Neutrik NTP3 RC-B

Alright. This thing is the real shit.

I mean, a was looking for a replacement connector for my headphone (sennheiser hd280pro) to use mainly with my ipod. The original flat connector was getting old, plugging it in and out made it thinner and thinner, a bit bend,...

So I decided to change it as well as the cable, bit tired of the telephone-like one. And what a change !

This little thingy is so well engineered. It's nice looking, it feels strong and long-lasting, it's easy to mount (you have instructions about the right length to cut and denude your wires !!), you have a strain relieve mechanism that prevent the tension to propagate on the soldering, this mechanism adapts to the size of the wire, you have some kind of flexible plastic that isolate the end of the connector so no dust enters it. It has a powerful aura of quality !

I'm speechless, when I look a it, I feel a deep love between us. It's the beginning of a beautiful story and I'm looking forward to the many great years we're gonna spend together.

Bless you Neutrik.

I've learnt to solder my own cables back in the days when you just could not buy them, you had to make them.

Today it seems there exist all sorts of cables, with all sorts of connectors, for any audio or music purpose. But with a common element, unfortunately: they're almost all stupidly cheap, senselessly mass-produced, and bound to fail soon.

I have used these Neutrik angled "mini-jack" connectors for a carry-around (reduced) kit of effects that's meant to connect with iPad, laptop, solid-state pocket recorder and other hand-held gizmos.

The clutch that grips the cable internally has a cleverly designed z-shaped profile that proved effective even with the infamous "back-pocket torture" of denim jeans trousers where teenagers keep their portable device.

My son's headphone connection to his iPhone lasted three years after I replaced it with this Neutrik eighth-inch plug, and I'm sure its angled design actually saved the headphone out on the iPhone from being pried-off as any run-of-the-mill, straight-out connector would have done it.

Like with all Neutrik connectors, then, soldering is made quick and easy by whatever gold-hued alloy this thing is plated with: be it the traditional solder thread, or the newest, EU-approved one, a fraction of a second does the preparation, while a fraction of a second secures the cable for good.

After repairing headphones for over half my life (I don't know if I'm to blame for the breaking or if the connectors are all junk) my genius co-worker bought me one of these to try and they are amazing.

As long as you get this connected properly and your cable is thin enough to fit in the "locking mechanism" (shouldn't be a problem to fix it with a file/knife if to big) the connector is pretty much indestructible. You can jank the cable without it starting to glitch and I love the 90* angle.

The only thing (except maybe cable thickness) to think about is to not use a to hot soldering iron, I did this once with a iron that was to hot, and ended up melting the plastic isolation inside of it, but then again, maybe it was just bad luck/bad skills.