2.5mm PEEK (your friend for lead-free hotness) stereo connectors?

[mkarikom]

My current short IEM cable is a DIY affair incorporating these 2-pin connectors by Eidolic (a new Shenzhen hifi mfg?) to re-terminate a stock cable whose IEM-side connectors failed.

Turns out the polymer surrounding the pins (called PEEK) has a really high melting point.

Usually soldering connectors with lead-free work is a touch and go affair, literally, and it always feels like the joint could have been better if I didn't have to yank the heat away to keep the plug from melting to a pool of molten plastic.

PEEK is a whole new ballgame. No feather touch required, just sit back and watch the work flow, lead-free, with no melting, at 300C!

Needless to say I'm looking for other product lines, specifically stereo connectors with this miracle plastic, but looks like Eidolic's stereo plugs just use nylon, maybe?

Anyone have a link or a part number for a PEEK 2.5mm (TRRS) stereo plug?

 

[Skeptischism]

Lemo and other RF and high bandwidth digital connectors use peek dielectric, where its superior dielectric absorption (even to teflon) properties are required, but its not common in audio or other connectors because its not cheap and its also not very dimensionally stable, its soft and deforms quite easily. in other words, aside from hi-end RF and data connectors, you are unlikely to find it used all that often. I would be surprised if you find a 2.5mm trrs.

 

[mkarikom]

Lemo and other RF and high bandwidth digital connectors use peek dielectric, where its superior dielectric absorption (even to teflon) properties are required, but its not common in audio or other connectors because its not cheap and its also not very dimensionally stable, its soft and deforms quite easily. in other words, aside from hi-end RF and data connectors, you are unlikely to find it used all that often. I would be surprised if you find a 2.5mm trrs.

Thanks, @Skeptischism.

Incidentally, I just re-terminated a cable with this Neutrik 3.5mm (TRS) I got on amazon a long time ago and was shocked at the difference in quality.

Back when I discovered aliexpress, and realized that they could simultaneously replace digikey and amazon for a wide range of hobby tools and parts (I'm not an industry professional), I've just sort of defaulted to them due to pricing and overall selection (eg, on everything from bench tools to very small quantities of addressable SMD LEDs)

I now believe that some of the issues I've been experiencing may be due to design rather than materials.

For instance the Rean/Neutrik design lacks the coaxial layout I'm used to seeing on generic straight plugs, and still melts when you touch it with a hot iron. But the whole thing just seems much more stable during work than these coaxial designs, and even has unexpected nice touches like lugs at the base of the sleeve, in case you packed things a bit too tight inside.

Obviously the structural role played by the dielectric in a 2-pin IEM plug probably precludes much in the way of design wizardry, which is probably why they used peek on the Eidolic. But in terms of other connectors, I'm definitely going to take a step back and probably source my products differently from now on.