First impressions Eichmann Bullet Plugs

EProvenzano · « **on:** 3 Jan 2003, 05:48 am »

I'll start off my saying I have not built the cables around these plugs yet. My comments are strickly on their build quality.
I have to say that someone is getting rich real quick on these things!
20... maybe 30 cents worth of plastic goes into these plugs???
I'm rather disturbed at how much these terminations cost judging by their apparent build quality. The plastic, excuse me "polymer", is not even sturdy. It feels like you could easily squeeze and crack the collar. Come on, we're audiophiles we know what top quailty parts are suppose to look and feel like! Eichmann could have built these a bit sturdier at these prices. Also, I don't like set screws, but if you're going to use them please put TWO on each plug! One set screw makes for a clumsy lop-sided connection. I'll be doing a modification to these plugs to incorperate a second set screw. At this point they better sound very very good compared to the Cardas AGMO's I usually use.
My recipe is not unlike the CVH silver IC's. Based on my reading I wanted to try these Plugs because I'm hoping they'll be a synergistic match with silver IC's.
I'm done griping now. After all it's the sound that matters. I'll report back later.
EP

markC · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Jan 2003, 02:29 pm »

I'd be quite interested in your results as I am just waiting for my teflon tube to arrive, and then build the CV silver ic's. I'm going to use cardas slvr rca's. I figure silver rca's on silver wire can't be a bad combo. Guess I'll find out.

Wayne1 · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Jan 2003, 03:00 pm »

Be VERY Carefull when you solder with them. If you heat up the ground pin too much the polymer around it will melt.

I heat up the end with the pins on it first with a heat gun set to 450 F. This softens the polymer a bit. I then plug the end into a Cardas RCA Female to hold it in a pin vise while soldering.

Tin the ends of the wire you are going to solder first. Use a good low temp solder like the Cardas. Apply heat VERY sparingly.

The Bullet plugs do not look like Audio Jewerly. Even the Silver Bullets for over twice the cost look the same. The connectors are direct gold plated over copper. There is NO brass involved. The Silver is four nines solid silver. No plating.

They just happen to sound better than any other Audio connector I have tried, including ALL of the Cardas and WBT. In comparison, the metal plugs all tend to have a "glare" in the upper mids and treble area.

If you plan to cover the Bullet Plugs with heatshrink, use a heatgun set to under 500 F. If you use anything around 800 or above, it will melt the polymer.[/img]

EProvenzano · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Jan 2003, 05:19 pm »

Thanks for the great tips Wayne.
The last thing I want to do is ruin one of these plugs. I'll be soldering 30awg Fine Silver to the Plug with WBT solder. What temperature do you recommend I set my soldering station? or what wattage iron will not over heat the polymer...25 watt?

BR,
EP

Wayne1 · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Jan 2003, 07:41 pm »

I prefer to use a high temp. very quickly.

I use 800 F. and the Cardas solder.

Just make sure you tin the Silver wire with the solder first.

Hold the wire in place on the pin with something like the X-acto helping hands.

Then heat the wire/pin combination while applying the solder. As soon as the solder flows remove the heat.

EProvenzano · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Jan 2003, 03:09 am »

TY Wayne.

ABEX · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Jan 2003, 02:20 am »

I agree about how someone is getting rich off them.I noticed the same thing.If you can get away without using Plugs that is even better.

What I have learned in my travels is that in many area's less is sometimes more and the saying fits concerning the plugs.

Price WBT's and the like and you will find they are competitively priced.How about the new Silver Bullets. I found the price of them are not worth the extra $$ compared to the standard type.

mgalusha · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Jan 2003, 03:30 am »

The little set screw is not very usefull. I use a bit of hot melt glue on the end. It looks crappy but once a bit of heat shrink tubing is applied, the heat from shirinking the tubing melts the glue and as the tubing shrinks it forces the glue into the top of the plug resulting in a very neat, nice looking and very solid termination.

I had occasion to remove a set of bullet plugs from some experimental cables (that were awful) and the found the hot melt glue looked like it had been molded in by a fancy factory machine. It was very easy to remove as well.

