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XLR's - Split from iPodPJ's B22 thread  

post #1 of 37
11/1/09 at 2:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qusp View Post
well perhaps I got a bad batch, because 4 out of 10 males I got were dodgy, actually just looked at them again, its not silver sulphide, IU know what that looks like, anytime i've seen it, its been dark grey/black, this isnt

whatever you say, I repeat I have seen silver sulphide and this isnt it.
Then apparently you've only seen it when it's thick enough that it looks dark gray/black.

When you said it was "rainbow coloured," I knew it was silver sulfide. The rainbow coloring is classic silver tarnishing, which is typically brought about by the silver reacting with sulfur compounds in the air (Ag2O + H2S --> Ag2S + H2O).

Here's a good example of the rainbow coloring on a piece of silver:



That it is rainbow colored and not dark gray/black only means that it's in the earlier stages of tarnishing.

Quote:
well I suspect they use the same process for all of them, I cant see them developing an entirely different plating process for each range, i've never seen this before either, they are being good about replacing them, but if there are any problems with the replacements, I wont be using them again.
It's good that they're replacing them (though again, you could just dip them in Tarn-X and get rid of it). But it's an environmental issue, not an issue of the underlying quality of the Neutrik connectors. Any connector using silver contacts would suffer the same fate if they were subject to the same environmental conditions. It's the nature of the silver itself.

Quote:
regardless you or anyone are not going to convince me to replace BAXLR and its ilk with neutrik, sorry but regardless, even a fu;lly functional and perfect neutrik 4 pin (of any type) is not in the same league IMO
I guess it depends on what exactly defines the "league."

Quote:
they look pretty sweet, perhaps i'll get them to replace with them instead. do they come in black??
No, no black. The body's machined from stainless steel, not cast in zinc like the others. Would be a bit of a shame to paint it black.

Quote:
now lets leave this subject alone shall we?? I dont think its fair to IPodPJ that this thread is taken off topic to the point where his and your build is forgotten. you certainly are obsessed; when someone releases one that can play in the same league as my current choices, i'll think about it.
Again, what exactly defines the "league"?

Quote:
well, its not copper, currently I can build a cable that is copper from head to toe, well except for a short length of rhodium (for HD6XX) or whatever the HD800 ODU connectors are based on. for a hardwired cable its possible to have copper from start to finish (other than the solder at the headphone driver, the BAXLR are solderless) with a thick silver plate and a solid teflon, peek, polyamide or delrin chassis
So how does the 8% tin in the Neutrik pins manage to screw things up? Or is the "league" you're referring to just an ideological/philosophical one?

se
post #2 of 37
11/1/09 at 3:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
I guess it depends on what exactly defines the "league."
This league:

Bocchino Audio has completely redesigned the xlr to incorporate a bare wire topology. What this means is that the xlr pins though the same dimensions as nominated by the standard at the insertion // receptacle ( front ) end have been redesigned within the connector to accommodate bare wire up to 4mm in diameter into a cylinder of 14mm depth. Such a generous receptacle bay will accommodate nearly every conceivable cable ever made for balanced line use. Each polarity of the wiring has a very long and generously sized cylinder into which it can be secured by either the 2 x M4 Stainless Steel grub screws supplied or the screw holes for the grub screws can be used to pour solder and hold the wire in place accordingly. The pins are manufactured from HCOFC ( High conductivity oxygen free copper: 99.94%+ Pure Copper ) and then electroplated with Pure silver >11 microns. Using Pure Copper for the pins greatly enhances the transmission of audio signals and especially low level detail with stereo holographic imaging enhanced and improved.

Manufacturers blurp admittedly, but you get the idea.
post #3 of 37
11/1/09 at 5:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwmclean View Post
Manufacturers blurp admittedly, but you get the idea.
Yeah.

It's kind of like Monster Truck rallies, the 1970's "spec wars" and Billy Mays all rolled into one.

And what's with this?

the pins are turned from solid billet 99.94% HC-OFC*** Copper Alloy 110 ( Pure Copper )

C110 alloy isn't an oxygen free, high conductivity copper.

C110 is just your basic, garden variety oxygenated ETP (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) copper.

C101 is oxygen free, high conductivity copper. And in order to meet C101 specs, its purity has to be a minimum of 99.99%, not 99.94%.

It looks like these guys are trying to pass off regular ETP copper as oxygen free high conductivity copper.

Not that it really matters unless you're going to be heating your XLRs in a hydrogen atmosphere, but you don't sell oxygenated ETP copper and tell your customer's it's oxygen free.

And check this out. A set of two male and two female XLRs sell for $425. However the same set with fine silver pins sells for $2,618.15!?!?!?

What the ****?

A few dollar's worth of silver jacks the price up by OVER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS!?

se
post #4 of 37
11/1/09 at 5:34pm
Your evading the point, I'm not going to argue the merits or cost of these connectors. You wanted to know what "the league" was. This is it, whether you like or dislike them for whatever reason - well that's up to you.
post #5 of 37
11/1/09 at 5:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwmclean View Post
Your evading the point, I'm not going to argue the merits or cost of these connectors. You wanted to know what "the league" was. This is it, whether you like or dislike them for whatever reason - well that's up to you.
So "the league" means anything that is priced WAY beyond its value and that its specs full of crap.
post #6 of 37
11/1/09 at 5:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
Yeah.

It's kind of like Monster Truck rallies, the 1970's "spec wars" and Billy Mays all rolled into one.

And what's with this?

the pins are turned from solid billet 99.94% HC-OFC*** Copper Alloy 110 ( Pure Copper )

C110 alloy isn't an oxygen free, high conductivity copper.

