Amphenol ACPS-GN Stereo

Get a couple of these to make some cables for a home studio.

First of all, I like the size of the shell and its weight - it's lighter, narrower and a bit shorter, relatively to the Neutrik NP-style plugs. That makes Amphenol plugs ideal for a studio usage with a bunch of tight-placed input jacks and for a long-term applications, where you need to set and forget it for a long periods of time, i.e. in a patchbays or for connection studio monitors to your soundcard. Besides that, the lighter weight creates less stress on the input sockets, especially if it stays constantly plugged-in. But in a live setup and situations, I think you can found the smaller shell of these plugs a little less handy, then accustomed bigger-sized Neutriks.

The second - these plugs are really pleasure to solder! To be honest, much, much easier, then, again, the aforementioned Neutriks. Amphenols haven't required any additional treatment - just standard applying bit of a solder to the contact plates and tinkering the cable wires - and that's all!

The only downside, that I have noticed - one of the two plugs I've bought have slightly different radius of the tip and sleeve parts. When plugging in a TRS jack input, it feels way more stiffer, then another, and requires more power to take it out of socket. So it seems like an inconsistent quality or a lack of the quality control.

In terms of reliability, I can't say much, because at this moment I have not enough amount of these plugs to make any noteworthy statement. But they seem and feel pretty sturdy.

All in all, considering the price, I definitely would recommend these plugs primarily for using in a studio setup or in applications, where you don't need to reconnect them every day and every hour.

There is something trusty in quaintness of Amphenol approach to design, packaging and stance of Amphenol jacks that I really love. Very simple packaging devoid of testosteron fuelled graphics and outrageous claims carries a jack that is remarkably well thought-out, properly well-made and durable.

PRO
- easy to assemble & joy to use for years after
- Feels humane to handle, sturdy, reliable yet smooth.
- Properly dimensioned to the specs (those who had contact issues with sloppily dimensioned jacks will know what I am talking about)
- nice price

CON
None whatsoever.

I've been using Amphenol connectors for a few years and they've proven to be reliable in both band and professional audio applications. The brand has been associated with military, industrial and automotive connectors for many years, but more recently has moved into the audio market.

The connector has a precision feel and look to it. The terminals are well-spaced and provide excellent solderability. There's an internal three-claw crimp cable clamp that's enhanced by a further rubber strain relief, though the maximum cable diameter is limited to around 6.5mm or so - maybe a little more at a squeeze.

Overall these plugs offer excellent value for money from a respected brand.

These plugs are great. They're robust and professional looking, and they really do make a nice change from the ubiquitous "Neutrik" plugs that we see all the time - and I believe they're a bit cheaper too. I soldered up some leads with these plugs (I did XLR - stereo jack configurations for balanced mic leads) and the Cordial cable, and the leads I've created are really lovely. Professional, stylish and rugged... and they look just that little bit different from Neutriks!