I'm in with SY, I don't wanna use "fool's gold" or "snake oil" terms BUT expensive binding posts, connector, silver wire in OPTs and many other similar things are just placebos
the only way a silver binding post will lead to a better sound than a copper is that electrons will get high of being passed from a jewelry it's physics laws, if someone is happier by spending alot of money for something which is not scientifically important, he/she might really hear a better sound because he believes so, it's all mind conditioning. that's it
...hey, those push terminals could be made of real copper 
I am suspecting silver has some subtle problems, from the post I made earlier in post 51, an academic paper on measured silver suphide non linearity and this one from Tyco http://www.te.com/documentation/whitepapers/pdf/Ag_use_connectors_503-1016.pdf
I have been plagued by non-linearities from silver plated N-type connectors on a uhf radio system I work on, causing intermodulation. The black tarnish is a semi-conductor, which punches through with silver metal nano-wires.
I have been plagued by non-linearities from silver plated N-type connectors on a uhf radio system I work on, causing intermodulation. The black tarnish is a semi-conductor, which punches through with silver metal nano-wires.
real gold plating? wow thats worth it....
I love the OTT Bocchino pure OFC too (but $$$), brute force, the opposite of the ETI.
30A CC not enough? hehe someone is mistaken as to what their amp puts out methinks
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Also, the differences in the gauge of wires is partially due to self inductance. Almost no load for home use will ever draw 30 amperes of current. I'm not against a robust conductor or connector.
Silver sulphide (the black tarnish) is indeed a concern. I would imagine at UHF it could be more significant. In urban areas where the air is not so great, silver gets a sulphide coating much faster than in rural areas.
The issue of gold plating, afaik is not the quality of the gold, but the thickness of the gold. Most gold "plating" is a flash, microns thick at best. The better plating is thicker... Also pure gold is dead soft, so for utility "gold" has other metals added usually.
As far as plating and metals there is a fellow "auplater" on here who is an expert on this stuff...
Silver sulphide (the black tarnish) is indeed a concern. I would imagine at UHF it could be more significant. In urban areas where the air is not so great, silver gets a sulphide coating much faster than in rural areas.
The issue of gold plating, afaik is not the quality of the gold, but the thickness of the gold. Most gold "plating" is a flash, microns thick at best. The better plating is thicker... Also pure gold is dead soft, so for utility "gold" has other metals added usually.
As far as plating and metals there is a fellow "auplater" on here who is an expert on this stuff...
yeah, I know the difference
real copper is so soft its almost impossible to file or cut
brass is also strange stuff to work on, and clearly much 'tougher'
reliable companies ?
sure
but merely the color, or just one tiny percantage of a material, and they are in the clear to name it by that material
ofcours it would be more reliable if they stated 4% copper, or 1% gold, or whatever
but they don't, do they ?
because they can't ? or because they won't ?
normally they need to plate with something else in between the copper and gold to stop the copper and gold 'migrating' often this is silver. perhaps with tellurium this is not needed, but with OFC it is. direct gold plating is often stated as a plus, but either the copper or gold is an alloy, or the result will not last well.
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There are many imaginative people.
If you're interested in story-telling, there's no shortage of people willing to tell you whatever story you need to hear. If you're interested in physical reality, you've already been given that.
I say you are worrying about things you should not worry about. That's a large part of this hobby, worrying. If it makes you feel better, get the most expensive binding posts you can afford. There are many audio companies that will be glad to take your money.
Audio-nervosa fuels the industry.
So, dear SY, do you assert that there are no audible differences between resistors? How about two different brands or types of MF? Between MF and bulk foil? At different power levels WRT power rating?
I ask, because many still assert there are no audible differences, and many more asserted some years back that there were no bonafide measurable differences. Yes?
Today, with better measurement abilities, differences have been found and documented. Still, perhaps they are inaudible?
Your position is?
And, obviously I ask because it appears that you take the position that "wire is wire" and "metal is metal" and of course "binding posts are binding posts". All are equal?
I am not asserting that in many instances there are significant or even audible differences, just that there *are* some differences in some cases, and they may or may not be audible in any given circumstance or system - and it's not voodoo, or imagination.
And for the record, I greatly prefer a measurement over any conjecture or unexplained audibility.
I ask, because many still assert there are no audible differences, and many more asserted some years back that there were no bonafide measurable differences. Yes?
Today, with better measurement abilities, differences have been found and documented. Still, perhaps they are inaudible?
Your position is?
And, obviously I ask because it appears that you take the position that "wire is wire" and "metal is metal" and of course "binding posts are binding posts". All are equal?
I am not asserting that in many instances there are significant or even audible differences, just that there *are* some differences in some cases, and they may or may not be audible in any given circumstance or system - and it's not voodoo, or imagination.
And for the record, I greatly prefer a measurement over any conjecture or unexplained audibility.
Now you have to be concerned about the spade lugs, the solder, and the connection between the wire, the solder and the lug?
Before you worry too much about a replaceable part like a binding post, get the rest of your system to the point of near perfection - only then worry too much about the binding post.
And if you really want no compromise, use no binding post. Direct connection is king!