C110 is just your basic, garden variety oxygenated ETP (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) copper.

C101 is oxygen free, high conductivity copper. And in order to meet C101 specs, its purity has to be a minimum of 99.99%, not 99.94%.

It looks like these guys are trying to pass off regular ETP copper as oxygen free high conductivity copper.

Not that it really matters unless you're going to be heating your XLRs in a hydrogen atmosphere, but you don't sell oxygenated ETP copper and tell your customer's it's oxygen free.

And check this out. A set of two male and two female XLRs sell for $425. However the same set with fine silver pins sells for $2,618.15!?!?!?

What the ****?

A few dollar's worth of silver jacks the price up by OVER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS!?

se
I'm glad someone finally said it. These connectors and their prices are laughable at best. I can't believe people actually pay their outrageous prices when you can get high quality Furutech, Cardas, and even Xhadow XLRs for much less.
post #7 of 37
11/1/09 at 6:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by m1abrams View Post
So "the league" means anything that is priced WAY beyond its value and that its specs full of crap.
Like I said, I don't want to argue the merits or value of these connectors. The OP wanted to know at what "the league" was in reference too.
post #8 of 37
11/1/09 at 6:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwmclean View Post
Your evading the point, I'm not going to argue the merits or cost of these connectors. You wanted to know what "the league" was. This is it, whether you like or dislike them for whatever reason - well that's up to you.
I don't see that I evaded any point.

You quoted something which you felt exemplified "the league" and I simply summarized it at the beginning of my reply.

So what point exactly was I evading?

se
post #9 of 37
11/1/09 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyline889 View Post
I'm glad someone finally said it.
Well, if there's anyone who's not afraid to speak his mind, it's me.

Quote:
These connectors and their prices are laughable at best. I can't believe people actually pay their outrageous prices when you can get high quality Furutech, Cardas, and even Xhadow XLRs for much less.
Yeah, $100 a pop for an XLR is a bit outrageous. But six times that just for silver pins is nothing but pure cynical contempt in my opinion.

se
post #10 of 37
11/1/09 at 6:39pm
Your a flame thrower for sure, I can feel a torching coming on. The point being there is a market of extreme audiophile products such as BAXLR which some people claim to be a league superior to your regular Neutrik. I decline to comment on any benefits of such products - I am not versed well enough to know.
post #11 of 37
11/1/09 at 6:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwmclean View Post
Like I said, I don't want to argue the merits or value of these connectors. The OP wanted to know at what "the league" was in refernce too.
I think the problem here is implication. By using the word "league" you implied that they were much better. You cannot do this then back out of the argument. Better don that flame resistance suit, because you'll need it.
post #12 of 37
11/1/09 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by luvdunhill View Post
I think the problem here is implication. By using the word "league" you implied that they were much better. You cannot do this then back out of the argument. Better don that flame resistance suit, because you'll need it.
luvdunhill, I have not stated anything implying BAXLR being better. Also the original "the league" comment is not mine, I have only referenced it’s source.
post #13 of 37
11/1/09 at 7:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwmclean View Post
Your a flame thrower for sure, I can feel a torching coming on.
Flame thrower?

No.

You quoted a big load of bloviation and I simply called it what it was.

Quote:
The point being there is a market of extreme audiophile products such as BAXLR which some people claim to be a league superior to your regular Neutrik.
If BAXLR is exemplary of "extreme audiophile," then I have to ask just that means.

In the 25 years that I've been involved in the industry, it's been my observation that "audiophile" often has little or nothing to do with audio and more to do with a neurotic obsession with numbers and the purely quantitative.

Just an example:

Bocchino Audio has completely redesigned the xlr to incorporate a bare wire topology. What this means is that the xlr pins though the same dimensions as nominated by the standard at the insertion // receptacle ( front ) end have been redesigned within the connector to accommodate bare wire up to 4mm in diameter...

Accommodate bare wire up to 4mm in diameter?

4mm is about 0.16". That's just about the equivalent of 6 gauge wire.

As it is, the solder cups on typical XLR's will accommodate 12 gauge wire. Is 12 gauge wire not "audiophile" enough for line level interconnects or headphone cables?

An XLR that can accommodate 6 gauge wire has about as much to do with audio as a Monster Truck rally has to do with driving.

se
post #14 of 37
11/1/09 at 8:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
You quoted a big load of bloviation and I simply called it what it was.
Yep you did.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi View Post
If BAXLR is exemplary of "extreme audiophile," then I have to ask just that means.

In the 25 years that I've been involved in the industry, it's been my observation that "audiophile" often has little or nothing to do with audio and more to do with a neurotic obsession with numbers and the purely quantitative.

Just an example:

Bocchino Audio has completely redesigned the xlr to incorporate a bare wire topology. What this means is that the xlr pins though the same dimensions as nominated by the standard at the insertion // receptacle ( front ) end have been redesigned within the connector to accommodate bare wire up to 4mm in diameter...

Accommodate bare wire up to 4mm in diameter?

4mm is about 0.16". That's just about the equivalent of 6 gauge wire.

As it is, the solder cups on typical XLR's will accommodate 12 gauge wire. Is 12 gauge wire not "audiophile" enough for line level interconnects or headphone cables?

An XLR that can accommodate 6 gauge wire has about as much to do with audio as a Monster Truck rally has to do with driving.

se
I’m hearing ya, and your getting know argument from me.

post #15 of 37
11/1/09 at 9:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnwmclean View Post
I’m hearing ya, and your getting know argument from me.
What the hell kind of argument is that?

se
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