hype

Fallschirmjager

Xennon wrote:

donkey,

i have used the following rule of thumb...

if you have a very expensive rig then it is worth it ...if you dont it isnt...with one BUT...


>>>> You are kidding me?????...



one thing to be aware is the standard plugs and cables that come with components (dvd paltyer etc) are ****e. I would always recommend getting better cables. you can pick up fairly good ones from monster cables etc. the same rule applies for connectors. if you spent a lot on speakers and good cable dont skimp on the connectors. personally i think there comes a point when it gets better but the return on investment is just not there..but hey that my opinion. i think you get to a point where its gets better but you cant hear the difference. at that poitn move that money into better components...


>>>And this is based on what exactly????



so i would move off the basic ones but you can get good value as well...the next question is how deep are your pockets...

>>> Obviously marketing boffins have robbed yours


finally on the metal meets gold issue, as i recall there is not a lot of point as you work at the lowest quality. thats is why a lot of good amps have gold plated connectors...so if you add gold plated then you get the best connection...

>>>Utter rubbish based on old wives tales

finally fiannly...best thing sometimes is to try it in the shops...i always thought before it was BS...but it certainly isnt..definitely on the cable front..

>>Psychoacousitcs


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This twaddle about gold connectors having an influence on the audio quality of a signal is one of the biggest audiofool wives tales going around and many thieving companys are taking advantage of this.

I was waiting to see if you would start telling the OP that he have to watch out for the direction of the cable next.

The integrity of the audio signal in a sigle core sreeened line is dictated by the envoirenment it lives in, ie whether or not it is picking up interference from transformers etc etc.

In the world of pro audio where a top of the range mixing board costs alot more than your average yearly income a standard of cabling called 'balanced signals' is used. Funny thing is on these mixers you dont see any gold connectors, funny that huh??...perhaps because they are build by people who base their electronics on fact rather that campfire drunken speils from idiots with more money than sense.

Dont believe the hype

well based, oh let me see, on my own kit...still maybe you have seen different. then thats great for you, i dont see any need to be insulting. i am going on what i have seen with my own audio and visual cables and i dont think monster cables are up there with the super expensives...but note-- that MY OPINION...after all i believe that is what was being asked for.

thats why i said its my opinion, maybe not yours..then thats fine with me..and i am delighted that you have had better luck then me...

Lump

The connectors mean **** all difference tbh. I'd go for high quality if you're going to run the cable a few hundred meters. The only thing is to use Twin core screened cable, that'll do. Gold connectors make no difference IMHO. They don't use gold connectors in work, and they've got lots of audio connections

John

DonkeyStyle \o/

Thanks for the replies guys, funny that you mention the ballanced cables the pros use... I was going to mention that aswell... and why aren't they used in home entertainment gear? surely it can't be that expensive to implement for conusmer level devices.
I didn't know the whole gold plated vs normal thing was such a hotly contested issue.

Lump

You can get screened cables for domestic use, you'd have to get them made... the wiring is different to the standard screened.... I'm not going into detail.

John

DonkeyStyle \o/

Lump wrote:

I'm not going into detail.

Ah go on.
I remember reading the ballanced cables have a plus a ground and a minus, where unballanced cables have only a plus and ground... excellent for noise reduction apparently.

commited

not worth it - sales gimmick

Capt'n Midnight

Most scientific instrumentation doesn't use gold connectors. Comparing the cost of the equipment to the cost of plating connectors with gold then any measurable improvement would be worth it. In fact by mising two different metals you can get thermocouple produced voltages and electrolytic corrosion so unless both the plugs AND sockets are gold plated then you could expect to get a worse noise. Again have a look at professional studio equipment , does it use gold plated contacts ?

Of curse if you have money to burn there is Oxygen Free Copper (not to be confused with hard drawn copper which is used in antenna) because most electrical copper is more or less oxygen free, the regular copper is used for Plumbing and such.

