BillFitzmaurice.info

Gonna' be rebuilding a old snake. I've always used Neutrik connectors and swear by 'em, but the Amphenol XLRs are a buck cheaper - saving $30 on this snake repair.

Has anyone got experience with both? Actually solder some up? How do they compare as far as ease of installation?

Amphenol are fine. Their original models were basically clones of the original ITT Canon. You don't hear much about them, for the last few decades being relatively rare in the US.

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote:Amphenol are fine. Their original models were basically clones of the original ITT Canon. You don't hear much about them, for the last few decades being relatively rare in the US.

Thanks,

I've got a few of their 1/4" connectors and they look fine compared to everything else.

As far as the XLRs, I'm not a big fan of their jaw clamp, but on snake cable - it looks like it would be fine. I don't think I'd use it on mic cable though.

I'm a creature of habit and hate to change what works.....I guess I'm just looking for someone to say they've used a bunch of 'em and they are great.....or they suck.

Yes, I agree. Amphenol connectors are very comparable in terms of construction and quality to Neutrik. I recently used them to rebuild an old snake and they worked well. The biggest difference between a Amphenol and Neutrik is the clamping mechanism. Neutrik (and most clones) use a three jaw clam around the wire. Amphenol uses a crimp claw design. Both seem to work fine but I can see where the Amphenol might hold some types of cables better.

One other point to note is that for the male connector, Amphenol offers both a machined and a stamped pin option. I definitely would recommend spending the extra pennies to get the machined pins (p/n AC3MM vs AC3M).

Bruce Weldy wrote:I guess I'm just looking for someone to say they've used a bunch of 'em and they are great.....or they suck.

http://www.amphenol.com.au/about.html
Great Aussie company.

You'll find hundreds of thousands of these dotted around Australia (and the world) in Pro Audio, Schools, Churches etc, either in the original Cannon branded format or the later variants.

I've used all those variants. And never had a problem with a single connector, including the cable clamp.
Until recently sourcing a retailer with acceptable local pricing for Neutrik, they have been my go to connector for over 30 years.

If you're redoing a snake, and want to save some $, they will do you fine Bruce...

kkip wrote: One other point to note is that for the male connector, Amphenol offers both a machined and a stamped pin option. I definitely would recommend spending the extra pennies to get the machined pins (p/n AC3MM vs AC3M).

Yeah, I noticed that there was a better option......however, there isn't nearly as much price difference with that one as the cheaper one (that's the one that got me thinking about using them).

I was working on a different snake a few minutes ago that had the Yongsheng connector (pretty sure it's a subsidiary of Neutrik). It's just like the Neutrik as far as the wire clamp, but I can't seem to find any pricing on it here in the states.

Grant Bunter wrote:

Bruce Weldy wrote:I guess I'm just looking for someone to say they've used a bunch of 'em and they are great.....or they suck.

http://www.amphenol.com.au/about.html
Great Aussie company.

You'll find hundreds of thousands of these dotted around Australia (and the world) in Pro Audio, Schools, Churches etc, either in the original Cannon branded format or the later variants.

I've used all those variants. And never had a problem with a single connector, including the cable clamp.
Until recently sourcing a retailer with acceptable local pricing for Neutrik, they have been my go to connector for over 30 years.

If you're redoing a snake, and want to save some $, they will do you fine Bruce...

I bet they are cheaper where they're made. The better quality one will only save me 8 bucks for a quantity of 25. It looked a whole lot better when I was looking at the cheaper one. A lot more savings there.

Guess I'll stick with the Neutrik......or, I'll just see if I can salvage the old Switchcraft ones that are on there. But, I hate to think about taking them all off, cutting back the snake to expose clean, undamaged wire, then have to put those back on with the set screw strain relief.

Bruce Weldy wrote:I bet they are cheaper where they're made.

Ha! With world trade agreements and such, I doubt it.

Bruce Weldy wrote:Guess I'll stick with the Neutrik......or, I'll just see if I can salvage the old Switchcraft ones that are on there. But, I hate to think about taking them all off, cutting back the snake to expose clean, undamaged wire, then have to put those back on with the set screw strain relief.

Better off with Neutrik me thinks...

I'm a Neutrik XLR fan. Can't handle the screws in the Switchcraft XLR connectors, I've lost too many of them. I also like the fact that the plastic inner sleeve insulating the wires from the shell of the connector can be put on after I solder the wires to the pins, as I am a forgetful person and frequently forgot to put the paper sleeve over the wires before soldering the Switchcraft XLR pins. I also prefer the Neutrik strain relief to a set screw. Worth the extra $$ for me.

dswpro wrote:I'm a Neutrik XLR fan. Can't handle the screws in the Switchcraft XLR connectors, I've lost too many of them. I also like the fact that the plastic inner sleeve insulating the wires from the shell of the connector can be put on after I solder the wires to the pins, as I am a forgetful person and frequently forgot to put the paper sleeve over the wires before soldering the Switchcraft XLR pins. I also prefer the Neutrik strain relief to a set screw. Worth the extra $$ for me.

I agree with all of that.....would never buy new Switchcraft (old style). Although I've used several NOS connectors that we found at the studio for some projects.....free still beats easy.

I don't believe the Yongsheng connectors are available individually in the US. Parts Express uses them on their store brand (Talent) audio cables. I have a few of the Talent cables and have compared the connectors. They are not exactly the same as Neutrik put are very similar and seem to be decent quality. Definitely better than the cheap-o junk connectors you will find on some cables.

By the way, not sure which Neutrik connector you're planning to use, but I've been using the newer NC3MXX and NC3FXX which sometimes have a lower price. Plus, color rings can be added to each connector, which can be pretty handy. I read somewhere that Neutrik came out with the new connector because the patent on the original expired.

I also found that MCM has some of the best Neutrik pricing. Especially when buying 5 or more.

kkip wrote: I've been using the newer NC3MXX and NC3FXX

Yep, that's the ones I always get, too.

kkip wrote: I also found that MCM has some of the best Neutrik pricing. Especially when buying 5 or more.

I just checked 'em....they are a penny higher than PE, but there wasn't any quantity discount option...

Bruce Weldy wrote: I just checked 'em....they are a penny higher than PE, but there wasn't any quantity discount option...

Yes, you're right. On the male part, the 25 qty price is about the same between MCM and PE. The female part has a price advantage at MCM. You can use code WLCM10 for an extra 10% off at MCM which may or may not make up for higher shipping fees that they charge.

kkip wrote:

Bruce Weldy wrote: I just checked 'em....they are a penny higher than PE, but there wasn't any quantity discount option...

Yes, you're right. On the male part, the 25 qty price is about the same between MCM and PE. The female part has a price advantage at MCM. You can use code WLCM10 for an extra 10% off at MCM which may or may not make up for higher shipping fees that they charge.

Wow....that worked! I guess I'm gonna have actually get this project moving.

Thanks.