Why are there no 'high-end' 1/4" headphone jacks!?!?!
Mar 24, 2014 at 6:03 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 11

milosz

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For RCA connectors and speaker connectors we have WBT, Cardas, Furutech-  to name a few.  Prices range up to over $100 for an RCA jack.
 
But for headphone jacks we have... Neutrik locking connectors (which I find annoying)  and there's nothing particualrly wonderful about these, except they are a bit more robust than a Radio Shack jack.  And they lock.  Which must be useful in some situations.  Maybe in fighter jets.  
 
 
Is anyone aware of anything more substantial, better engineered out there than Switchcraft or Neutrik?
 
Mar 24, 2014 at 6:24 AM Post #2 of 11
http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/px-series/np3x-b
 
http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/px-series/np3rx-b
 
 
If that isn't expensive enough for you -
Find the discontinued version with Swarovski Crystals.
The crystals protect the signal against voodoo-degradation and solar-flares . Honestly !
 
As a guy who has years of experience in the pro-audio world I can tell you that there is a very good chance
that the original signals where carried by Mogami-cable @3-6$ pr meter, terminated with .. Neutrik-plugs .
 
Mar 24, 2014 at 6:28 AM Post #3 of 11

Neutrik NP3X-B

or the angled version

Neutrik NP3RX-B

Sorry, I do not have permission to link to them .
If that isn't expensive enough, find the discontinued version with Swarovski-crystals .
The crystals protect the signal against solar-flares and deliver crystal-clear bass, mids, highs and superior soundstage -
 
Honestly ! .
 
EDIT :
'plug' or 'jack' .. If you mean 'the other one' :

Neutrik NJ3FD-V

for PCB-mount
 
Mar 24, 2014 at 6:55 AM Post #4 of 11
The Cardas 1/4" stereo headphone jack.

Available from The Parts Connexion.
 
Mar 26, 2014 at 4:59 AM Post #5 of 11
The Cardas 1/4" stereo headphone jack.

Available from The Parts Connexion.

No such thing on the Parts Connexion site, or the Cardas site
 
If you can find it on the Parts Connexion site, give me the part number   http://www.partsconnexion.com/connectors_brand_cardas.html
 
-or-  http://www.cardas.com/parts.php
 
1/4"  phone PLUG by Cardas, yes, but no JACK
 
Mar 26, 2014 at 5:01 AM Post #6 of 11
The Neutrik 
  http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/px-series/np3x-b
 
http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/px-series/np3rx-b
 
 
If that isn't expensive enough for you -
Find the discontinued version with Swarovski Crystals.
The crystals protect the signal against voodoo-degradation and solar-flares . Honestly !
 
As a guy who has years of experience in the pro-audio world I can tell you that there is a very good chance
that the original signals where carried by Mogami-cable @3-6$ pr meter, terminated with .. Neutrik-plugs .

 
Those are plugs, not jacks.
 
Mar 26, 2014 at 5:12 AM Post #7 of 11
 
 
EDIT :
'plug' or 'jack' .. If you mean 'the other one' :

Neutrik NJ3FD-V

for PCB-mount

Yeah that's a jack, and there are the Neutrik NJ3FP6C-BAG locking panel-mount jacks that many of the headphone amps have- in plastic or metal - these are nice but really don't offer anything over a standard jack except the locking feature, which is a nice way to yank your $1000 headphone amp down off the shelf.
 
What I'm saying is that we have the WBT  RCA jacks at $120~$150 a piece but no equivalent for 1/4" TRS jacks.  
 
NOTE:  I AM NOT SAYING THAT MORE EXPENSIVE / FANCIER / NICER JACKS WOULD SOUND BETTER.
 
The reason I'm interested has to do with my appreciation for well-engineering, positive-feeling, beautifully made mechanical things. Same reason that some people like Jaeger-LeCoultre mechanical watches- not because they keep better time than a $5 quartz watch, but because they're beautiful objects in and of themselves.
 
 

 
Mar 26, 2014 at 6:46 AM Post #8 of 11
The Neutrik ones look hideous to me, honestly. 
 
I saw some that looks pretty cool, but have no idea what brand. Can't remember what amp has them though...its a full metal hexagon shape, sort of look like a screw?
 
Mar 26, 2014 at 6:55 AM Post #9 of 11
Jul 13, 2016 at 6:35 AM Post #11 of 11
Yeah that Lumberg looks nice and I bet it's well made but it's 3.5 mm not 1/4"  my HE-6, LCD-2 and HD-800's won't plug into a 3.5 MM jack and using an adapter kind of defeats the purpose.
 
Maybe I'll have to start manufacturing one myself.  I have in mind one that has a larger contact area, and that has a lever-operated clamping mechanism instead of just a push-fit, the whole business machined from Teflon and 305 stainless, with gold plated OFC copper contacts.....$150 each, or more.   If people will pay $700 for an Alps RK50 volume pot- AND THEY DO!- surely there is a market (albeit small) for a high-end phone jack.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/351409768631?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
 
Alps RK-50  About $700 

 

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