Tweakers' Asylum

Posted by Jim Hodgson (A) on January 23, 2017 at 12:46:35

Last week, I bought what was represented to be a genuine NOS Oyaide C-046 -- but not online and not from the Far East. A high-end dealer friend of mine had taken one in on trade (along with tons of other gear) from a reputable customer. The C-046 came in the right metal canister, and it had Take-Five Audio's sticker on it, which indicated that it was cryo-treated by them on "3-7-2007." The canister was open, however ... so I can't guarantee that this connector came in this canister.

The connector itself looked good to me ... and I compared it carefully on the spot to the enlargeable photo on the VH Audio website -- along with some other photos. In short, it looked identical to the VH Audio version, and it didn't have any of the hallmarks of the fakes (to my eye).

EDIT: Just figured I'd add that all the screws are non-magnetic and "button-topped." The connector shell is very strong -- doesn't even flex under the kind of pressure that I assume would bend or break regular plastic. And, of course, all of the molded printing (including font) looks identical to pics of the genuine article.

I should mention the obvious, that it doesn't have the hologram ... but, it wasn't even cryo-treated until early-2007 (if the connector matches the canister). And as the Oyaide website indicates that holograms have been featured "since 2007," I figured that this connector simply pre-dates the holograms.

The thing that's bothering me is the threaded portion of the connector where the two end screws attach. While that threaded receiving portion doesn't have those very obvious inserts that you see highlighted in many online "fake photos," it appears to be a different material than the shell itself (and perhaps metal -- I can't tell). What I can tell is that the threaded receiving portion is a different color -- silver, gold, yellow (it's hard to see) ... which leads me to my suspicion. Should it be translucent red/amber like the rest of the connector body?

I've attached a few photos. Apologies for the quality -- this was very difficult to photograph with an iPhone. Any thoughts, or am I being overly-paranoid?

Thanks much in advance!

Edits: 01/23/17