4site enclosed jacks - stay away

[Pojo]

Just got a shipment from Mammoth which included some 4site mono and stereo enclosed jacks. I've been using those cheap ones from Tayda for a little while and figured it would do good to upgrade but didn't want to shell out the dough for the switchcrafts. Not sure why as I've had good luck so far with the cheapies and seem to be holding up nicely for the 2-3 months I've been using them. It's just the price screaming "these CAN'T be that good!" and I'm still not sure how they'll be in the long term. But they beat the living snot out of the 4sites which are almost 4 times the cost. The washer is too big and the nuts are inconsistently cut. Also, the terminal for the tip doesn't seat properly and there's pathetically very little grip on the plug. The Tayda's OTOH seem to grip very well with all I've used and the washer/nut is much better. The only downside I've encountered is that they only come in the stereo version with the switched lugs so I end up having to break off the unused lugs in my builds to keep my OCD happy.

So here I am, exhausted my parts budget for the next month or so and stuck with jacks I don't want to use. But if nothing else I can offer a little public service announcement to stay away from these and hopefully save someone else the grief. Though I would like to know: Does anyone have any long term usage data for the Taydas? Are the Switchcrafts worth paying 5 times the price??

[italianguy63]

Is that poo?

[Arcane Analog]

Switchcraft are great but so are Neutrik for 1/2 the price

Tayda's are garbage.

[pinkjimiphoton]

the tayda ones are pretty robust, i've been stomping on 'em for  a couple years now and have had ZERO failures...
whereas every other kind i've tried i've managed to break (including switchcraft).

for 46 cents a piece, i don't mind replacing one once in a blue moon.

[pappasmurfsharem]

the tayda ones are pretty robust, i've been stomping on 'em for  a couple years now and have had ZERO failures...
whereas every other kind i've tried i've managed to break (including switchcraft).

for 46 cents a piece, i don't mind replacing one once in a blue moon.

Careful Jimi,
You don't want to start a fight now  .

I'm ok with tayda jacks as well. While I don't like that they are somewhat non standard in their tip length they I haven't had a problem yet (in regards to the open jacks). I've bought two sets of stereo tayda closed jacks, the plastic seems cheap but the connection feels solid. That being said if I were to sell a pedal commercial or by request I'd probably go with switchcraft/neutrik.

But if nothing else I can offer a little public service announcement to stay away from these and hopefully save someone else the grief. Though I would like to know: Does anyone have any long term usage data for the Taydas? Are the Switchcrafts worth paying 5 times the price??

I have used those same ones in my very first build ( a Roger Mayer Octavia) I can attest that they seem like garbage.

Where are Switchrafts 5 times the price? I assume that was somewhat of exaggeration but its only a few pennies more that what you bought http://www.mammothelectronics.com/Switchcraft-11-Mono-1-4-Open-Jack-p/610-1012.htm unless of course you were refering to the closed switchcraft jacks.

I liked the tayda ones better when they were cheaper. The black open jacks anyway when I first bought some they were around .50c maybe a pricing error at the time but it seemed like a good deal. At their current cost I ussually just get the better jacks, but when it comes to saving, not being able to multisource due to the added shipping cost on a tight budget. They Tayda ones will be fine

If you want closed Mouser has fairly standard prices on Neutriks, not sure the main differences between them: http://www.mouser.com/Connectors/Audio-Video-Connectors/Phone-Connectors/_/N-778cv?P=1z0z357Z1z0z5h6&Keyword=1%2f4%22+neutrik&FS=True

[Pojo]

Just to be clear I'm only referring to the enclosed jacks. Nothing against open jacks in general, just narrowing the scope for the purpose of an apples to apples comparison.

Is that poo?

Yes, only the junkiest of junk earn the poo rating.  

Switchcraft are great but so are Neutrik for 1/2 the price

Tayda's are garbage.