Mike

EProvenzano · « **Reply #8 on:** 13 Jan 2003, 06:03 am »

UPDATE:
I've now completed all the soldering of my new Bullet Plugs. Still have not listened to the finished product yet.
The soldering was a breeze! Very easy with a simple 15W iron. I didn't need to hold the iron in place for more than 5 seconds and the WBT solder flowed into place smoothly. I have had no problems with over heating the plugs and I like that I was able to knock off all my soldering for one set in about 5 minutes.
I did take Wayne's advice and have the plug firmly plugged into an empty RCA socket. I did this for fear of over heating the polymer and, as it turns out, this was a handy third hand.
I am still a little concerned about the durability of this plug. I am using 30awg Fine Silver and I will be thinking long and hard about how to fasten this plug to the cable so that I remove all stress from the fine wires at the connection points. I appreciate all your comments on this. I like the idea of hot glue at the top of the collar but this does not keep the cable from sliding down into the plug if someone were to push on the cable while the plug is fastened to a socket, there by cramming the wires into the back of the plug. Also, this lends itself to shorting of the wires. I know you'd need to be very aggressive when handling to do this, but I'll likely be giving these cables to a friend, and I want to make them as bullet proof (no pun intended) as possible.
I've posted pics of my assembly progress in my gallery.
BR,
EP

bubba966 · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 Jan 2003, 08:43 am »

Quote from: EProvenzano

I am still a little concerned about the durability of this plug. I am using 30awg Fine Silver and I will be thinking long and hard about how to fasten this plug to the cable so that I remove all stress from the fine wires at the connection points.

Adhesive heatshrink. Maybe some hot glue in the barrel as well.

The adhesive shrink should work pretty good. I used it on the CC89259 speaker cables I made with the stuff bought from the HD goup buy John setup. Maybe a piece long enough (3 1/2") to cover 2" of the cable below the end of the barrel. 2" should be plenty to grip the cable leaving the other 1 1/2" to adhere to the barrel.

EProvenzano · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 Jan 2003, 02:28 pm »

Thanks B,
I'll be using the adhesive shrink but I wanted to add one more item. The set screw is useless in my application. I thought of adding another set screw but this is proving too difficult to be practical.
ho humm....

audiojerry · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Jan 2003, 08:51 pm »

No way to a/b of course, but having heard Wayne's cable with the bullet plugs, the lack of glare and harshness is a fact. If Wayne gives credit to the Bullets, then I for one am a believer.

markC · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 Jan 2003, 07:36 am »

So EP, you must have those wires complete by now; how do they sound?

EProvenzano · « **Reply #13 on:** 2 Feb 2003, 03:32 am »

Sorry about the loooong delay!

My wife and I have been very very busy since the birth of our twin boys. We're still visiting the hospital frequently to visit them since they were born premature. Hopefully a couple more weeks of this and they'll be comming home.

Well i finally did get around to finishing the Eichmann/CVH cables. How do they sound??? I'm not sure. I've only had them hooked up for a day and they need much more break in time. Therefore, at this point I think my older cables sound a little smoother, and they did require about 3 weeks to sound their best.
I will be sending these Eichmann/CVH cables to a friend, who owns many more cables than I have, to do some comparisons. I trust his ears and his system is top notch.
When/If the cables return to me, they should be broken in and I can do a comparison with my AGMO/CVH cables. I plan on building another set of Eichmann/CVH cables in the next few weeks.
Once again sorry for the delay but my priorities have shifted...a bit

BR,
EP

Marbles · « **Reply #14 on:** 2 Feb 2003, 04:15 am »

EProvenzano, the best sound in the world right now is the sound of one or both of the twins crying.

Ce la vie..yup, that's life!

Congrat's and I hope you will always appeciate what's important.

markC · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Feb 2003, 03:38 am »

A belated concrats EP! Hope all is well.

andyr · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Feb 2003, 08:40 am »

Guys, I bought 2 x 4-packs of the 'normal' Bullet Plugs (I didn't know they had a special silver version out!!) because of Steve Rochlin's "enjoythemusic.com" review of RCA plugs. I must say I have not compared them myself but a friend did, against the RCA plugs he normally uses.

Now the theory of the construction of the Bullet Plugs (with an earth "pin" instead of a collar) sounds sensible but my friend's comment was that they sounded like any crappy plug which did not use teflon for the insulator around the signal pin. So I haven't used them.

So I'm interested in these posts which - forgetting construction issues - say they sound terrific. Are you sure, guys?

Regards,

Andy

asull2k · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Feb 2003, 09:46 pm »

1. Trust your ears.
2. Your friend's wrong.
3. Eichmann's sure look cheap

Marbles · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Feb 2003, 10:46 pm »

Your friend's right, they suck, so why don't you sell me those connectors cheap

andyr · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 Feb 2003, 10:50 pm »

Quote from: Marbles

Your friend's right, they suck, so why don't you sell me those connectors cheap

I can do that Marbles but I have a sneaking suspicion that you're trying to con me (and really, you luv dem Bulletts!)

Regards,

Andy