Monopole^®

Why the Monopole®?

It all started in 1983/4 when I was involved in the design and fabrication of water electrolysis welders. These devices used a small cylindrical cell with interlocking positive and negative mild steel electrodes immersed in a NaOH bath. The bath was automatically topped up with water as its water level was depleted by virtue of the effect of the electrolysis. Hydrogen and Oxygen were electrolysed in the same cell and the gas mixture was burnt in a standard oxy/acetylene torch. Its temperature being considerably higher than a normal oxy/acetylene flame. But there was one constantly recurring problem with this apparatus. Despite the high current : 120 Amperes, the power signal from the supply transformer would often fail to reach the electrolysis cell. This primarily due to the low voltage being used: 2 Volts. The slightest bit of grease or grime on the contactor would void the transmission of the electrical signal. Being a keen audiophile at the time, it occurred to me, what if the same thing could be happening in the audio chain. Thus began the process of investigating whether the information carried in the audio pathways from source to speaker was degraded at its interface changes. The answer soon became quickly evident: Yes! So what to do from here!

The BMNP-M1¹ was made from assembling off the shelf componentry and a few custom-made parts, in an effort to begin the process of eliminating or minimising the effects of signal deterioration at one of the critical interface signal transfer points; i.e. from the amplifier to the loudspeaker. The M1 did exhibit some improved response but not of sufficient significance so as to be able to say that there was clearly some considerable improvement in the quality of reproduction. The paradigm was tinkered with for the next 4 years .

The M2, M3 ? M4:

All subtle variants of each other and each seeking to achieve a particular design target, were inevitable steps in working through predetermined mind-sets as to how the target was to be achieved.
At first it appeared that the surface area across which the signal was transmitted was a critical parameter, next it became apparent that the type of conductor being used was also significant.
If the surface area of the transmitting surface and receiving surface were considerably increased there should be some measured improvement in the quality of the signal transferred. Against what was this to be measured? The voltage and current transfer appeared to be identical ‘fore and aft’ of the transfer interface; yet there was an appreciable improvement in the perception of the quality of the information being reproduced ( as the surface areas at the transfer interfaces were increased)² . It was also beginning to become apparent that there was an improvement curve of the quality of reproduction as each design variant evolved from its predecessor.
The evolution being from Brass to Bronze and then to Copper as with the M5.

M5

First drift from the mind-set. The M5. This was a bolt centred device in which a bolt secured the wire into the body of the Monopole®. Each of the input and output sections were mirrored around a central flange and separated by only 10mm of copper. This was the first considerable quantum improvement in sound quality from the first 4 previous designs. The M6 and M7 soon followed. These, though were too bulky and the M8 ( which was never built ) was bigger still. Neither the M6 nor M7 proved to be an improvement on the M5. So the M9 was born. 1993/94

The M9 was a straight piece of 25mm diameter copper billet that was tapped into at each end with an M16 thread and separation between conducting faces of 12mm. It was as close in design to the M5 as one could be. It was also an improvement and easier to adapt though not very practical from a commercial point of view, due to the fact that there was only one bolt and insertion hole at either end for bare wire. Everyone to whom it was shown cried: What about spades, bananas etc.. What was beginning to become apparent through the separate designs of the M9 and M5, was that the optimum performance for an audio binding post at the interfaces covered by the binding post could only be achieved through a particular design paradigm since patented by myself and the common design paradigm throughout the current production Monopoles®. This has since been the principle design paradigm of all subsequent Monopole® after the M10.

The M10 was the first attempt to address ease of installation of the Monopole® into its appliance with the first use of a twin-bolt mechanism. This accommodated all manifestations of connectors and wire endings, but diverged from the new design philosophy of accommodating bare-wire within the appliance bolted directly into the body of the binding post. The M10 had a threaded shaft ( in its internal to the appliance section ) for securing nuts and solder lugs for the internals of the appliance . Audio did not sound as well as for the M9 or M5.

M11

Enter the M11 Mk1. This is the ‘end of the line'. The internal mechanism was nominated as the Junction Bolt assembly. The external section of the M11 accommodates bare wire directly into the Pole piece body proper while allowing for the use of spade and banana connectors. The full functionality of the Monopole® began to coalesce in the small series of modifications in what is now the M11 MkVIII the latest production variant. Each variant being a functional ‘tidying-up' of its previous one: hence a sense of evolution. Sonically the M11 is identical to the M9 ( or my ears can't tell ‘em apart ). Whereas all the previous versions of the M11 incorporated the twin bolt mechanism this has now been replaced by a single bolt. Performance for Spade has been improved by eliminating one transition interface. Now the Spade is locked directly to the Pole face instead of the signal having to transit through the Receptor bolt.

