this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2023
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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is a bad example. Aux cables use analog signals therefore signal integrity actually matters for sound quality. If this was a cable used for digital signals like SPDIF of HDMI or USB then it wouldn't effect quality; that being said using gold or another coating (someone mentioned chrome nickel) will help with reliability and corrosion over time.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It's actually a good example. Putting aside corrosion, there is no difference in sound (that's what the meme is about). Coming to corrosion: oxidation will increase the contact resistance which is not frequency dependent. So, at max, it will make the signal slightly smaller but not "worse".

Actually, mixing gold-plated plugs and tinned receptacle contacts is even worse considering the mismatch in contact resistance

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

From what I can recall, the reason gold plating is so common is because it protects the connector from wear and corrosion.