I'm assuming you've had some dodgy Tayda jacks at some point? Please share!

the tayda ones are pretty robust, i've been stomping on 'em for  a couple years now and have had ZERO failures...
whereas every other kind i've tried i've managed to break (including switchcraft).

for 46 cents a piece, i don't mind replacing one once in a blue moon.

Thanks for sharing PJP! I know you've been at this a while and gig regularly. So I'll take that as a vote for the Taydas  

[pinkjimiphoton]

if they can take my 360 lb surly ass stomping on them...

them cheap ass plastic enclosed jacks are the ONLY ones i've tried that i haven't broken at some point.

like i said, for 46cents...  i use em for switching the b+ on and off, too, the center conductor on 'em works great for that.

who needs trs? or stereo?  if i'm building something for someone commercially, i will use switchcraft or neutrik if they ask for 'em only, and the price goes up.

i've had one failure due to jack, and that was a switchcraft about 2 years ago. granted, it was my own fault... tripped over my cord and kinda stomped where the cord entered it...
but i mean, i ripped that puppy apart internally. it was done.

[Pojo]

Where are Switchrafts 5 times the price? I assume that was somewhat of exaggeration but its only a few pennies more that what you bought http://www.mammothelectronics.com/Switchcraft-11-Mono-1-4-Open-Jack-p/610-1012.htm unless of course you were refering to the closed switchcraft jacks.

I liked the tayda ones better when they were cheaper. The black open jacks anyway when I first bought some they were around .50c maybe a pricing error at the time but it seemed like a good deal. At their current cost I ussually just get the better jacks, but when it comes to saving, not being able to multisource due to the added shipping cost on a tight budget. They Tayda ones will be fine

If you want closed Mouser has fairly standard prices on Neutriks, not sure the main differences between them: http://www.mouser.com/Connectors/Audio-Video-Connectors/Phone-Connectors/_/N-778cv?P=1z0z5h6&Keyword=1%2f4%22+neutrik&FS=True

I should have been more specific. I was comparing the price of the Taydas to the enclosed Switchcrafts that Small Bear sells. Speaking of the open Tayda jacks though, I've had good experiences with those too...although still short term in the scheme of things. But I remember the thread mentioning the bad batch someone had here where the nuts failed to thread properly (IIRC).

[pappasmurfsharem]

Where are Switchrafts 5 times the price? I assume that was somewhat of exaggeration but its only a few pennies more that what you bought http://www.mammothelectronics.com/Switchcraft-11-Mono-1-4-Open-Jack-p/610-1012.htm unless of course you were refering to the closed switchcraft jacks.

I liked the tayda ones better when they were cheaper. The black open jacks anyway when I first bought some they were around .50c maybe a pricing error at the time but it seemed like a good deal. At their current cost I ussually just get the better jacks, but when it comes to saving, not being able to multisource due to the added shipping cost on a tight budget. They Tayda ones will be fine

If you want closed Mouser has fairly standard prices on Neutriks, not sure the main differences between them: http://www.mouser.com/Connectors/Audio-Video-Connectors/Phone-Connectors/_/N-778cv?P=1z0z5h6&Keyword=1%2f4%22+neutrik&FS=True

I should have been more specific. I was comparing the price of the Taydas to the enclosed Switchcrafts that Small Bear sells. Speaking of the open Tayda jacks though, I've had good experiences with those too...although still short term in the scheme of things. But I remember the thread mentioning the bad batch someone had here where the nuts failed to thread properly (IIRC).

Yeah I've had that happen on 1 jack out of a reasonable number higher for others I wouldn't say it's a gamble, but it can happen.

Check the neutrik link for mouser they are reasonably priced and somewhat of a de facto choice from what I hear from people here.

[pinkjimiphoton]

fwiw, it was me that bitched about the tayda jacks before.

they sent me some with the wrong nuts, i bitched, they fixed it... sent me a free order of jacks, and the proper nuts for the bad ones.

not too shabby.

