Can someone lead me to more info on the subject? I googled what I hoped would be some good keywords to get me to a thread or something... no luck

I've used 3 different mini jacks on 3 different portable amps, and some of all of them get sent back with broken jacks. In the case of the Pico, i've replaced about half a dozen jacks, on every one of them an ALO dock was listed in the rig of the owner.

ALO Audio

Something like that being used on portable amps can't be a good idea. 18 AWG

I'm not surprised this is linked to KB. Honestly, the man is all marketing IMO. He knows that bigger is better in most people's eyes (especially newbies) and takes advantage of the information assymetry. I'll be the first to admit that the mini-mini LOOKS top of the line, but also know that it is wayyyyy overkill. Justin, does the jack break itself or does it actually rip the solder joints? Either way I don't envy your situation. Best of luck with that - given the nature of the business, it's better to eat the cost and move on than have some peeved customer trash your work and your quality (baseless as it would be).

I'm not surprised this is linked to KB. Honestly, the man is all marketing IMO. He knows that bigger is better in most people's eyes (especially newbies) and takes advantage of the information assymetry. I'll be the first to admit that the mini-mini LOOKS top of the line, but also know that it is wayyyyy overkill. Justin, does the jack break itself or does it actually rip the solder joints? Either way I don't envy your situation. Best of luck with that - given the nature of the business, it's better to eat the cost and move on than have some peeved customer trash your work and your quality (baseless as it would be).

The metal contacts inside get slightly bent from up/down/left/right force the bending of the cable puts on it and its enough to break the jack. The insides of the jack still look the same, it doesnt take much.

ALO connectors are to mini jacks as Rocco Siffredi is to Katsumi.

If you don't know what that means, you're a better person than I.

I've always thought of them as the audio equivalent to the comical straight-through mufflers that are attached to tiny exhaust pipes on early 90's honda civics.

I've always thought of them as the audio equivalent to the comical straight-through mufflers that are attached to tiny exhaust pipes on early 90's honda civics.

Audio Rice

Audio Rice

Rice rockets? At least that is what us asians call them:p

Forgive my density, but these ALO products are just line out docks, right? The straight ipod LODs don't bypass anything internal to the iPod, correct? And the iMod LOD has Black Gates in it. Why does it need caps?

Someone please 'splain.

ALO connectors are to mini jacks as Rocco Siffredi is to Katsumi.

If you don't know what that means, you're a better person than I.

Okay, now that I googled Rocco and Katsumi I understand.

THAT IS DISGUSTING!

Forgive my density, but these ALO products are just line out docks, right? The straight ipod LODs don't bypass anything internal to the iPod, correct? And the iMod LOD has Black Gates in it. Why does it need caps?

Someone please 'splain.

The imod removes the caps in the ipod and moves them out to the dock.

oh shi-, I should stop using my ALO splitter.

The imod removes the caps in the ipod and moves them out to the dock.

Yup and you you need output caps to remove all DC from the output.

Yup and you you need output caps to remove all DC from the output.

Wouldn't those caps be redundant if the amplifier after the iMod/dock isn't DC coupled? Forgive my ignorance please.

sure, if it had caps on the input.

i bet Rocco doesn't get paid as much per shoot as what those ALO cables cost, though.

He probably doesn't cryo treat his ....oh, nevermind.

I've had rare channel cut-outs from using my ALO Ed9's (w/18AWG Jena cable) through the Predator. Though for me that's understandable. The stiffness of the cable, plus the *thick* Canare 1/8" plugs pulling it at whichever angle doesn't bode well with the sockets so all I had to do is to realign the amp. I mean the Canare jack is half the damn size of the Predator.

That said I've never heard of Ken's cables damaging headphone jacks

Btw I lol'd at the Rocco analogy

So in order to use the 5/5.5G iMod, you must purchase an ALO superblingLODsilverwhosit? And this is not a violative tying arrangement how?

So in order to use the 5/5.5G iMod, you must purchase an ALO superblingLODsilverwhosit? And this is not a violative tying arrangement how?

I think it isn't violative because you technically could use an appropriate dock made by someone else. S2 Audio was making them for a while I think.

I just read the Red Wine Audio website because I was curious about what they are selling these days and I came across this.

Red Wine Audio iMod

Do NOT use any other dock cable with your 5G/5.5G iMod or damage *may* occur to your amplifier and/or headphones/speakers. We are NOT responsible for any misuse.

LOL? *may*... they're pretty tricky. I almost didn't catch that.

<snip>

That said, before this thread I'd never heard of Ken's cables potentially damaging headphone jacks

Btw I lol'd at the Rocco analogy

FIFY

LOL at the Rocco analogy as well!

I have the Cotton Dock and it works well with my gear. No damage to it whatsoever. I also think it sounds good. Maybe he is using new connectors.

The problem isn't the connectors, it's the force exterted by bending cables that thick. They try and straighten out, putting pressure on the inside of the jack.

So in order to use the 5/5.5G iMod, you must purchase an ALO superblingLODsilverwhosit? And this is not a violative tying arrangement how?

I think it isn't violative because you technically could use an appropriate dock made by someone else. S2 Audio was making them for a while I think.

I just read the Red Wine Audio website because I was curious about what they are selling these days and I came across this.

Red Wine Audio iMod

LOL? *may*... they're pretty tricky. I almost didn't catch that.

There is no antitrust violation for the reason Nate said -- the fact is that Vinnie couldn't come up with an iMod for the 5th Generation iPod until Ken had the idea to put the caps in a dock and so ALO came out with the first ones. Others have made them and you are not required to buy one when you buy the iPod so there is no tying or other violation, lawyer Monkey.

The language Nenso quoted doesn't have anything to do with damage to headphone jacks that this thread was about, it has to do with using a regular dock without capacitors in it because doing so can fuck over the speakers or headphones connected to the iMod that way. LOL?