The surest way to ultimate original sound reproduction: Explaining "unplated" banana plugs
The vivid sound world brought by "unplated" banana plugs that 90% of people don't know about, and maintenance tips for long-term use
Hello everyone. This is CABLECRAFT Onkodo.
It's a great pleasure for audiophiles to change speaker cables and exclaim, "The sound has changed!" But do you pay attention to the "terminals (plugs)" beyond that?
This time, we're daring to choose "no plating." We'd like to discuss the appeal of our hidden popular items, the original unplated banana plugs BP-208B / BP-146B, and the "depth of maintenance" that can only be enjoyed with unplated products.
1. Why "unplated" now? What are the benefits?
Generally, banana plugs are made of highly conductive copper alloy and then surface-treated (plated) with gold or rhodium.
The reason is simple. The base copper is highly susceptible to corrosion, so plating is applied to "prevent rust (corrosion)." However, when sound quality is the top priority, there is a "barrier" that cannot be overlooked.
Why plating "colors" the sound
In general gold plating, nickel is used as an undercoat. This nickel layer is magnetic and is said to be one of the causes of sound distortion.
In fact, copper has better conductivity than gold. Gold plating is for oxidation prevention, but in terms of ease of electrical flow, the plating layer acts as a kind of "resistance," slightly reducing conductivity.
What we want to introduce this time is an "unplated" banana plug that eliminates all unnecessary processing: BP-208B / BP-146B
First, regarding the characteristics of unplated plugs, as the name suggests, they are not surface-plated.
Unplated plugs were developed to eliminate the effects of plating and pursue the reproducibility of the original sound.
However, as mentioned earlier, copper is very susceptible to corrosion, and its conductivity quickly deteriorates.
The points mentioned above can be summarized as follows:
| Features | Typical plated plugs | Onkodo original unplated plugs |
| Conductivity |
Plating layer adds resistance |
◎ |
| Original sound reproduction | Some resistance so ⚪︎ | ◎ |
| Maintenance | Almost unnecessary | Regular maintenance required |
| Cost-effectiveness | More expensive due to more processes | Excellent cost-effectiveness due to simplicity |
While unplated plugs offer overwhelming original sound reproduction at a low price, they do have the disadvantage of rusting. However, by regularly polishing them, it is possible to maintain and improve their performance.
2. [Practice] Reviving 5-year-old plugs. Unplated maintenance anyone can do
"But they'll rust quickly and the sound will get worse, right?"
You might think so. Here, let's look at the BP-208B that has been in active service for 5 years in our test environment.
The surface is certainly oxidized and tarnished, but actually, the part that touches the jack isn't that degraded, and the sound isn't "unlistenable."
But here's the main event. Just a few minutes of polishing with compound...
Look at this shine! By polishing, we were able to almost completely remove the rust and restore the direct copper conductivity to like-new condition.
Inner maintenance, changed with a single cotton swab
Furthermore, lightly polish the inside of the contact part with a cotton swab or similar tool.
This alone will instantly clear up the previously clouded high-frequency range, restoring an overwhelming amount of detail.
If you do this for all plugs, you will regain an incredibly high sound quality. This "feeling of bringing sound back with your own hands" is surely one of the joys of audio, isn't it?
3. Staff felt the depth of "unplated"
We actually tried listening with the polished plugs.
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High-frequency extension: The high frequencies extend very well, with good transients and a rich vocal range.
The sound immediately after polishing feels vivid and resonates directly.
Interestingly, some staff members find the vivid sound right after polishing to be "a bit fatiguing." Conversely, some find that the sound is "calmer and easier to listen to" after a little time has passed and oxidation has progressed. This also varies depending on the system and genre you're listening to.
"Should I intentionally leave it for a while and let it settle into my preferred sound?"
Such a way of enjoying the sound is a luxury unique to unplated plugs.
Summary: Bring "freshness" to your system.
Onkodo's original unplated banana plugs are a confident product of "low price and high quality" made possible by our in-house design.
"Something is missing from my current sound."
"I want to bring out 100% of my cable's performance."
If you feel this way, please experience the world of "unplated" at least once. Polish it yourself and restore the conductivity. Such an audio life, though requiring a little effort, is surely not bad.
Products introduced this time
ONKODO BP-146B Uncoated, Unplated BFA-type Banana Plug (Phosphor Bronze)
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BP-146B (Standard type, versatile and easy to use)
▶︎Go to product page>>
ONKODO BP-208B Uncoated, Unplated BFA-type Banana Plug (Phosphor Bronze)
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BP-208B (Large, high-rigidity type)
▶︎Go to product page>>
