Do you like a tactile click? Are you a sucker for screws? Or something you can put in any direction? Maybe it’s yours or another country’s power plugs?
This is sounding more sexual than I intended I think
Plugging in a 1/4" jack into a guitar or amp is always pretty satisfying.
bzzzz bzzzzz bzzzzz pop
Even better with a delay pedal 💦
This is mine for sure. Never gets old.
I really enjoy my Eurorack system, but 3.5mm just is not nearly as satisfying and easy to plug and unplug.
- Best insertion: Displayport Locking
- Runner-up: Ethernet (RJ45), Apple 30-Pin (Locking)
- Best removal: Magsafe 3
- Runner-ups: USB-C, USB-B 3.0
- Best differential pair connector: Lightning (because it’s so consistent feeling)
- Runner-up: USB-C
- Best residential AC plug: British BS1363 (Type G)
- Best lightbulb base: Bayonet B15s
- Runner-ups: GU10, GU24, Fluorescent Bi-pin
- Best audio port: 6.35mm TRRS (1/4")
- Runner-ups: Banana Jacks, Neutrik SpeakON
- Best video port: HDMI
- Runner-ups: RCA Composite/Component, DVI, BNC, USB-C
- Best device-internal connector: JST GH series
- Runner-up: any miniature mezzanine connector
- Worst differential connectors: USB micro B 3.0, any ethernet cable with a bubble boot or broken latch, mini-HDMI, micro-HDMI
- Worst HF connectors: Coaxial, all miniature HF wire to board connectors (holy crap the naming is inconsistent) i.e. UFL, IPEX
- Worst audio connectors: cheap 3.5mm, spring clip terminal, binding posts (especially plastic knob ones)
- Worst residential AC plug: Europlug
- worst device-internal connectors: wire soldered through-hole, any Molex connector or power connector inside a computer
What’s wrong with europlug?
Worst internal connector by far is dual USB3, the cable is so thick and unwieldly, I always feel like the pressure from trying to bend it is going to rip the header off the board
TRUE especially since the pins are tiny. I bent two of them inside the shroud somehow and they snapped, so now I only have one front USB 3.0 port.
I dislike the US power plug way more than the Europlug (or compatible sockets like Schuko). It just slides in, only thing holding it in is friction. Also, there is a connection while the contacts are exposed, exposing the user to the risk of shock.
Also, I like DisplayPort more than HDMI, it clicks really nice on insertion and in my opinion pulling it out is also more satisfying.
Solid ranking, but on audio you’re neglecting XLR. Quarter inch jacks are indeed very satisfying, but XLR is so reassuring.
The few that I’ve used either require too much force to connect, or are just friction-fit only (like those Neutrik combo XLR + 1/4" receptacles you find on audio interfaces), but I’ll take your word for it. XLR looks like it should feel solid.
Even after silicone lubing all my molex they still suck ass. Hate those things so much
Had to go too far for BNC. You don’t often question of that’s seated properly… just if it’s terminated properly
BNC RG59 twist on locking coaxial connector is the superior locking cable form factor.
I have to agree on display ports. Best fit feedback ever.
- Best insertion: Displayport Locking
I’m glad that most of the older formats are gone. Screws are cumbersome, USB formats were intentionally varied for profit, and molex would break itself before you could seat it properly.
I love USB-C for its universality and SATA cables are a nice alternative to the old IDE. I wish they’d come up with a better solution to the plastic clips on my Ethernet and PSU cables.
As for my favorite… Maybe 3.5mm? I mean, it’s old as dirt but still super functional. Nice chunky clicks and usually a solid connection. I miss having a 3.5mm port on my phone. It obviously has some drawbacks, but it’s a solid contender.
Thumb screws are great for a secure connection that holds up, and can be undone at any time, and takes the stress away from the port itself, since the screws support the stress, so you cant screw up the port by accidentally yanking the cable out like you can with HDMI.
USB variants? You mean mini and micro? That was so products could be made smaller and smaller, cause no one wanted a phone that had a USB B slot on it, making the phone an inch thick.
Everyone has different experiences, but in all my years of PC building and repairs, I only ever had 1 problem with a molex connector, and it was cause the pins had corroded together (PC had water damage, was seeing if anything was salvageable.)
3.5mm its old as dirt and functional, but its also flimsy. a bad bump and you can break the connections inside it without breaking it externally… Which is what happened to my last pair of headphones…thankfully they had a replaceable cable.
USB-C is a major pain in the ass. You pick up a random USB-C cable. Okay… is it a charging cable, or does it have data? is it Slow speed or high speed? Does it support thunderbolt? Who knows! Hope you label them and keep them properly separated!
USB-A, USB-B, USB-B Superspeed, mini-USB, micro-USB, micro-USB-Super Speed. Some of those also presented the issue of not having a simple visual indication of whether it was USB 1, 2, or 3. At least with USB-C, the cables should all work, even if you get slower speeds, whereas a USB-B-3 connector wouldn’t fit a USB-B-2 port at all.
The solution to the USB-C mystery cable is to just get a pile of Thunderbolt cables and then you can be sure it’ll handle whatever the attached devices do.
