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Monster Cable interconnects too tight

I have some older Monster Cable RCA interconnects that grip the connectors on my gear too tightly. One time, I removed the interconnect from my Adcom amp and part of the Adcom's connector ripped off the unit with the interconnect. Another time, the connector stayed on the Adcom, but the solder broke inside the amp's housing, causing an intermittent fault. I always try to use a gentle, twisting motion to remove the interconnects.

I described this problem to a local hi-fi dealer and he said that Monster Cable interconnects are known for gripping too tightly. He suggested that I apply a tiny dab of automotive transmission fluid to the connectors with a Q-tip before inserting the Monster Cable. This seems strange to me -- it would lubricate the connection, but wouldn't it also reduce electrical conduction?

Has anyone tried using any type of lubricating fluid to deal with this problem? I just bought some new electronics, and I don't want to have any problems like I had before. I may not buy Monster Cable again for this reason, but I would like to keep using the cables I have. Thanks.
javachip
albertporter's avatar
albertporter
4,927 posts
 
Albertporter...What is "microarcing"?

Type it into Google, I got over 10,000 hits. Must be a lot of others that have heard of it. There are references to low voltages and high voltages in applications from audio to radio.

If after looking over some of the examples you choose not to believe it's a factor in high end audio, chalk it up to another difference in opinion between you and I.
armstrod
498 posts
 
Albertporter,

My cables did indeed install themselves, and burned themselves in to boot! :-)

Actually, I was merely commenting about what I had observed, having just purchased my first bottle of DeoxIT. Since I have no way to analyze it, and it doesn't say on the bottle, I have no idea what it actually is, but the fact remains it looks, feels, and smells exactly like automatic transmission fluid. I'm sure ProGold is completely different.

Just my $.02
albertporter's avatar
albertporter
4,927 posts
 
Armstrod, I was teasing you, I do this all the time at Audiogon to amuse myself. I admit I have not tested automatic transmission fluid.

For all I know it and WD 40 work as well as Caig Pro Gold, but my fear is applying an untested substance to any of my equipment or software. (Remember peoples CD's damaged by the Armor All treatment idea?).

Anyway, Caig is cheap, $10.00 won't break anyone at Audiogon and I have had good results with it.

As everyone here likes to say, "Your mileage may vary."
armstrod
498 posts
 
Albertporter,

I agree 100% - I'm sticking with the Caig.

I'll just have to train my cables better in the future...

:-)
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Albertporter...Please note that I did not assert that your fluid has no effect...only that micro arcing seems like an unlikely explanation. The basis for my view is that unless there is a difference of electrical potential there can be no arc, and I doubt that any audio connector is so bad that it allows a measurable differential potential. Micro arcing in connectors occurs when the mechanical contact is seriously loose, for example due to differential thermal expansion of aluminum wire and copper terminals. The term is also used in other contexts, for example: to describe discharge through microscopic holes in the dielectric of capacitors.

To tell the truth the best connector is no connector...in other words solder the wire at one end, like a "captive" line cord. I had a Mission CD player that had a captive output interconnect, and that too (IMHO) was a good idea. Of course this prevents trial and error experiments with different power cords and interconnects, and so is definitely non-audiophile.

Oh, and by the way...we agree about line array speakers.
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