To view an image of the M11 MkVI click here.
 

M12

Many who saw the M11 asked for a smaller version. The M12, identical in topology to the M11 but a few sizes smaller showed that it is not possible to fabricate scaled down sizes of the M11 design cheaply. The only cost benefit was the reduction in the material costs and some reduction in the electroplating costs. Even though the M12 was of identical topology to the M11 it did not sound as ‘Transparent’ as the M11. The M12 was not added to the current line-up for this reason.
The M12 is discontinued but was an important design step to the M26 described below.

With the advent of the imposition of IEC-65 in Europe in 1996 the M13⁵ was designed. It meets all the requirements of the new IEC-65 standard but departs only slightly from the original design criteria of the Monopole® as primarily a ‘bare-wire’ binding post. It will accommodate bare wire but is a return to the shaft centred design of the M1-M4 with the refinements of the M11. Internally ( in its fitted appliance ) the M13 is identical in size and configuration to the M11. Externally its Nut is fully insulated and can only be screwed out to a maximum of 3.8mm. The M13 is the largest of all the current production Monopoles®. Its external diameter is 41mm and external signature⁶ on its working appliance is 45mm.

In my listening tests the M13 stands out from the other designs that are mentioned here. It is also the most expensive of all the Monopoles® to fabricate. In a series of blind tests the M13 gives the reproduced audio signal just that much more sense of presence and intimacy. Perhaps the insulation acts to minimise mutual inductance between binding posts. The other binding posts are, though, better than any other audio binding post available anywhere in the world today.

Much of the design and evaluation of the M13 ? M14 was done in the quiet of the country side more than 100 kilometres from the nearest city and high in the Great Dividing Range mountains in South Eastern Queensland. My  noise meter  reading the background noise down to a low 18db on the stillest nights and averaging around 22db - 26db on normal windless nights. With these levels of background noise it becomes easier to appreciate the dynamic range capable of a CD but also to appreciate the amount of information that a record stylus is able to glean from a vinyl record.

Nuances and subtle differences between different components that may offer even the subtlest of improvements can be compared and evaluated. It was in this environment that there was a distinctive ‘blooming’ of the reproduction of the audio signal with the M13. The M11 and M14 were a close, very close second.

Though it would be easy to consider my judgement somewhat biassed, I believe that the M13Mk IV ? V variants are the best audio binding posts ever fabricated. The M13 is the best of the best.

To view a low resolution image of the M13 MkV click on the image.

The M13 MkV is fully IEC-CE compliant. It has no provision for banana connectors and is solely a spade binding post. It only opens out to a maximum of 3.0 +/-0.5 millimetres

The M14 and M13 were designed to be primarily Spade only binding posts. The M14's external signature is a maximum of 24mm proud of the appliance interface⁷ . It is a bare metal binding post having as its appearance its gold plating. A Knurled Spade nut fastens the FM2 spade lug into the body of the binding post. The M14 will accommodate bananas.

To view an image of the M14 click on the image.

This is the barest bone Monopole®. All the fastening and assembly components for all the other Monopole® designs are fabricated especially for each model to ensure complete accuracy for installation and performance.

The M26 does not use the junction assembly for the securing of the internal appliance wire; instead it uses two M4 grub screws securing the appliance wire into a 5.0mm diameter x 26mm long hole into the body of the pole piece.

Standard off the shelf nuts and M4  Stainless Steel grub screws are supplied with each M26  Monopole®.
UHMW/PE insulators with A single SS locking nut secures the M26  Monopole® securely into its appliance; whether it is an amplifier or a loudspeaker, the M26  will deliver an improved the performance on any brass connector or higher alloy copper connector because the M26 Monopole® is made from Pure Copper.
Colour coded polarity indicators are also supplied.
This Monopole® will accept standard spades  ( with fork tongs > 7.0mm ) and also the FM21.

Click here to see an image of the M26

Richard Fung, audiophile, comments on the benefits of the M16
(This was the previous iteration of the M26.)

Banana connectors have been banned in all IEC-CE signatory countries. For this reason all Monopoles® are available with or without provision for banana connectors. In Europe where a more stringent application of IEC-CE has been enforced only the M13 MkV Monopole® meets this standard. And is the only binding-post that does!

A: The Junction Assembly.

All current production Monopoles® have an identical internal topology known as the ‘Junction Assembly’. The Junction Assembly is where the internal wire of the operating appliance is secured into the body of the Monopole® Pole piece. A special bolt firmly locks the appliance wire against the milled face at the base of the Junction Cylinder.

B: The Shoulder Washer Assembly.

The shoulder washer assembly insulates the Monopole® from the appliance transition panel is now made from Teflon while the respective electrical polarity is displayed with red and black Delrin Discs ^9a.