I love XLR and mini-XLR. Durable connector, nice locking mechanism, satisfying click. Also very easy to wire yourself.
Did you know that XLR is also something of a standard for interchangeable sex machine attachments?
Most RJ-45 connectors (without a boot on them)… The connector only fits one way, the orientation is clear on both ends while holding, looking or even by feel if you have to do it blind and it locks into place easily. Only issue is how fragile the locking part is, which boots are supposed to help protect but make more difficult to use.
I like reversible connectors like lighting and USB-C but I find them too small and fragile in general and they are not very satisfying to connect.
I have a special hate for connectors that are HARD to blind connect or even tell at a distance like USB-A, HDMI and Displayport which are ether rectangles or slightly not rectangles that are close enough that is hard to tell in the dark behind a device.
I have a strong dislike for connectors with thumb screws, but like locking connectors like Centronics or as noted RJ11 or RJ45.
Terminating RJ-45 takes about 2 minutes if you damage the connector, and takes novice techies about an hour to get it down quick. You can’t say that about USB-C.
I love USB-C in a lot of ways but I also have two different projects that are sitting and waiting for me to solder in the USB C connectors, because JESUS H CHRIST. Those things were not built to be attached by human hands.
This guy plugs!
Seriously though. Those damn boots on RJ-45 cables are the bane of my homelab. Sure they protect the needlessly fragile prong on the connector, but have you tried unplugging a single cable from a full switch? I have to leave a pair of pliers next to mine for that. To hell with that! I’ll take SFP over RJ45 any day!
Special “Fuck You” to whoever invented micro-HDMI. Difficult to plug in, super easy to destroy. And for what? It’s not that much smaller that full-size HDMI. I had to send in one (out of warranty) mirrorless camera for service because on that, and it was super expensive.
BNC RG59 twist on, locking coaxial connector. The RG59 form factor is the pinnacle of locking cable connector form factors and should be implemented universally.
some connectors are designed to break easily. RG59 would not break, the device would break. Hence why one finds in middle connections.
Yes, some devices are not engineered or manufactured adequately to support the superior form factor that is RG59. Weakness is not permitted.
Garden hose. It has a satisfying click, and it stops water flow while disconnected 🤯
Where are you from? Because here in the US, our garden hoses do neither of those things.
These bad boys are the best thing about gardening in Britain
This is what’s used in Australia also, but what do they use in the US then, if not the clicky boys?
Nothing, just metal threading M-F connected to a tap usually. Not very satisfying!
I’m a sucker for any connector that has a nice solid spring load mechanism that pops into place when properly connected. It should sound like a movie sound effect of a gun being reloaded.
I’ve also used some really nice quick release steering wheels, like on race cars or racing sims, where they have a spline connector with a tight fit and a good spring load.
You ever used a Deutsch Weatherpak connector? We use them on mobile equipment. They have a spring loaded face seal then a solid lever lock that is plastic but substantial enough that it’s usable. They’re pretty good wire to wire connectors. I’ll take anything with a twist lock though, BNC etc.
My first is RJ45, it’s so clicky.
After that is everything held together by magnets. I bought a cheap magnet microusb cable for charging my headphones. It’s like magsafe but way weaker.Fuck a boot though. When trying to remove a bunch at once they just get in the way.
Apple MagSafe. The magnets snap into place with 0 effort. You can do it quiet or make it click. There is no worry about putting stress on the port, as it can just pop off and back on.
The only big downside would be for things that require constant power, there is too big of a chance for it to disconnect. And if you’re talking about data IO, there would need to be a ton of protections in place to avoid corruption if the connection is lost during writes.
I agree! And it’s reversible, and it’s specially satisfying by holding it from the cable and just approaching it to the macbook and feel (it happens too fast to see it) how it moves and snaps into place no matter what. It’s the only one ever I always have had a 100% success rate ever.
I like USB-C especially when it clicks.
I like Molex.
Said no one ever.
The best thing about Molex is I haven’t had to touch it for a while.
Beats the hell out of IDE.
Some will never know the pain of hitting the outside of their hand on a sharp corner inside a computer case while pulling on one of these.
Magnets. (How do they work?)
I replaced all my USB-C and Micro-USB connectors with magnetic ones. No more orientation worries, no more fumbling in the dark, no more not-inserting-it-hard-enough. Just bring the two into proximity and them magically snap together.
Bliss.
Yes. The Magsafe connector on MacBooks has a very reassuring snap and feels solid and durable. And the color coded light indicating whether it is charging or fully charged is very satisfying.
Those are only good for charging though, right? I haven’t seen any usb-c that support data transfer.
Yes, there are magnetic USB cables which do data. Here’s my review of one https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2021/10/gadget-review-subbytech-magnetic-charge-sync-cables/
I’ve seen one or two on Amazon that are c types with data, but I haven’t tried one yet. You are correct that most are currently power only.
I use a hose a lot and I kept breaking those shitty plastic fittings. I bought some high-end solid brass ones made by CK Tools and oh my goodness they’re satisfyingly clunky
Jumper wire into bread board.
Runner-Up: Paper clip into Socket
Finger in e27 socket 🤤
Was talking about IC sockets but whatever turns you on, i don’t judge
