@blisshifi
"If you are worried about oxidation, you can cut off the ends of the wire by half an inch and reterminate them after a few years."
True, but after building cables for many years and taking cables apart to harvest connectors and repurpose wire, I have never seen evidence of visible oxyidation and particularly beneath a crimped connection. In this case, with silver-plated copper wire, gold plated connectors, and assuming the builder forms a snug crimp and seals the connection with heat shrink, corrosion of the crimp should never be an issue significant enough to affect SQ, IME. However, because I do not live on a coast near saltwater, and my audio equipment and supplies are kept in a dry environment (i.e., not a damp basement), I do remain open to the possibility that corrosion may be more prevalent in some environments.
BTW, some cable builders cover the connection with an anti-corrosion compound or goop (before applying the heat shrink) to further retard corrosion. The following came from a 2-year study of electrical connections in a marine environment:
"The most common causes of corrosion on terminals is electrolysis and galvanic corrosion. Thus, anything that will block this stray current is going to help. The grease should be dielectric. The heavier the grease the better. Cosmolene-type products out perform sprays every time.
If the joint is remotely tight enough the insulating greases are pushed out of the way and do NOT contribute resistance. You can shoot (dielectric) grease into a crimp and it will do no harm. However, a proper crimp will force all of the grease and air space out of the connector.
We saw no difference in the reliability or resistance of the joint either way. The most important place for grease is spade connectors and other slide-in plugs; these were the only connections where we observed failures. Bolted and crimped connections do not fail when properly made."