C: Signal Transfer Surface Area.

Each of the M11 M13 and  M14  Monopoles® has over 1000 mm2 conducting the signal from the Junction Assembly to over 2000mm2 to the external connection from the appliance. It is these inordinately large surface areas combined with the low resistivity of  the HCOFC Copper  which is responsible for the excellent improvement in performance that only the Monopole® is capable of delivering.

D: Fabrication Material and Electroplating.

All Monopoles® are fabricated from HCOFC ( High Conductivity Oxygen Free Copper ). After which they are plated with 15+ microns of pure Silver and then with 1.5+ microns of hard gold plate ( 23.5Karat ) . Before being electroplated with Silver all Monopoles® are plated with pure anodic copper (>6N). Most Audio binding posts are fabricated from brass ( which has only 23% the conductivity of copper )^9b and then electroplated initially with nickel ( which has less than 24% the conductivity of copper ) before being gold plated. The poor audio signal has to traverse two resistive materials ( the nickel and the brass ) before tackling the solder ( which has less than 1% the conductivity of copper ) just to cross the appliance interface. Couple this with all the other resistive transition interfaces then the benefits of the meticulous attention that has gone into the design and fabrication of the Monopoles® soon becomes apparent.   Monopoles® are also available in Silver electroplate only also.

( This also applies to the M26 Monopole® )

 

E: Copper Alloys and Machining Indexes.

The process of machining metals has a standard reference of ease of machining called the machining index. The best machining index to have is 100 or more. Free machining brass has a machining index of 100. High Conductivity Copper ( HCOFC ) has a machining index of 20. To most machinists its a bit like machining clay. But Since Mid 1999 All Monopoles® are now manufactured from HCOFC.
The sonic improvement evident from using HCOFC are immediately obvious.
Cleaner sound than any other 'copper' better soundstaging and a more relaxed listener.

If clients are desirous of having Monopoles® fabricated from  Silver Copper,¹¹ this can be accommodated.
( This also applies to the M26 Monopole® )

F: Current Carrying Capacity.

All Bocchino Audio Monopoles® will handle up to 200 Amperes ( continuous )^{12  1314}With transients up to 1200Amperes for as long as 100 milliseconds. Amplifiers and loudspeakers that claim current capacities of up to + / - 600 Amperes¹⁵ are easily accommodated by all the current Monopoles®. This high current capacity also allows extremely low power signals effortless passage through the Monopole®. Face to face resistance along the shortest path¹⁶ is less than 5 Micro Ohms  ¹⁷¹⁸.

To view the current versus temperature graph click the duck. The temperature is in Degrees Celsius and current in Amperes.
The graph following is for M11 M13 and  M14  Monopoles® is an 61Kb .Jpeg document.

for Current carrying capacity graph for M12 / M26 / M22 and M24 Monopoles® ( 82 Kb image ) click image>

G: Installation Hole

ALL Monopoles® require a 21mm hole in their operational appliance to be installed. The Nose of the Mounting threaded shoulder washer is 20mm in diameter on all Monopoles®. Hole centres should be a nominal 50 millimetres.
( This also applies to the M26 Monopole® )

 

HOW DOES IT SOUND!

The improvement in the quality of sound reproduction is a consequence of the high quality of materials, fabrication craftsmanship and the large contact surface areas and especially the elimination of solder¹⁹ at the most important "transition" connections of the respective appliances to which the Monopoles® are attached. The elimination of this resistive connection at the appliance transition interface has an extremely dramatic effect on the quality of audio reproduction. Transients are more immediate and faster, thus reducing colouration to the point that many have called the Monopole® the only transparent window to the true workings of ones’ audio appliances. Silences where they should be, crescendos that don't hang around and musical instruments that sound like their real-life selves and not like sine-waves.

Audio sounds as if it has been released from a choking constriction. Music is freer, extended and more open, taking the listener a quantum leap closer to the original performance. Instruments do not appear as points in the stereo holographic image but as three dimensional fields representative of their size and location. Timbral accuracy is closer to the original live audition and vocals are presented with crisper diction. Monopoles® put the endings on the words.

Better still. Try them. The caged canary becomes the soaring condor.

In using firmly clamped unsoldered bare wire all the way from the amplifier to the loudspeaker transducer, with minimal componentry in the signal path, the quality of reproduction is as close to live as modern technology allows .

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards

Carmine Bocchino

( Design Engineer and Governing Director of Bocchino Technologies )

Goto Monopoles® Pricing.

Return to Bocchino Audio contents page

Note1

BMNP standing for " Bocchino ‘Monopole®’ ".

