Gold component connectors

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

How important are gold component connectors? Also is there really
much difference between say the $80 Monster component connecters from
Circuit City as opposed to the $20 RCA ones sold at Wal-Mart?

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Jim Gilliland" <usemylastname@cheerful.com> wrote in message
news:A7ydnQ1Cq_W9mATdRVn-ug@adelphia.com...
> Cary wrote:
> > How important are gold component connectors? Also is there really
> > much difference between say the $80 Monster component connecters from
> > Circuit City as opposed to the $20 RCA ones sold at Wal-Mart?
>
> This topic has been widely discussed here. Use Google to search for
> past discussion.
>
> Bottom line - gold is useful to discourage oxidation. If you use gold
> connectors, you won't have to clean them as often.
>
> As for the difference between Monster and other brands, yes, there is a
> significant difference. That difference is price, merchandising, and
> advertising. The actual cables aren't significantly better.
>
> Monster cables are generally pretty well-made. If they were sold at
> reasonable prices (say 75% less than their actual prices), they'd be a
> decent value. But I wouldn't pay such a high price for them.
>
> Personally, I recommend going with the cables from Walmart, Target,
> Amazon, etc.
>

I agree, Monster cables are better than average I am sure, but certainly NOT
worth the difference in price. Personally I have and will continue to buy a
decent gauge off-brand cable. You can find these at lots of places, here in
Austin, I would try Fry's Electronics or Altex. Radioshack has nice cables,
sure they may be radioshack brand, but you will not notice the difference.

What cracks me up is the thought of spending 99 bucks on DVI cables or 70
bucks on OPTICAL cables. I mean those are DIGITAL! You can NOT get
degradation unless its a REALLY REALLY bad cable... monster is just out to
scam you on digital cables....

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

A major point missed in most of these discussions involves basic metals
science. As a rule "Don't Mix Metals"! Thus if your inputs are gold use a
gold cable connectors. But what if you have gold on your SACD player's
output and non-gold on your receiver? You would think the folks at Monster,
and its ilk, would offer cable sets with gold at one end and non-gold at the
other; but nooooo. That is because they are not selling a product backed by
good science but by the pure science of smoke and mirrors. What is wrong
with mixing metals? The contact point the the different metals cause the
flow of electrons across the junction that promotes the removal of metal
from the contacts, increasing resistance.

Richard.