So regardless of the fact that it’s about an optical connector here, and hence completely nonsensical, gold is actually a worse conductor of electricity than copper or silver. The point of gold plated connectors is not so much to improve the immediate audio quality, but to prevent oxidation of the connector over time, which can degrade quality and lead to bad contact. Gold is a noble metal, so doesn’t oxidize. I would think most audiophiles know this?
I used to have to replace the cable of my electric guitar every few years because the sound would get crackly or drop out intermittently, I eventually got one with gold plated 6.35mm plug and I’m still using that same cable 15 years later.
You are correct; the point of gold plated contacts is anti-corrosion and long service life not for absolute highest conductivity.
I’m a ham radio operator; I have some silver-plated antenna connectors, because antenna feedlines are dealing with extremely weak signals on receive, so any loss you can eliminate in the connector the better. Problem is they corrode to hell everywhere they aren’t tightly screwed together. For consumer AV equipment the signals are basically never weak enough to bother with that.
I would think most audiophiles know this?
They’re not marketing to audiophiles. They’re marketing to dudes and dads. They aren’t trying to get the guy hooking a manual turntable up to a tube amplifier, they’re trying to get the guy attaching a PS5 to an LG TV to a Sonos soundbar. They’re going for the guy who is spending middle class money on AV equipment without bothering to understand it.
I have no idea, and I don’t particularly care either, it’s not like it was some wildly expensive cable (though I don’t remember the price) … I just know that I saved myself a whole lot of inconvenience.
So regardless of the fact that it’s about an optical connector here, and hence completely nonsensical, gold is actually a worse conductor of electricity than copper or silver. The point of gold plated connectors is not so much to improve the immediate audio quality, but to prevent oxidation of the connector over time, which can degrade quality and lead to bad contact. Gold is a noble metal, so doesn’t oxidize. I would think most audiophiles know this?
I used to have to replace the cable of my electric guitar every few years because the sound would get crackly or drop out intermittently, I eventually got one with gold plated 6.35mm plug and I’m still using that same cable 15 years later.
You are correct; the point of gold plated contacts is anti-corrosion and long service life not for absolute highest conductivity.
I’m a ham radio operator; I have some silver-plated antenna connectors, because antenna feedlines are dealing with extremely weak signals on receive, so any loss you can eliminate in the connector the better. Problem is they corrode to hell everywhere they aren’t tightly screwed together. For consumer AV equipment the signals are basically never weak enough to bother with that.
They’re not marketing to audiophiles. They’re marketing to dudes and dads. They aren’t trying to get the guy hooking a manual turntable up to a tube amplifier, they’re trying to get the guy attaching a PS5 to an LG TV to a Sonos soundbar. They’re going for the guy who is spending middle class money on AV equipment without bothering to understand it.
Wish I’d thought of it.
I wonder if, in the 15 years of not buying the cheap cables, you managed to come close to saving what you paid for that ten cents of gold plating.
I have no idea, and I don’t particularly care either, it’s not like it was some wildly expensive cable (though I don’t remember the price) … I just know that I saved myself a whole lot of inconvenience.