filosofi

Design Philosophy.

The original design philosophy and basis of inquiry into the whole range of audio binding posts and interconnector design evolved out of a personal distaste of the manner in which convenience and expediency seem to have overridden the need to maintain integrity in the audio reproduction chain. Even some of the most expensive amplifiers and loudspeakers still have only cheap brass binding posts. Internal wires are soldered onto lugs and clasped onto threaded shafts with locking nuts. Solder is a resistive material. Its resistance being in the order of over 100 times that of copper. Albeit the transit distance of the audio signal through the solder is only millimeters But! once one has heard audio through the Monopole® and the host of other bare wire copper components available here, the noise signature of a soldered junction soon begins to grate.

The sonic achievements of the Monopoles® and the other bare wire copper connector components were not a predetermined goal. They evolved as a consequence of seeking the simplest and yet most efficient method of linking the primary audio components together without sloppy interfaces and to maximize the most efficient transfer of information through those respective interface connections.

In all industries there are fashions least of all are those fashions imposed by cost-accountants. A manufacturer may build an image of integrity by way of excellent reviews of their product and once production increases, internal component quality decreases.
If image remains the only criteria then quality will soon disappear.
But quality costs money? Not so!
Quality has a seemingly high entrance price but a long low ( if not zero ) maintenance price.
It also delivers its 'Q' for the life of its appliance and some!
Long after the cheap binding post has done it glitzy dash the Monopole® will still be there delivering the same high quality audio with its transparent ( non-existent ) signature.

The design philosophy has evolved to fabricate the best possible product in its class. This has been achieved through extensive design drafts and prototyping; arriving at the current range of Bocchino Audio products.

Many items can be fabricated 'to cost'. All Bocchino Audio products have been designed and fabricated to 'performance'. And the best possible performance; without compromise.

What I have found surprising is the increasing amount of low-level information that is more and more recoverable with each stage of connector development. The effects of solder within the audio chain has not been as fully investigated as it should.

Conductivity and Metal Alloys.

All of the items fabricated by Bocchino Audio are fabricated from HCOFC: High Conductivity Oxygen Free Copper ( ; 99.94%+ Cu ); Pure Copper!

Most connector components are fabricated from Copper Alloys such as Brass or Bronze. Irrespective of the amount of the percentage of Copper in a Brass component and also the purity of that Copper used in a Brass component; in the end if it is made of Brass it will have the conductivity of Brass. Brass is Brass.
And the conductivity of Brass is nominally 20% - 28% that of Copper . Comparable to that of Nickel.
The reasons Brass is used in Audio Appliances is that it is cheap; it is easy to machine and it is relatively hard.
Pure Copper's great disadvantage is that it is expensive and very difficult to machine and relatively soft.
But it knocks the socks off Brass for performance.

Better Still is Sterling Silver and then Pure Silver; Both of which are very expensive but will give the absolute best in performance.

There is only one downside of using Pure Copper is that it dents at the slightest bump. The dents do not affect its performance.
Too many audiophiles buy on the basis of believing that appearance is paramount and most manufacturers pander to this need. The shiny glitzy finish is due to the substrate of Nickel ( Note 2 ) and new finishes on the non-gold areas that give the product its superficial sparkle. Its performance is common. There is very little difference between a standard brass component and the top shelf brass component; There is, however, an enormous difference between any brass component and Pure Copper component.
Until you hear it you will never believe it possible.

Bocchino Audio components deliver the best possible performance taking into account the use of the elimination of Solder and the use of very highly electrically conductive metals. ( Note 1 )

Some manufacturers also direct gold electroplate directly onto the Copper or Copper Alloy; though this may appear a good idea from an audiopurists point of view the Copper Metal onto which the Gold is electroplated will absorb the Gold and the connector will then begin to corrode. For this reason it is necessary to have a non-absorption barrier between the gold and the Copper.

All Bocchino Audio Pure Copper Connectors are >100% IACS in their electrical conductivity!

Consequences.

There are three domains of improvement as a consequence of using Pure Copper Connectors.

Firstly
Due to the very high electrical conductivity ( in most instances in the nano-ohm range ) the passage of the electrical signal is very fast.
The benefit of this is that all transients are extremely fast and with virtually zero colouration.

Secondly:
The very high electrical conductivity allows an enormous amount of information to flow through.
Listening becomes more intimate and all spatial cues from the original recording are better presented.
The listener goes from the flat '3D' so often mentioned by reviewers to a full bloom.

Thirdly:
Dynamic range is extended to the maximum possible.
This is especially noticed in the bare wire RCA connectors and also in the Solderable RCA connectors.

So next time you hear:

'Why doesn't someone fabricate a decent binding post?'

The answer is the Monopole® and especially the M13 MkV!

'Why doesn't someone fabricate a decent RCA connector?'

The answer is the Brenda^TM connector!

'Why doesn't someone fabricate a decent RCA chassis receptor?'

The answer is the TomCat^TM chassis receptor!

'Why doesn't someone fabricate a decent interconnector system?'

The answer is the MinMin-Lights^TM system!

'Why doesn't someone fabricate a decent XLR?'

The answer is the BAXLR^TM!

And to listen to it all: The Panda^TM Loudspeakers

My System

Return to Bocchino Audio Contents page.

Note 1

Though there are now some components that do accept solder, these are still fabricated from Pure Copper.

Their performance, compared to equivalent copper alloy components, is still light years ahead!

Note 2

Nickel has the property of becoming magnetic in the prescience of an electric field.

The more often electricity is passed through Nickel the more magnetic it becomes; Consequently a musical signal is compromised by this; fine detail and soundstaging are the first to go and gradually it all sounds like a mishmash and the listener loses interest because the sound becomes fatiguing to listen to.

Hence all the demagnetising products on the market today are there to help minimise the effect of the Nickel substrate; the effect of Nickel becoming magnetised in the presence of an electric field is called the 'Hall Effect'

No such problem with Bocchino Audio Products.