The terminations at the ends of interconnects are part of the transmission path and vital to it. High-quality terminations are essential to a quality interconnect. We want a large surface contact between the interconnect's plug and the component's jack, and high contact pressure between them. Ecosse plug terminations are soldered to the conductor using Supersolder™, our zero-tin (tin is high in impurities which increase conductor resistance), ultra-high conductivity solder. more...

Supersolder™ is our new ultra high purity lead-free 5% silver and tin alloy solid wire- used in conjunction with our unique, passive organic flux. Together these ensure a joint with ultra low chemical contaminants and very high strength.

Terminations become oxidized over time and the connection can become 'bad' to the point where clearly audible distortion occurs. To reduce this concern Ecosse uses gold or silver plating on our plug terminations. Many of our competitors do not take this care and attention in their terminations-they use tin/leaded solder and run the risk of galvanic corrosion

Ecosse are the only company in the world offering non-compressing copper RCA plugs on our premier/premier+ analogue, digital and video interconnects, and grain-free Monocrystal™ plugs (RCA and XLR) in our more expensive audiophile/reference grade cables. more...

No interconnect plug should grip a cable with a collet or grub screw action - as this type of plug (used by most-if not all-of our competitors) compresses the signal. Audiophiles should note that collet-action or grub screw plugs can sometimes compress the cable impedance as low as 25 Ohms, resulting in signal reflections, which can be disastrous-particularly for digital and video signals.

To maintain continuity and optimum conductivity, these contact points are made from OFC copper - same as the conductor wire itself-don't be fooled by inferior yet similar-looking impure brass plugs as used by some of our competitors, these are cheap and nasty! In our RCA's, both centre pin and the return terminals (or "shells") are either direct gold or silver hard-plated OFC copper. (others use 'flash-gold' plating which is a very thin coating that wears away very quickly and soon looks tarnished-you have been warned!)

The plug casing is precision machined from highest quality copper alloy and is deep-plated. This thick casing offers further shielding - effectively a second 'Faraday Cage' - and reduces the ingress and radiation of EMI, ESI and RFI 'noise' even further, to virtually zero.

The interface of shells* (see below) and casing is one of high mechanical impedance, dissipating energy and rendering microphonic effects negligible. The full assembly represents Ecosse's Premier Plus Grade RCA termination for smaller diameter cables and we believe the Ecosse MACH1 RCA to be the best available price wise, electrically, mechanically and aesthetically - anywhere!

The interface between the wire and the component is an important one, and a poor connection can result in mediocre sound. For this reason, we have developed RCA connectors using our patented Monocrystal™ (single crystal) high purity copper for the contact pins to provide the best transmission of detail in the signal. In addition, the tolerance of the plugs has been machined by computer controlled high precision lathes to quality standard ISO9000 and ISO9002

This aerospace level of precision is not over-kill, since a "gas tight" connection lowers contact resistance and reduces the corrosion from air-borne contaminants, allowing better sound over long time periods. All joints are mechanically compressed before solder is applied to ensure a strong bond, which will endure a lot of movement without breaking.

The full assembly represents Ecosse's Audiophile Grade RCA termination for smaller diameter cables and we believe the Ecosse MACH2 RCA to be the best available in this price range, electrically, mechanically and aesthetically - anywhere!

For the MACH2XS we use the same construction as for our awesome (if we say so ourselves) MACH3 RCA's except, to reduce costs, the contact pins are copper not Monocrystal copper.

N.B. All the info stated above for the MACH1 plug equally applies for the superior contacts conductor-material MACH2.

Our most sophisticated RCA plug assembly (see photo top of page -right)-the awesome MACH3 frighteningly expensive constant-impedance (non-compressing) RCA plugs.

To maintain continuity and optimum conductivity, these contact points are made from copper - same as the conductor wire itself-don't be fooled by inferior yet similar-looking brass plugs as used by some of our competitors, these are cheap and nasty! Both centre pin and the return terminals (or "shells") are either direct gold or silver hard-plated. (others use 'flash-gold' plating which is a very thin coating that wears away very quickly and soon looks tarnished-you have been warned!)

Ecosse's ultimate Audiophile Reference Grade connectors use Monocrystal™ (single-crystal) ultra pure copper to provide the very best transmission of every detail in the delicate audio signal. The interface between the wire and the component - particularly in higher-end systems - is an important one, and a poor connection can result in compromised sound. more...

The terminations of a cable are critical. We keep a set of tools and solder station purely for Monocrystal to avoid cross-contamination. The wire and plug pins are deoxidised just prior to soldering; the solder is Pb-free and is a 95% Sn/5% Ag alloy with resin core and a pre-heat with the gun reduces the soldering time to avoid the wire heating up too much and recrystallization of the structure.

The XLR plugs are direct Cu-plated Monocrystal Cu the dielectric is polypropylene (less sonic signature than PTFE) and the body is non-ferrous. These factors reduce jitter (in a digital cable), signal-loss and reflections and play an important role in the transmission of maximum information. It is extremely unlikely that the other cables have been assembled taking these parameters into account. The roughness in the treble and information loss is symptoms of increased jitter, although many other factors in the analog domain can cause similar effects.

Both the signal centre pin of these RCA connectors and return terminals (or 'shells'*) are of fastest-transmission-rate Monocrystal™ Copper. Their dielectric is low loss, low storage Polypropylene dielectric,

Here, the shield/shells grip the cable firmly but without compressing the cable, ensuring that the crucial characteristic impedance is maintained. A heavy, silver-plated brass body, with twin high tensile fixing screws, clamps this double-shielded assembly uniformly and without stress.

All joints are mechanically compressed before Supersolder™ is applied to ensure a strong, durable, ultra low impedance bond. The joint is then sealed with Polyurethane lacquer to protect the joint from degrading environmental contaminants.

The plug casing, itself comprising of 3 parts, is precision machined from highest quality copper alloy and is deep-plated with tarnish-resistant silver. This thick casing offers further shielding - effectively a second Faraday Cage - reduces the ingress and radiation of EMI, ESI and RFI 'noise' even further, to virtually zero.

The interface of shells* (see below) and casing is one of high mechanical impedance, dissipating energy and rendering microphonic effects negligible. The full assembly represents Ecosse's "state of the art" RCA termination for large diameter cables.

The Ecosse MACH3 Ultima RCA is the very best plug available electrically, mechanically and aesthetically - it's the best we've ever encountered!

1. They provide a terminal to which the return/screen conductors can be firmly crimped and Super-soldered.
2. They incorporate tiny teeth that grip the cable firmly and evenly around its circumference without compressing the cable and thereby maintain the cable's characteristic impedance right up to the solder joint.
3. When assembled, they form a Faraday cage, screening the signal right up to and including the RCA socket.
4. They form a union of high mechanical impedance with the outer casing, dissipating energy and therefore rendering the plug immune to the effects of microphony.
5. They firmly locate and clamp the centre pin's polypropylene dielectric, which, in conjunction with the outer casing, results in a strong, stable and extremely durable structure.