Stax plug

[willsw]

On 9/30/2025 at 2:30 AM, Shawn said:

I did some test prints of Stax jacks with different pin-hole diameters.
As you can see, they are obviously 3D-printed, but the material is rated to withstand up to 195 °C.

So far I’ve been using them for about 2 years without any issues.

 

What were you testing with the different pin hole diameters? Did you use the threaded collet-style socket?

I'd like to try printing some sockets to work with these Neutrik HA-3FXX crimp contacts, but I don't have a 3D printer. When I finish the file I'll upload it for someone else to try. 

[ratbagp]

Perhaps you could try JLCPCB who also offer a 3D printing service. I've been using their PCB service for over a year and it's excellent and extremely cheap. I suspect their 3D printing machines are better than what you use at home.

https://jlc3dp.com/?source=JLCPCB-top-productbar

If Shawn would upload his files, I would be happy to get JLCPCB to print them.

ray

[spritzer]

I got a bag of sockets from Germany (which I suspect are originally from Audio Valve) and they use the Neutrik contacts.  Work just fine and I'll be using them in an upcoming project.  

[JoaMat]

From a post somewhere else.

I also tested HA-3FXX pins, but I like above pins better. Disadvantage is I had to destroy good Neutrik connectors to get the pins out.

Made in Sketchup.

Edited 14 hours ago by JoaMat

[Shawn]

On 10/2/2025 at 1:59 PM, willsw said:

What were you testing with the different pin hole diameters? Did you use the threaded collet-style socket?

I'd like to try printing some sockets to work with these Neutrik HA-3FXX crimp contacts, but I don't have a 3D printer. When I finish the file I'll upload it for someone else to try. 

The pin hole diameter is roughly 2–4 mm, but one thing to keep in mind is that 3D printers, especially hobby-grade ones tend to have pretty poor dimensional accuracy. A nominal 2 mm hole can easily shrink to around 1.2–1.4 mm, so you’ll need to experiment a bit to dial in the correct size for your printer and filament.

Yes, I’m using the threaded collet-style socket. It’s simple and works fine, but honestly, I think the mounting method Joamat posted above is better since you don’t have to fuss with rotating and aligning the jack during installation.

The HA-3FXX is a good choice. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a gold-plated version. Hopefully, someone can find a gold-plated alternative. I’ll stick with my current version for now until I get the chance to make a screw-fixed version.

And if enough people are interested in the current version, a group buy could definitely be possible.