In the outback of Australia there is a phenomenon known as the MinMin-Light^TM. While driving in outback Queensland ( Australia ) between Longreach and Winton in late 1981, a MinMin-Light^TM appeared to the side of my car. The MinMin-Light^TM tracked me at whatever speed that I drove. There is no known explanation for the existence of MinMin-Light^TM and some scientists ( those who have not seen them ) dispute their very existence. The accepted explanation is that when the ‘charge' of the air is correct and all other conditions are as they should be, the MinMin-Light^TM appear. Small points of ball lightning that float around the air and are attracted to things metallic that they track at whatever speed close to the ground. Many a stockman has also been pursued by MinMin-Lights^TM in the quiet of the night pursuing him on his horse!
So, enter the MinMin-Lights^TM into Audio.
Out of the darkness of having to deal with the same design paradigm for this critical interface comes a totally different approach. The consequence is a level of revelation not possible with either the RCA or XLR connector design paradigms. No matter how excellent their design features are promoted by their proponents¹.

To date all interconnects have been either the XLR or RCA type of design. All other alternative interconnectors have incorporated soldered links at the signal transition interface. Though some of the alternatives are better than either of the traditional interconnects they have not presented a significant improvement for the signal transfer interface. Alternative connector designs all rely on 'push-fit' connectors. Even if their internal wire-clamping component is the best ever, relying on 'push-fit' only results in a marginal improvement.

As you would expect by now, the extensive design work done by Bocchino Audio on perfecting the bare-wire design interface has now reached the interconnector. Consequently this design exercise, though having produced four new interconnector designs, has resulted in requiring a new approach to the design of audio appliances. Whereas, for a single stereo channel RCA connector, only one connector is required, when using MinMin-Lights^TM,  two MinMin-Lights^TM are required. Twice the amount. The principal design paradigm for the MinMin-Light^TMis that each wire polarity of the interconnector wire has its own ‘pole' its own MinMin-Light^TM!

MinMin-Lights^TM do not require special connector components. The MinMin-Light^TM is the connector component. The interconnector wire has its ends stripped and each end is secured into its own distinct MinMin-Light^TM receptive cylinder with grub screws.  The MinMin-Light^TM is secured into and straddles the appliance interface and ( half inside the appliance and half outside the appliance )  the internal connecting wires within the appliance are also secured into the MinMin-Light^TM  with grub screws. Consequently the degree of efficiency of signal transmission is the best possible. Only fusion welding of the connecting wires at the appliance interface is better.

All MinMin-Light^TM designs carry the prefix ‘ML-X'. The first two designs were an evolution towards the final four designs. And these have now been narrowed down to just 2.

The designs are as follows:

Laurelei^TM.

The first of the new designs. Its grub-screw engine is the basis of all the MinMin-Light^TM derivatives. Consisting of a back to back grub-screw engine it enables for the connection of the Interconnect wire directly into the MinMin-Light^TMand also for the internal appliance wire to be connected to the other side. The pressure applied to the maintenance of the connecting wires into the MinMin-Light^TM is greater than can be achieved by any other method. ( Other than fusion welding )

The use of solder only serves to ‘hold' the wire into place and does not maintain a high-pressure contact to facilitate the efficient transfer of the audio signal across the transition interface. In a soldered connection the signal has to transit through a substance whose resistance is greater then either of the media carrying the audio signal.

ML-3's require 12mm diameter holes placed at 19 millimetre centres both vertically and horizontally.

When using the MinMin-Light^TM for linking up a balanced line then the holes' centres should be placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle of 30mm per side.

PiWi^TM
This MinMin-Light^TM  has a back to back grub-screw engine.  Being 46mm long and 12mm in diameter and fabricated from  3N Copper 99.9%+Cu. ML-3's can be spaced at 19mm centres and at 22mm vertices for balanced line.

