niccon 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2010 New to diy . Intend to diy a new 3.5mm jack for earphone cable and lod cable thus wondering which is a better choice in term of performance improvement or both is equally good? The cable for earphone is twag and lod is both twag and qable Silvercab-pro which i am modifying the connection. TIA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dennis28288 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2010 (edited) in terms of looks and build quality, i think the Viablue 3.5 mm is better. However do consider cost, for the price of 1 viablue, u can easily buy 2 switchcraft jacks. Do consider pailicc plugs, you can get them from koba. Very handsome plugs which are slightly more expensive than neutrik, but cheaper than switchcraft and viablue. You might want to neutrik first as it is the cheapest and relatively easy to solder. Edited July 31, 2010 by dennis28288 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plexcio Acoustics 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2010 (edited) Do practice on Neutrik plugs when you're just starting. Perhaps the most practical plug to me is the Switchcraft plugs as the plugs are more sturdy and easier to solder compared to Viablue plugs. Viablue plugs do look good in pictures but when it came to the real life object I wasn't so impressed with the plastic feel and the stress relief isn't great either Performance wise, unless you have ears that are so extremely sensitive, there's practically no difference. Edited July 31, 2010 by Plexcio Acoustics Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niccon 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2010 (edited) However do consider cost, for the price of 1 viablue, u can easily buy 2 switchcraft jacks. ya it is the cost that prompts me to post for clarification here. i wasnt keen to spend more unless there is a good reason to do so. Btw I just found out the price of vaiblue is almost the same as switchcraft, under 2dollar diff. Edited August 1, 2010 by niccon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niccon 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2010 (edited) Do practice on Neutrik plugs when you're just starting. Perhaps the most practical plug to me is the Switchcraft plugs as the plugs are more sturdy and easier to solder compared to Viablue plugs. Viablue plugs do look good in pictures but when it came to the real life object I wasn't so impressed with the plastic feel and the stress relief isn't great either Performance wise, unless you have ears that are so extremely sensitive, there's practically no difference. dont think my hearing is so sensitive. can i clarify that if plug makes almost no diff then the solder will not be much of a concern right? i was intending to use solder with silver content, looks like i can fall back on normally solder. Edited August 1, 2010 by niccon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plexcio Acoustics 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2010 I use silver solder mainly for the improved strength. I do feel silver solder is worth it because it isn't a whole lot more expensive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niccon 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2010 I use silver solder mainly for the improved strength. I do feel silver solder is worth it because it isn't a whole lot more expensive. oh..which silver solder then , there is a few to choose from. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plexcio Acoustics 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2010 I use mundorf silver solder which cannot be found in Singapore as far as I know. Switchcraft plugs cost $8 each. Half of Viablues Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niccon 0 Report post Posted August 1, 2010 I use mundorf silver solder which cannot be found in Singapore as far as I know. Switchcraft plugs cost $8 each. Half of Viablues Wow, please advise where to get at $8, i was told at the price is around $10-12 depending on which shop i buy from. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plexcio Acoustics 0 Report post Posted August 2, 2010 You can get some from Koba at $6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niccon 0 Report post Posted August 2, 2010 You can get some from Koba at $6 many thanks, thats is a lot of saving for me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SvenMZ8 0 Report post Posted August 2, 2010 mundorf silver solder can get from leda resources Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plexcio Acoustics 0 Report post Posted August 3, 2010 I'm using their silver/gold solder Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niccon 0 Report post Posted August 5, 2010 (edited) koba do not sell the switchcraft connector with gold plated but ordinary plastic 90deg type. i went to LHS to get. mundorf silver solder can get from leda resources lazy to order, since i was at koba, bought a small pre packed 4% Ag solder from them. it looks more shiny then normal solder which i used. is this how other silver solder look like too? Edited August 5, 2010 by niccon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dennis28288 0 Report post Posted August 6, 2010 (edited) lazy to order, since i was at koba, bought a small pre packed 4% Ag solder from them. I hate to say this but, bad choice bro... not to say that their products aren't good. but i recently bought a 4% silver solder from them and it can barely stick on my connector. Most of the time, i ended up mixing it with normal 60/40, tin/lead. However viewpoints may differ from person. As a beginner, i'd advice going for normal 60/40 or the 2% silver. I can't say anything about the mundorf silver solder since i'm yet to try. Edited August 6, 2010 by dennis28288 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites