Is mmcx a bad connector?

[BruceHugo]

I am just curious what peoples thoughts and experiences are.

 

[vessel]

I do not find MMCX to be very durable, the connectors tend to be fragile enough that normal wear and tear inevitably kills them. They can also be a challenge to get in and out, I've had a few that were so tight it felt like something might break every time I swapped them. I've only recently tried 2-pin so I don't have comparable experience yet but so far they seem to be more durable and easier to use.

 

[hanihanhan]

I've heard horror stories for both sides. MMCX can be a bit too tight or too loose and may break, but my personal problem with 2 pin is that the pins sometimes break off inside the socket. Then, not only is your cable ruined, your socket is as well. Personally I prefer MMCX.

 

[napsack]

Assume the person is very careful when using the earphones with normal use & rarely swapping the cables. The MMCX has much shorter life span compare to other systems.

 

[hanihanhan]

The MMCX has much shorter life span compare to other systems.

Could you elaborate about this a little bit? I'm curious to see why this would be.

 

[silverfishla]

I have a lot of earphones with MMCX connectors. I have never had one break, per se. The main problem with them, for me, is that not all connectors or receivers are of the same tolerance. Meaning, some can be loose with some cables and not have a good connection. Conversely, some can be so tight, that disconnection can cause damage to the earphone socket (for example, pulling the socket out of an iem or yanking the cord apart from a cable). It's more about finding the two parts that fit snugly but not overtight. You run into trouble when you start switching cables from all sorts of manufacturers and swapping around.

 

[vessel]

I have a lot of earphones with MMCX connectors. I have never had one break, per se.

I find that incredible. I've gone through maybe 6 MMCX cables over the past several years, at least 2 of them failed because the cable sheath broke down and exposed the wire inside, the rest failed because a connector started shorting out (or completely stopped working). That said, I've mostly only used very cheap cables so far so that could be a factor in my experience. The nicest cables I've used have been the ones included with the Orivetti New Primacy, I made it through two of them before my warranty expired.

 

[PointyFox]

I've used mostly cheap cables (<$22) and have never had an issue. Some MMCX connectors are rated to 10,000 connections I believe.

 

[xanatizer]

I'm leaning towards 2.5mm for all my sets because of this. Have the mini plugs fallen out of favor for some reason?

Old thread, I know...