My office setup was suffering from drop-outs on one of the speakers (Tannoy). Wiggling the speaker connectors on the amp side (NAD) would resolve the issue temporarily. I was already looking at an amp replacement when I decided to replace the cables first. I built them using AudioQuest cables and connectors and now everything is fine.
I inspected the original Oehlbach cables and connectors and can’t find anything wrong with them. The cold plated connectors are not oxidized, I do n’t see anything weird on the cable.
Is it possible that a cable gets ‘micro fractures’ over time that can cause drop-outs? I just wonder what happened 
Yes where sharp bends exist it’s possible to get fractures most common are wall warts.
To check you can disconnect then with two pins placed at different places through the insulation it’s possible to find with a continuity setting on a meter.
Sometimes it’s possible to re terminate after the break.
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Can you see the connections between the cable and plug? If they are soldered you should be able to see if there’s a dry joint or cracked solder. A crimped or screw-down connection may have broken strands of wire making a poor or intermittent contact. These connections may have screw-on covers that can easily be removed for inspection.
Another possible area for problems is the contact between the socket and the wire inside the amp, which is likely to be soldered. With your other cables connected, give the plugs a good wiggle to check that the problem isn’t hidden inside the amp.
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Thanks. The connectors were screwed on. I took them apart and indeed strands were broken. I checked this morning and re-inserted the plugs into the amp. It did not feel very tight. The new AudioQuest plugs have a much tighter fit. I guess it was a combination of broken strands and a bad fit.
On one hand I am happy the new cable solved the issue. On the other hand not so happy, because I was thinking about replacing the NAD with a Nait 50, which is now no longer necessary… Maybe later
I’m sure the new cable would fit nicely in a Nait50 too!
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