Right Angle Connectors Good or Bad?

A

audiomaniac

New member
So after building the Crack and Reduction with Integration upgrade kits, I am totally smitten with Bottlehead gear! I was wondering if there would be a downside to using right angle connectors such as Monster with my cables to give my Bottlehead gear a more finished look. I hesitate because it would be adding something else in the chain which might impact the wonderful sonic bliss I am enjoying. Any experiences that you've had would be greatly appreciated. BTW, thanks to Doc and the Bottlehead crew for such great and fun audio projects! ;D
 
You're more than experienced enough now to make yourself some cables!  The only tools you might not have that you'd want would be a heat gun and a hot glue gun. 


These will get the job done as right angle plugs.  There's a lot of information floating around online about the various choices of cable to use.  I'd recommend starting with something inexpensive until you get the hang of things.
 
I've used those connectors with Belden 1505F and Belden 89259 cable, both fit, and are fairly inexpensive.
 
To answer the subjective question: I hate, hate, hate right angle RCA connectors. They barely make sense on top panel gear, assuming the jacks are well spaced. Jacks on the back panel (especially vintage gear with tightly packed jacks) are where the problems really start. When the jacks are too close together, you end up having to insert your two cables with strange angles, angles that might block the next jack over. And once you have that plug placed where it physically can go, the cable has to go straight out from there. Is it pointing towards the next piece of gear in the chain...? Usually not.

Cables extending from straight plugs, on the other hand, stick straight up or out, allowing the cable to go where it needs to with a gentle bend in whatever angle and direction is needed (not whatever angle is possible). I do like the straight version of those Switchcraft plugs; every cable in my system is using those with Mogami 2549.
 
I second the Switchcraft plugs. This is were you end up after the more expensive stuff doesn't work out...John
 
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