This is the most popular and equal in performance to the ML-3

If you are using the MinMin-Light^TMto transfer the audio signal from an audio appliance such as a CD player into your pre-amp then whereas for each audio channel at the CD only one RCA chassis receptor is required, for the MinMin-Light^TM two MinMin-Lights^TMare required. On The CD there are two RCA chassis receptors. The amount of MinMin-Light^TM needed to replace these is 4 x MinMin-Lights^TM. Correspondingly on the pre-amp an additional 4 x MinMin-Lights^TMare required. In total, to accommodate one audio appliance completely 8 x MinMin-Lights^TMare required.

As mentioned earlier the MinMin-Light^TMneeds more room on the back of an audio appliance. Where a pre-amplifier is to accommodate MinMin-Light^TM as a part of its production feature then the back panel will need to be ‘stepped-out' to accommodate two sets of MinMin-Light^TM. The depth of the step being such that the channel represented by the lower step has its grub-screw engines easily accessible from the top.

ML-3's are spaced at 30 millimetre centres both vertically and horizontally and preferably at 33 millimetre centres so as to give ease of access. The ML-6 MinMin-Light^TM are spaced at a minimum of 20 millimetre centres and preferably between 22 and 25 millimetre centres both vertically and horizontally. The ML-6 MinMin-Light^TM do not come with insulating shoulder washers but the ML-3 does. This is because the ML-6's are designed to be direct threaded into their mounting panel and for the mounting panel to be fabricated from an electrically inert substance. Such as epoxy/phenolic board; Teflon sheet; Delrin sheet; densified wood and similar products. Similarly the ML-3 can also be mounted in this manner and hence the pricing is listed as ‘dressed' and ‘undressed'.

Installation of the interconnect wire into the MinMin-Light^TM is very easy. It involves just inserting the bare wire into the insertion cylinder and fastening down the grub-screw with the allan key supplied. Presto! the worlds' best interconnector binding post. Do not over-tighten as the MinMin-Light^TMis fabricated from Copper; one of the softest and least malleable metals and you also run the risk of cutting the signal wire. Firm securing is sufficient as the grub-screws are made from stainless steel and if over tightened will strip the thread. All that is needed is to maintain the wire securely and firmly into its holding cylinder in the MinMin-Light^TM.

One suggestion is to smear the ends of the wire with ROCOL J166 prior to fastening into the MinMin-Light^TM. This coats the wire with an electrically anti-oxidising paste.

The effect of using MinMin-Lights^TM is an immediate reduction of the noise floor on which the audio signal rides. All aspects that are inhibited by the use of solder and multiple transition interfaces are eliminated. The amount of information that is recovered is quite staggering. The degree of involvement with the music improves and your audio appliances' performance is allowed to write the performance before your ears!
The principal precaution in using MinMin-Light^TM is not to confuse polarities when linking components. Appliances must be turned off whenever connecting wires between components.
( Their electrical plugs must be removed from the electrical mains supply ).

MinMin-Light^TM Prices

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Note1.

Of all the RCA interconnectors in the audio market The Brenda^TM and TomCat^TM connectors are the best of their kind. There are no better RCA connectors on the market today than the Brenda^TM and TomCat^TM. RCA connectors have been the standard connector for over 40 years and doubtless, will persist until another equally cheap, convenient and effective connector appears or is adapted as a standard within the audio industry.

Until this happens there will appear new and different connectors that will be better than the RCA or XLR connector but will not always be universally adapted. The MinMin-Lights^TM are one such new connector system.

The convenience of the RCA is its ease of fitment. The RCA connector is easily removed and put on to any appliance. The MinMin-Lights^TM are designed to address the minimization of signal degradation at the appliance interface and consequently their design evolved more from a ‘scientific / engineering' consideration.

The psychology behind the MinMin-Lights^TM is based on the assumption that people do not frequently swap their interconnects around and would welcome the benefits despite the mild inconvenience of using a screw driver to tighten and loosen the grub-screws each time that they proposed an interconnector cable upgrade or moved their appliances.

Audio equipment reviewers will probably curse the requirement for ‘fiddling about' as opposed to the just ‘plug and play' convenience of more conventional connectors.