Xennon

"well based, oh let me see, on my own kit...still maybe you have seen different. then thats great for you, i dont see any need to be insulting. i am going on what i have seen with my own audio and visual cables and i dont think monster cables are up there with the super expensives...but note-- that MY OPINION...after all i believe that is what was being asked for.

thats why i said its my opinion, maybe not yours..then thats fine with me..and i am delighted that you have had better luck then me..."

Insulting??..Im sorry I dont believe I have insulted you or anyone here. But your 'advice' to the OP was completely wrong and no more based on fact that the tooth fairy. Im not going to sit by and watch some guy advise another to buy gold plated RCA leads because you CLAIM to hear a difference.

Look, If I came down a bit heavy Im sorry, but I hear this crap everyday in my work. If it isnt gold plated RCAs its directional oxygenfree speaker cables. All complete twaddle.

Why arent balanced cables used in hifi?..because there is no need to used a balanced signal transmission medium. And the cost of introducing differential stages on the ins and outs of each device would far outweigh any advantages.

To improve the audio of a system start at the audio sources, learn what specs to look for, especially true of the amp. Good speakers are a must, an active setup even better, the less passive crossovers in the system the better. Do not underestimate the effect of the room on the audio, if the room is a crap sounding room then you aint gonna make it better with technology.

and theyre my 2c worth..take it or leave it...

glukk

Dave W.

DonkeyStyle \o/

After some googling, it appears the only tangible difference is that gold plated connectors don't corrode as easily... I'm seeing a lot of talk about sound/picture quality, especially from those who wish to sell you these cables, but "quality" is pretty hard to quantify... it's a bit too subjective for my liking... which is why I find it suspicious... if there were genuine benefits, then why not do some direct comparisons on the same hardware in the same environment and measure the percentage difference between the end results? (I'm quite sure the technology exists to do this)
If this gold plated qualtiy issue is such a puddle of crap, how are they getting away with it? - surely there are false advertising suits to be had?

Thanks for the input all... t'was gold plated.

Lump

The Balanced has a dual Core, Ie Positive and Neg and a screen (Earth) This is great is connected to balanced equipment, but if you connect it to unbalanced equipment it can still work you need to wire the cable, I "Think" You attach the screen to the negative leg. I'm not 100% sure, but it works, and can stop interference and such.... but not aswell as a balanced set up.

John

Gilgamesh

the corrsion aspect of Gold plating is from what I know the only factor where it is adviseable,

On my system I actually had non Gold plated connectors, and there was an insulation problem in the house, meaning it was very damp everywhere.
after about 7 months, the connection were corroding, replaced the with gold ones and they are still working fine.

tbh, I take gold connectors for the rig I have here, just for the looks and the benefit of the longevity of the connector.

the other issue with cables is to get ones as well screened as possible, it helps from the cables picking up other signal, I think so anyway, same as speaker cables.

But other than displaying your c0ck size to unknowing people when showing off your equipment, (hehe) good class, non Gold plated connectors are fine.

voxpop

you should be using Valhalla Cables - only about $8000 for 3m pair

Kristok

Its such crap, they make gold connectors cause there is always going to be some fool who will pay extra thinking that if its gold it must be better. When fibre becomes more popular im sure some company will start off diamond connectors.

themole

gold connectors will last longer as far as corrosion goes, as pointed out previously.

it all depends on the cost, whenever i bought component connector cables gold ones were around 15 quid, silver 10-12, or sometinnh like that, can't really remember but it wasn't much. worth it for a few quid, not anymore than that, even if just to look cooler

sound wise i doubt you could tell the difference.

as far as pro rigs go they usually deal with higher volume levels where small noise levels are drowned out anyway. also they don's use gold becuse the plating is fairly thin and will not stand up to being constantly plugged in and out. also the few quid difference becomes a lot when you have a lot of cable.

Lump

How do you intend corroding your cables indoors? You people are talking alot of Rubbish. Also Pro's dont handle any louder levels. Television stations use Line levels. If you are talking about Concert venues, they only increase the level at the amplifier. Which is generally close to the speakers. Also, mic level is probably run about 100 meters from the stage to the desk at the back of a venue.

