' date='Jan 18 2008, 12:56' post='542296']
Is 380V 50A going to pass through that 3.5mm jack?
Sometimes the proof of something comes from proving that the opposite is absurd. In other words:
If we take that the connection does lower the sound quality, what do we use to justify that?
Is it because electrons see it as being "smaller than yours" and laugh, so they don't jump in?
Is it because they (the electrons) are so fat that don't "fit" in a 3.5mm jack?
Now, more seriously: 3.5mm connectors are only "worse" (relatively speaking) than RCA or bigger jack connectors in terms of duration. It is easier to break a 3.5mm connector (or those smaller 2.5 in mobile phones) than would one of the others. (Yet, i managed to break one standard jack the other day

)
The surface of contact is a non-issue on a "line level" voltage and if at all, you could be worried if it might get dirty.
About interferences... they are generally captured by the "capacity" of a cable, and a connector wouln't have that much capacity.
[edit: fixed a few typos]
Thanks for the response.
What you have said is what my intuition told me, it definitely makes sense.
So, as a follow-up question/curiosity..... my dad used to have these headphones he hooked into his amp, and the male connection at the end of the headphones was huge relative to these 3.5mm (i wish i had an idea of what these were called numerically, but i don't, but i think you know the ones i mean). these would sound EXACTLY the same as if the connection was 3.5mm???? i guess so according to your statements. i do see your point about the fragility though..... you'd be very hard pressed to break the male on the end of those headphones... haha.