Incremental increases in the surface area transfer interfaces demonstrated that there was a considerable improvement in both quantity and quality of signal transfer up to 25mm in diameter after which though there were ‘perceptible’ improvements in 50mm and larger the degree of improvement did not warrant the expense and was also not as noticeable as the improvement from 6mm dia to 25mm dia.

Global Patents Pending

The external signature is the amount of millimetres that the Monopole® sits proud of the appliance interface.

The M14 has the smallest external signature of all the Monopoles®.

At the spade insertion interface the M13 variants locking nut and mating insulating washer are round to allow perfect trimming of insulation on the spade lug.

Delrin is an Acetyl based polymer adapted from the electrical transmission industry where it is used to isolate extremely high voltage and high current carrying cable.

Nickel has a distinct property in that in the presence of an electrical field it will retain some residual magnetism. This property is known as the Hall Effect! And inhibits the efficient transmission of the audio signal thus leading to some signal degradation. It begins from the second an electrical begins its transit through any connector that has a Nickel substrate. One needs to demagnetize ones system on a regular basis to counter the build up of this residual magnetism within the Nickel plate layer. Where the signal path transition points are all Bocchino Audio components there is no Hall-Effect and hence the system will always sound open and whole because it is in a state of being ‘permanently demagnetized'.

Pure Silver                 has an electrical conductivity of 0.630 10⁶/cm-Ohm     105.7%     that of Copper.
Pure Copper             has an electrical conductivity of 0.596 10⁶/cm-Ohm      100%       that of Copper.
Pure Gold                has an electrical conductivity of 0.452 10⁶/cm-Ohm         75.8%     that of Copper.
Rhodium                 has an electrical conductivity of 0.211 10⁶/cm-Ohm         35.4%     that of Copper.
Nickel             has an electrical conductivity of 0.143 10⁶/cm-Ohm 24% that of Copper.
Brass              has an electrical conductivity of 0.137 10⁶/cm-Ohm 23% that of Copper.
Tin                has an electrical conductivity of 0.092 10⁶/cm-Ohm 15.4% that of Copper.
Carbon            has an electrical conductivity of 0.00061 10⁶/cm-Ohm 0.102% that of Copper.

                     Hence Silver is the best room temperature electrical conductor in the known universe: followed by Copper and then Gold. Gold has the distinct advantage in that it does not corrode and hence electrical contacts plated with Gold remain corrosion free for most of their working life and conduct the electrical with minimum distortion or heat dissipation. ( Gold has an albido of 1: it gives what it gets ).
Brass and Nickel used in standard audio electrical binding posts each have conductivities 4 times less than Copper or Silver. Doubtless economics and fashion plays an important part in the choice of materials. Not every manufacturer will  fabricate their componentry from the best available materials;l but with good marketing you can sell anything!
Presently room temperature super-conductors are not yet available. We are stuck with Copper, Silver and Gold; which I think will do for the time being.
If you want an independent opinion on the electrical and other properties of the elements download the Periodic Table Software from SMI Software site .
Or go to the Web elements by clicking these links.

Note11

Silver Copper has a conductivity of 100% - 102.5% that of Normal Copper and a machinability index of 20; It contains a minimum of 0.5% Silver.

Calculated using: R=( r x L )/A ; W=I²R ; dT= (W/3.6)/(M x c).

110 A continuous results in dT=0.5^OC ; 220 A continuous dT=2^OC. Normal listening will not cause any perceptible temperature rise.

Acceptable factors of safety deem that the true domestic operational duty of Monopoles® not exceed 200 Amps continuous with 400 amps for no more than one second. The 1200 amp rating has a factor of safety of two whereas the operational duty of 200 Amps continuous has a factor of safety of 12. This being the more prudent and common sense rating. The top rating of 1200 Amps should be for transients lasting no more than 100 milliseconds @ 30 second intervals ( music just doesn't get this powerful ). Amplifiers with +/- 600 Amps are still acceptable appliances for Monopoles® to be used on; provided that their output does not exceed the safety margins of the Monopoles®’ specification listed here.

Current swings of up to 1200 Amperes.

Calculated for HCOFC Copper.

To the Bare wire interface for the M11 and to their respective spade faces for the M13; M14.

Monopoles® are for use only on audio equipment and not for use on high current machinery such as arc welders. Nor should Monopoles® be subjected to continuous high current over and above their specified rating.

Solder is a more resistive material than the metals that it seeks to join. In fact even Silver solder is over 50 times more resistive than normal silver. Most solder used in the electrical industry is lead/tin based and this is over 100 times as resistive as copper.

UHMW/PE is the acronym for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene ( an atomic weight of each of the molecules is nominally over 4000000, being composed of very long Polyethylene chains ).
Goto: http://www.boedeker.com/  for more complete  information on plastics and polymers