Regrettably, the hunted treasure will usually be a bottle of snake oil and not the knowledge to understand what's going on. Anyway, it doesn't matter to most hunters...if you don't want to consider that something interesting may be occurring, or be relevant, that's fine, but for those with curiosity who come across something doesn't make sense at first glance, it may be a signal for a treasure hunt ...
wow, really?
a proper solder joint is made by first creating good contact between the 2 metal terminals, pin on pad, or wire in soldercup etc. the solder should only serve to keep/reinforce the direct connection.
People in the audio game are constantly paying big money for "special" gear. And just as constantly selling it once the novelty wears off, because all the person was hearing was a difference, rather than a significant improvement.
I look for certain indicators in the language used when people describe what their system does for them, and only a rare few will use these particular ways of talking about the sound. From personal experience I understand what the person is trying to convey, and believe that that there was a genuine, significant advance ...
I look for certain indicators in the language used when people describe what their system does for them, and only a rare few will use these particular ways of talking about the sound. From personal experience I understand what the person is trying to convey, and believe that that there was a genuine, significant advance ...
Trouble is, there is no such thing as a "good contact" between 2 metal terminals, unless strongly crimped or similar, it starts to degrade the instant after clean metal is exposed. Until a true gas-tight situation is created the contact is quite unstable - the solder serves to provide that protected environment, and enhances the conductivity.
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That might work if you only do point-to-point wiring.
With through-hole components on PCBs, there's no guarantee of a good connection between the component lead and the copper surrounding the hole it goes through. With SMT, the solder is generally between the component and the copper pad.
If what you guys say was true, we could use non-conductive glue instead of solder.
How is a 'good contact between two metals' made on a through hole PCB? Most axial components and pre-wetted surfaces are all wrong? That's hard core.
You do to make the joint permanent. Nonconductive glue will seep between the metal surfaces and create an insulating layer. It will also provide close to zero barrier against gas permeation and consequent corrosion.
There's a delightful example of this shown in "Building Valve Amplifiers," where a preamp had operated for years with an unsoldered joint, then eventually failed.
I won't go so far as to claim that no current flows through the solder, but in a well-made joint, it will not be a lot and the voltage drops are totally insignificant.
True, in my experience. Though my old boss, Ben Rich, talked a bit (with permission) during the writing of his biography.
A good joint may have some metal-metal contact before soldering (so might work OK, for a while). After soldering it is quite possible that solder has inserted itself everywhere where there was not a gas-tight microweld. Solder has worse conductivity than copper so current will prefer to flow where the solder is thinnest. Skin effect may play a small role too, forcing current towards the surface which will be mainly solder.
Debating where the current goes is something of a red herring. The real issue is that for a good joint between a component and a tag most of the connection resistance will probably come from the component lead rather than the solder (or from component internal resistance). Therefore the solder conductivity is almost irrelevant; we are safe to continue to choose solders on the basis of how well they make joints, not on how they 'sound'.
Debating where the current goes is something of a red herring. The real issue is that for a good joint between a component and a tag most of the connection resistance will probably come from the component lead rather than the solder (or from component internal resistance). Therefore the solder conductivity is almost irrelevant; we are safe to continue to choose solders on the basis of how well they make joints, not on how they 'sound'.
not all wrong, but certainly not optimal. this is why cold weld/crimped, or fused contacts are preferred for reliable and/or high current connections. if GOOD contact between good conductors is made, the solder represents a considerably higher impedance, thus most current will flow through the direct connection.
I love the slight of hand technique here again, moving the goalposts by providing an example that is NOT what was being talked about. with PTH components, if you arent pressing the lead against the plated through hole while soldering, you are doing it wrong. if no direct connection between conductors (even tin on tin) is possible, erm.. of course its best to use what is there than nothing, but you are the person who brought up this example, dont pretend its what I was talking about because its more convenient for your argument.
it would certainly be better if a tinned copper or paladium/silver/copper lead termination (not uncommon on high end SMD parts) was pressed against an ENIG pad, then soldered, than reflowed with too much lead solder for example, but that would be why high end applications are often fusing metal to metal...
to return back to what I actually said, if there are 2 metal objects you want to join and you can press one against the other, then solder to retain the connection...best to do so...
its important to note that i'm not claiming audible effects here, just that this is the preferred and correct way to make a joint, just using a blob of solder to fill a hole with a wire dangling into it..is not.
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Thanks for the advice, but I don't have any interest in becoming a quack, a charlatan or a huckster.
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Every time I work on my old Adcom 535 amp, I'm amazed it even plays that well. Single sided boards with through holes you can drive a truck through them (ok, a bit of exaggeration there!) and some pins of the output transistors sitting a 1/16 of an inch off the pad. Many of those connections were definitely not metal on metal contact.
Reviewing previous posts show who's moving posts. Like most here I'm fully aware of the ideal way to make these connections. That however has little to do with the reality of modern assembly which leaves solder as the primary electrical connection.
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