24k gold/Rhodium plated banana plugs

[panditji]

Hi

Does anyone have experience with any improvement in sound by replacing cheap quality banana plugs in the speaker cables with the 24k gold/Rhodium plated plugs? Do copper plugs make any improvement in sound over the cheaper regular brass connectors?

I understand Furutech and WBT make Rhodium plated connectors but I found a number of chinese ones as below:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-p...id=2a0229e8-fa53-4fc5-90bf-2b18cf42e82e&tpp=1

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fre...lgo_pvid=5c79aceb-ebff-4b3a-b18a-13d1a0f95f83


You think it's worth spending the above mentioned prices to get a substantial improvement? I currently use the brass Nakamichi plugs...

 

[dheerajin]

if you are not changing speaker cables frequently then bare wire connection is best IMO. Why to keep one more resistor(banana plug) in between.

 

[prem]

I presently use bare wire but mine is tinned copper. If bare wire is copper it will oxidise very quickly and sound quality starts deteriorating.

In the past I have had WBT Nextgen, Vampire, Chinese stuff and Superior Electric. Amongst these, Superior Electric seemed to do the least damage. FWIW, Superior Electric are the guys who invented the 5 way speaker binding post.

 

[panditji]

Dheeraj/Prem, I use the Mogami 3103 cable who claim it to be oxygen-free high purity copper and have no plans in changing it as it seems like a good cable...Let me try and fix it bare onto the speakers... Will come back with the findings...

 

[prem]

When used bare, it will oxidise. Sound quality will deteriorate.

 

[jls001]

Dheeraj/Prem, I use the Mogami 3103 cable who claim it to be oxygen-free high purity copper and have no plans in changing it as it seems like a good cable...Let me try and fix it bare onto the speakers... Will come back with the findings...

I've been through this with the same Mogami speaker cable. It oxidises. So I ended up fitting gold plated bananas.

 

[panditji]

Ok...So I do need rhodium plated copper connectors since Joshua says the cable oxidises over time...

Anyone in for a group buy? There seem to be a number of Furutech looking rhodium plated copper connectors in China... Please message me if interested or share other similar products in the similar price range or cheaper...

 

[mpw]

are u ok with spades ?

i can send a quad over to you ?

i have extras

got them from DiY audiocart

you will have to solder the speaker cable to these.

 

[panditji]

Thanks very much Mahesh but no soldering for me sir....Simple screw in I would prefer..

 

[dheerajin]

might sound bit funny, but it is the best way to avoid banana plugs.
Have tin plating on bare ends of speaker cable and make bare wire connection with speakers. You need to google only "TIN PLATING IN FARIDABAD".
And I am sure , you will get this plating free of cost.

 

[panditji]

I put the bare cable directly into the speakers yesterday and the sound was a little better.. Since I have very long lengths of the speaker cable, I don't mind chopping off an inch every year after the monsoons due to oxidisation..... My speaker wire of total length of 7 m cost me the same as the Rhodium plated banana plugs from China... I might as well change my speaker cables every 10-15 years instead of putting money on the plugs...

Thanks Prem and Dheeraj for your suggestions and Mahesh for your generous offer..