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Any experiences with Eichmann Express Bullet Plugs

Some of you may have read recent articles about the re-designed RCA plugs from Australia, the Eichmann Express Bullet Plugs (most unfortunate choice of names if you are Jewish or remember the Holocaust...). These plugs have gotten some excellent reviews in HiFi+ mag, Ultra High Fidelity, etc. For more info about this RCA plug, check out the following Web links:
1. http://www.eichmanncables.com/home.htm
2. http://www.uhfmag.com/Issue63/interconnect.html

I was wondering if any of our members have had personal experience with this RCA plug. I am specifically interested in learning about whether it is difficult to install these puppies on your own interconnects (or whether this should be done by a dealer), how they "sound" (particularly compared to other high-end RCA's, such as WBT's, etc.).

Brooklyn Audio, one of the main dealers here on Audiogon, is selling these RCA's for $36 for a set of 4, which strikes me as a very reasonable price if the plugs perform as advertised.

I am thinking about buying a set of 4 to try on the interconnect between my preamp and power amp. Any comments / input would be welcome.
sdcampbell
6 responses Add your response
ultrakaz
187 posts
 
I use these connectors on the 47 Labs OTA cable (because the OTA connectors are easily broken and difficult to get a contact with). The connector is very easy to work with, just follow the directions very carefully on the Eichmann website, especially the part about heating the casing and using minimal solder- less is more in this case.

I believe the bullet plugs to be the next best thing when compared to the OTA connector. The OTA connector is more transparent (because there is no solder or disimilar metals) but will only work with very thin solid core cables (27 gauge?), and is about $15.00 per connector.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I use these connectors on the Empirical Audio Holophonic unshielded IC. I have custom versions made and I modify them for better strain-relief. The plastic housing is good because it adds little capacitance to an unshielded IC. I could not make 3.8 pF/foot IC's without them.
sonic_genius
528 posts
 
I have them on some (brand-x) cables. Quite frankly they are cheesy IMO. Do not like having to use a hair dryer to make them fit. Do not care for the plastic (don't try using a heat gun). Sonically I have many cables that sound better with a variety of connectors from Cardas to WBT. As far as cheap cables go, my old Audiodyne Multipath cables with the BNC ends sound best. Many forget that the equipment jacks can be far worse. I would hardwire all my gear if I planned to keep it forever!
hdm
1,062 posts
 
I also use the Bullet Plugs with 47 Labs OTA. I had a dealer terminate them for me as I have no experience soldering. Before the Bullet Plugs, I had the OTA terminated with a fairly cheap Ultralink RCA (about half the cost of the Bullet Plugs) to see if I'd be interested in keeping the OTA. I felt that the OTA was promising with the ultralinks (and better than my Silver Audio Silver Bullet 6.0's which have silver WBT locking RCA's), and was almost hoping I wouldn't hear a difference when going to the Eichmann's, but they were audibly superior (both the Bullet Plugs and Ultralinks were soldered with Cardas silver solder). By comparison, the Ultralinks were kind of boomy and distorted in the bass, and the Eichmann's were clearly a lot more revealing of detail and more musical at the same time. If they're a fit with your cables, I'd definitely go for them.
hassel
248 posts
 
I tried the Bullet Plugs with an Oehlbach XXl-cable, which already had excellent WBT-plugs. I used the cable to connect my Chord DAC-64 to my McIntosh MA-6500, speakers were Shahinian Obelisk. I had the impression that there was a touch better definition in the highs with the Bullet plugs, but I lost a lot of bass definition. So I went back to the WBT-plugs. The Bullet plugs received an enthusiastic review in the German High end-mag HiFi&Records, but my experience was mixed.
rzado
174 posts
 
I have compared the Bullet plugs directly to Cardas's top of the line RCA's on Silversmith Audio IC's. As a caveat, Silversmith replaces the "cheesy" plastic body with a fancier one. With that said, the cable with the Bullet Plugs was superior in terms of performance, particular in resolution of detail and authority in the midbass to lower midrange region. I wouldn't call the differences "night and day", but they were noticable, and given the price of the connectors, unquestionably worth the expense. (Since I did not have to install the connectors myself, I cannot say whether the added aggravation in reterminating your IC's is worth the effort).
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