I must be an idiot - need help

[Soundminded]

Sorry to tell you that the idea is not new - this has been brought up to high-end long ago. You will have to work harder ...
Picking the misleading and poorly founded devices to attack the whole high-end is an usual tactic, I hope you can do better. No one pretends that everything is perfect in high-end.

I'll just have to lie awake at night thinking up some new gremlins that haven't been discovered yet and the sure cure fix for them. I see someone already beat me to the punch on vibration in wires. Frankly I never thought there was much money to be made in green felt tip pens. Anyone still using those

 

[treitz3]

Hello, George. I'm surprised those are AQ connectors. I have the AQ SC's and like microstrip, I have not cleaned them with the exception of using Caig Deoxit when I first got them. They look as good today as the day I got them. No tarnish whatsoever.

Tom

 

[mep]

Considering the lunacy in the high end audiophile market, I'm surprised nobody has brought up the very real phenomenon that occurs when different metals are in direct physical contact.

Isn't that called galvanic corrosion?

 

[Soundminded]

Hello, George. I'm surprised those are AQ connectors. I have the AQ SC's and like microstrip, I have not cleaned them with the exception of using Caig Deoxit when I first got them. They look as good today as the day I got them. No tarnish whatsoever.

Tom

Ah, that's the secret, Deoxit. Maybe it leaves behind a thin residue of silicon that acts as a barrier to sulfur compounds. So who makes the best sounding contact treatment, WD40? Caig Deoxit? Carbon tet? (Shhh, I still have a can of.....f$$$n.)

 

[treitz3]

Please allow me to clarify if you don't mind, Soundminded, before there is any misunderstanding or confusion. It wasn't "just" the Deoxit. Caig sells a kit I buy that includes not only this but from the same company Deoxit Gold, which is what they claim to be a contact conditioner and protector. I have no idea whether this was what protected my silver SC bananas or whether it was the metallurgy within said ends. All I'm saying is that I was surprised, seeing as how it was an AQ product. Different lineup perhaps? Your guess is as good as mine as I haven't found the need to research any aspect of this.

As to makes the best sounding contact treatment? IIRC, there is a thread in the depths of this forum that discuss exactly this.

Tom

 

[NorthStar]

---Anyway, George provided us with some very explicit pictures.
...And the main cause of its big issue.

Solution (for him) is or 1. to clean them real good, or 2. to simply replace them with other spade lugs (or banana plugs).
...And to contact Nordost, because of those special "ribbon" (very flat and thin) speaker wires.

There isn't two ways about it. :b

 

[kach22i]

Please allow me to clarify if you don't mind, Soundminded, before there is any misunderstanding or confusion. It wasn't "just" the Deoxit. Caig sells a kit I buy that includes not only this but from the same company Deoxit Gold, which is what they claim to be a contact conditioner and protector.

I purchased such an item 4-5 months ago in yet another attempt to vanquish the tarnish (Radio Shack and it wasn't exactly cheap). At the time I was considering using Tarn-X but could find nothing on the topic. Perhaps my experience will help others in the future as I know What's Best shows up readily on most search engines. I intend to treat the silver spades with this product unless anyone thinks it's a bad idea. Unprotected seems like a worse idea right now to me.

In the process of flipping my room around 180 degrees to get it ready for a flat TV over the fireplace, I discovered that my cat has been busy chewing up the power cord to my right channel Martin/Logan Aerius loudspeaker. This may have added to the problem, I'm going to do an upgrade on the power cord now, yet more money going out the door.

None of the chew marks seem to have punctured though to the encased wires, but there is no way this will stand like it is for long. I just don't trust it.

 

[NorthStar]

---What a lovely cat!
* Solution: Get rid of him?