John

themole

most metals react with air causing a layer of oxide to appear on the metal. this is what turns copper, silver, brass etc dull. this has an insulating property increasing the resistance of the connector.

whether this will affect the sound enough is another matter,

_CreeD_

Lots of folks talking rubbish and telling everyone else they're the ones doing it.... Your opinions will of course be based on your experiences so ANYONE trying to come off here with a definitive answer is wasting their time.

Simply put gold is used for 2 reasons:

1. TheMole hit the nail on the head - Gold does not oxidise (which many were confusing with corrosion...yes it's corrosion of a sort but on a very small scale not enough to cause the physical damage that seems to be alluded to above). Thus no current inhibiting oxide layer will be in the way.
2. Gold is a very soft metal. The socket and plug will mold together more closely allowing for greater contact area.

As for how important the materials used in each connection are once you're dealing with analog components (ignoring your source quality for the moment), you are dealing with an electrical signal that in it's own way corresponds to the audio you will get from your speakers/phones. Each and every material along which that signal has to travel will affect it in some way, each has it's own specific frequency response and thus act like filters (Hell even the temperature can have an effect on this). Your cables do matter, your connectors do matter IF, and only if, the other components in the system are of a higher quaity - the weakest link in the chain might be something else and end up lowering the quality to a point where adding a better cable seems to make no difference. As was mentioned too your listening environment is of critical importance for overal sound quality. Sooooo I can see why some folks thing it's a load of BS but I'm telling you (from experience) it's not, it just may not make a noticable difference because of YOUR system and environment conditions.
Its like the way some folks think 128K Mp3 is CD quality, and most think it's not etc. For the former their MP3's may sound the same as the CD's simply because the sound system/environment is of too low quality to let them hear the benefits of the original over the lossy copy - nothing wrong in that and if they're happy fine, but they end up making a definitive statement based on a lack of experience with higher quality alternatives.

Hmmm, rambling.....;)

I built my last hifi over about 10 years and ended up with a 20k (old pounds) monster machine...which I've unfortunately sold since ...I'm not saying that to try and show off since hell the thing's not mine anymore anyway, just backing up what I mentioned above about opinions and experience. I tried just about every cable type you can get (and to answer one previous question the Pre to Power amp connections allowed for true balanced (XLR) or unbalanced (Phono) connections, the XLR was noticably clearer (Even though the Phono seemed fine at first listen, and only lacked in comparison)). My preference is for Carbon fiber, Silver is clear but harsh imho, Oxygen Free copper is the best bang for the buck, stock cables are universally ****e in comparison - and yes I did AB tests with all of them as time went on, it's not psychoacoustics to me it's plain fact. I'm also a (amateur) composer and audio engineer and all of my studio equipment comes with gold plated connectors as std. - field gear doesn't as the gold (being soft) wouldn't stand the abuse, but a lot of high end studio gear does use gold despite what's been said already.

Definitely rambling and tempted to start on about cable treatments, line conditioners and a lot of odder stuff . So I'll finish up by saying that I appreciate the opinions of those who don't think it makes a difference, I'm not saying your point of view is worthless just (no offense) based on a lack of experience -->insert flame here<--

A Dub in Glasgo

I take it you done a blind test to determine if the gold plated connections sounded better?

_CreeD_

On 2 fairly basic sets at the start yup. The difference was not nearly as significant as jumping from them to Oxygen free copper based cable (my first 'real' interconnect upgrade) but it was there on finer details.

Capt'n Midnight

themole wrote:

gold connectors will last longer as far as corrosion goes, as pointed out previously.

RANT - unless both Plug AND socket are gold plated then the non-gold plated one will probably corode more due to electrolytic action so IMHO mixing GOLD plated and non-plated is worse than not using any gold. If you do this with computer memory you have to reseat it every six months - and we're talking on/off not hyperfine levels of sound. /RANT