KLE Innovations Connectors

A New Revolution By KL (Keith Louis Eichmann)

The KLEI Harmony Phono RCA Plug / Cinch Plug is a new revolutionary approach to Keith-Louis Eichmann's (KL) previous Bullet Plug design, which itself was a revolutionary approach to RCA connection. KL's objectives to improving the humble RCA plug are improved conductivity, enhanced signal integrity, higher resolution and improved connection. It represents a wholesale rethinking of something as basic as the venerable RCA plug; a connector designed over sixty years ago by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA).

The conductive pins of the KLEI Harmony Phono RCA plugs are formed using his own proprietary high conductivity copper and silver alloys; the copper alloy having an IACS Rating >101% and the silver alloy having an IACS rating >106% to ensure the highest levels of conductivity. When compared to a typical gold plated brass connector used in the vast majority of phono RCA plugs, the KLEI Harmony plug range achieves improvements in conductivity exceeding 320%. Proven metallurgical choices result in improved signal transfer and electron flow, which is consistent with high resolution interconnect and digital cables.

Table showing the differences in construction of the various KLE Innovations RCA plugs:

• Geometry / Materials / Mass: KL's signal / ground formula and architecture, ensures optimum mass of metals and dielectrics are used to avoid skin effect, maintain structural strength and reliability, and minimise reactive, EF and EMF effects. Controlling these effects ensures that a complete, full, and extended signal frequency range and their harmonics, are transmitted from component to component, which further ensures that the listener enjoys a complete, full, extended, detailed, involving and musical presentation.
• Metallurgy: KLEI do not waste the effort gained in the other aspects of our designs by compromising with metals less conductive than copper or silver.
• An ultra high purity silver plating is utilised to protect the pins from oxidization.
• Metal Conductivity % IACS (IACS = International Annealed Copper Standard)
  • Absolute formulated "KLEI PureSilver™" Alloy: >106%
  • "KLEI PureSilver™" Alloy: >106%
  • Silver: >105%
  • "KLEI PureCopper™" Alloy: >101%
  • Copper: >100%
  • Silver (Machinable): 92.5% to 96%
  • Tellurium Copper (Machinable): 90% to 95%
  • Gold: 65 to 75%
  • Aluminium: 60 to 65%
  • Rhodium: 35% to 38%
  • Brass (low to high copper content): 25% to 37%
  • Nickel: 24%
  • Tin: 15%

Keith Louis Eichmann's new bullet plug design family, Harmony.

KLEI Harmony Phono RCA Plug Architecture

The conductive pins of the KLEI Harmony RCA Plug are formed using a proprietary high conductivity alloys, the copper alloy having an IACS Rating >101% and the silver alloy having an IACS rating >106% to ensure the highest levels of conductivity. When compared to a typical gold plated brass connector used in the vast majority of deluxe phono plugs, they achieve improvements in conductivity exceeding 320%. Proven metallurgical choices result in improved signal transfer and electron flow, which is consistent with high resolution interconnect and digital cables.

Mechanically, the KLEI Harmony Phono RCA Plugs proprietary high conductivity copper / silver alloy is much stronger than 'Pure annealed copper / silver' and the KLEI Harmony Phono RCA Plugs proprietary high conductivity silver alloy is nearly as strong as the copper / brass alternatives.

Conventional RCA's are often designed with a metal collar, which is prone to electron turbulence called eddy currents.

• To combat this KL opted for a single point ground contact similar to star earthing / grounding in high-end electronics which in turn eliminates eddy current turbulence, capacitive reactance, and micro-arcing.
• Further, with the KLEI Harmony Phono RCA Plugs design, KL has redesigned the single point ground pin with an optimised shape, mass and thickness.

Our proprietary high purity silver plating (>106% IACS) is applied directly to the conducting surfaces of the KLEI Harmony Phono RCA Plugs pins, as required. This produces the performance / sound characteristics of 4-nines pure silver (>106% IACS) and no additional plating is required to preserve signal quality.

Connecting the Harmony Plug to Your Cables

Please note: before you connect the Harmony Plug to cables we advise that you allow the polymer of the plug to adjust to the RCA socket. Simply heat the Harmony Plug flange (red or black section of plug) gently with a hair-dryer, insert into socket and allow the polymer to cool.

The Harmony connector is a product that needs to be handled delicately. The return pin of the Harmony Plug is small and not as robust as the return on standard RCA plugs. Of course this also accounts for the improved sound quality.

The Harmony Plug is designed to accept any interconnect, digital or video cable up to 9mm diameter. This accounts for most cables. (Large cables can also be accommodated if you strip the outer sheath and feed the insulated conductors through the housing.)

Step 1
Unscrew the plastic housing and slide the cable through. The front section of the Harmony Plug comprises two contact pins - the signal (large pin) and return (small pin). Both pins have a solder platform at the rear of the pin that is thinner than the rest of the pin.

The platform heats up rapidly allowing quick and easy soldering. This means your soldering iron needs only minimal time in contact with the pins to melt solder. Excess contact time with the soldering iron may deform the plastic polymer housing.

Here's a tip. Insert the Harmony Plug into a secured, but unconnected RCA socket first. This will free up both hands and allow more precise soldering. Always support the cable throughout the soldering process, so the weight of the cable does not exert undue force on the pins.

Step 2
Tin both the wire and platform. And please only use enough solder to make a good connection - don't drown the platform in solder. For best results use eutectic (flowing type) solder or solder with high silver content together with a flux.

Step 3
Solder the return conductor to the return (small) pin. If the return conductor of your cable comprises multiple strands - twist these together and tin before connecting to the return pin. If the return conductor is in the form of a braid - split the braid, gently twist and tin before connecting to the return pin.

Ensure that the return conductor is formed (eg. you may need to gently bend the conductor) so the conductor sits flush in the soldering platform. The objective is to have the return conductor sit comfortably in the solder platform without pressure or stress on the wire.

The small dimension of the return pin can make soldering large groups of wires difficult, however the small size of the pin also contributes to the dramatic sound improvement of the Harmony Plug over standard RCA plugs. As you complete the connection to the return pin, you may notice that the return pin can rotate with the tension of the conductor. This is normal. Simply rotate the pin to a comfortable angle in relation to the signal pin. When you screw down the outer housing, the return pin is locked in this position.

Step 4
Solder the signal conductor to the centre (large) pin.

Step 5
Reattach housing. When reattaching the housing continue to support the cable to avoid undue force on the pins. For 9mm diameter cables, use a silicon spray on the cable to allow smooth rotation of the outer housing.

Step 6
Secure the grub screw to support the cable. Avoid penetrating the cable - a gentle securing action is all that is required.

Step 7
Enjoy better sound! Take your time, prepare your conductors prior to connection, use good solder - and benefit from the improved signal transmission the Harmony Plug can provide. Please note: The Harmony Plug is a firm fit on RCA sockets to start. The polymer used in the plug is designed to adjust after a few hours on the socket.

Using Cables with Harmony Plug Connectors

If you're using a cable incorporating Harmony Plug connectors you may find the plug is a firm fit on RCA sockets to start. This is normal. For some reason RCA sockets tend to vary in size, so Keith Eichmann designed the Harmony Plug to cater to most (if not all) sizes. The polymer used in the plug is a special PBT and glass fibre blend that allows the plug to adjust (and stay adjusted) after a few hours on the socket.

The objective is for the Harmony Plug to be a firm, secure fit on all sockets. For ease of initial connection to RCA sockets heat the Harmony Plug flange (red or black section of plug) gently with a hair-dryer prior to inserting into socket. Please do not force the plug onto a socket!

Compatible with ALL RCA sockets!