The male connector was tight, and the female slid in as if oiled.
Dude, that's just wrong! Heh heh. Be interesting to hear your thoughts after more break in and comparison to another PC. BTW, what PCs were you using before?
Heres another thought. Since you already have the connectors, if you're not sensing much benefit with the DHL cables, why not just order some "better" cables and see if they're any better? I'm thinking of doing the same thing and was going to use the same connectors as per @grannyring recommendation. But if I'm going through the trouble of doing this I was gonna pony up for a better cable maybe from the likes of Furutech or Oyaide Black Mamba -- something like that. So, I guess what I'm saying is, if the DHL cables don't do much for you, stick a crowbar in your wallet and try better cables so I know what to buy. Ehem.