[Pojo]

If these are the ones you mean, they seem very reasonable! I found this: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail.aspx?qs=jCymNF74TgW2gSQSKcqhPA%3d%3d

Where are Switchrafts 5 times the price? I assume that was somewhat of exaggeration but its only a few pennies more that what you bought http://www.mammothelectronics.com/Switchcraft-11-Mono-1-4-Open-Jack-p/610-1012.htm unless of course you were refering to the closed switchcraft jacks.

I liked the tayda ones better when they were cheaper. The black open jacks anyway when I first bought some they were around .50c maybe a pricing error at the time but it seemed like a good deal. At their current cost I ussually just get the better jacks, but when it comes to saving, not being able to multisource due to the added shipping cost on a tight budget. They Tayda ones will be fine

If you want closed Mouser has fairly standard prices on Neutriks, not sure the main differences between them: http://www.mouser.com/Connectors/Audio-Video-Connectors/Phone-Connectors/_/N-778cv?P=1z0z5h6&Keyword=1%2f4%22+neutrik&FS=True

I should have been more specific. I was comparing the price of the Taydas to the enclosed Switchcrafts that Small Bear sells. Speaking of the open Tayda jacks though, I've had good experiences with those too...although still short term in the scheme of things. But I remember the thread mentioning the bad batch someone had here where the nuts failed to thread properly (IIRC).

Yeah I've had that happen on 1 jack out of a reasonable number higher for others I wouldn't say it's a gamble, but it can happen.

Check the neutrik link for mouser they are reasonably priced and somewhat of a de facto choice from what I hear from people here.

The quantity price breaks would make it worth just stocking up for a while, and possibly get some other parts that would be upgrades as well.

Now that other players seem to be interested in my pedal board and asking for me to build pedals for them, I figure I'd rather make sure they're as reliable as possible.

fwiw, it was me that bitched about the tayda jacks before.

they sent me some with the wrong nuts, i bitched, they fixed it... sent me a free order of jacks, and the proper nuts for the bad ones.

not too shabby.

Ahh right on...but I don't think I caught that thread. This is the one I was referring to: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=104153.0. It was an issue with the threading itself. Glad they made up for your issue though, they seem really good about that!

[LucifersTrip]

Are the Switchcrafts worth paying 5 times the price??

25, which isn't really that many, are barely more than what you paid for the junkers

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Switchcraft/12B/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtUpMOmSPzkH50chu3J12j2

[italianguy63]

Has anything ever gotten a double-poo rating?

[Pojo]

Are the Switchcrafts worth paying 5 times the price??

25, which isn't really that many, are barely more than what you paid for the junkers

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Switchcraft/12B/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtUpMOmSPzkH50chu3J12j2

That's not a bad deal either...would be worth it for builds where the open jacks are ideal. I have a pedal which works out better with the enclosed though and need to make several of them. I found these which are a little more expensive, but if that's whats needed for long lasting jacks that won't lose their grip then it's worth it.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Switchcraft/112BX/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMv0W4pxf2HiV6YB0RWJpyofEcXgfkn44GQ%3d

Has anything ever gotten a double-poo rating?

Maybe the Walmart soldering iron I used on my first build....which was a 5 ch true bypass looper using the blue Taiwan 3pdt's. The tip formed a cavity when I was maybe a 1/4 of the way through the build and I finished it by placing the cavity over all the lugs to make the joints. Yup!....I can't believe I got away with only destroying 1 switch. 

[N9]

I've had a very similar experience with these 4Site enclosed jacks. The washer fit is really poor; their inner diameter is 0.375", just like Switchcraft washers, but the jacks themselves are only 0.345". They don't really grip plugs, instead they just kinda rest against them. Bleh. Definitely not sturdy.

[Jopn]

Has anything ever gotten a double-poo rating?

I think it's referred to as the "Double Deuce" rating.

[tubegeek]

Surely something I've built has been at least ELIGIBLE?

[Arcane Analog]

My comments were about Tayda's open jack - the ones made with the black pastic material that is easily compressed. They are the worst jack on the planet and I would not use them in a test box. I would not send them to my worst enemy. Junk.

You get what you pay for. By Neutrik and never look back.