WBT NextGen (0110, 0102 & 0114).

WBT NextGen some of the the most well regarded RCA connectors available. They are some of the most expensive ones, too. However, unlike  other examples, you do not simply pay for a brand name or a collection of precious metals, but for a unique, innovative design executed at the highest standards, using the best  available materials for the purpose. The NextGen connectors incorporate a wealth of ideas to address every possible aspect of signal transfer and contact  effectiveness.

Although WBT connectors are mostly known for the locking barrel (which was introduced by their first generation of connectors), the NextGen line features a completely different design approach to the 1st generation of brass / copper alloy WBT connectors. The NextGen RCAs fall in the category of  low mass, “single point ground” connectors. Although they have many differences to the typical “bullet plugs”, they share similar, basic design principles in regards to their low mass and ground contact on a single point. However, the NextGen are far more complex products, with each plug made up of multiple, precision designed and engineered parts, to achieve functions that most end users have very little awareness of. For a better understanding of the NextGen design and principles it is best if we refer you to the relevant sections of their website:

NextGen Technology external link to WBT website 

Understanding the basic construction differences between the WBT Next Gen models:

As one can see from the illustration, the main design/construction differences among the WBT NextGen versions have to do with the use of metal or plastic body on the connector and the conductivity or not of the outer barrel (which affects the shielding ability and the connector impedances).

Price variations among WBT NextGen models:

The three WBT variations do have significant differences in their pricing. These price differences do not reflect different levels of performance. They simply reflect the higher/lower costs of production for each variant. I.e. The 0102 is significuntly more expensive due to the higher costs of machining the metal body of the connector in comparisson to the plastic bodies of the other versions. The 0110 is slightly more expensive than the 0114 due to the higher cost of its non-conductive magnesium alloy barrel over the conductive brass barrel of the 0114. However, each material is chosen to serve a functional purpose regardless its cost and one should not assume that the more expensive the better.

Our favourite version is the 0114 which combines the low mass design with full shielding ability, and at the same time is the least expensive of the available variants.

Would we recommend them?

As mentioned above, the NextGen are very high specification, manufactured products, each of them assembled by many precision engineered parts. So they are nothing of the likes of the minimal “Bullet plugs” and very dissimilar to the older, heavy duty WBT connectors. We consider them as the best RCAs and we use them extensively on all of our cables. We would certainly recommend them but there are also good reasons why these RCAs may not be everyone’s ideal option.

Here are some valid reasons one should avoid the WBT NextGen:

Not ideal for price sensitive choices -  if you expect that spending an additional £100 or £200 for NextGen connectors is going to bring the magic out of the cable and justify the high spending with an instantaneous sonic elevation - I am afraid that this is not going to be the case.

Not ideal if you are after a small RCA connector with a traditional “push-pull” fitting (i.e.no locking function).

Not suitable If you are after a physically robust and hard wearing connector. WBT NextGen are constructed with pure silver and pure copper contacts (not alloys). These are naturally soft materials and they will not withstand rough handling.

The main NextGen models by WBT are the 0110, 0102 and the 0114. They are all available in pure copper (gold plated) and pure silver versions. You can check the specific information for each model at the following links. Here, we will simply highlight some of the major differences between the 3 models.  The 0110 is a low mass design with plastic body and a lightweight magnesium alloy locking barrel. This is the connector with the least capacitive and inductive impact and it is free from Eddy currents. It is also highly suitable for digital connections since it can maintain the 75Ohm characteristic impedance required. On the other hand, the shielding effectiveness of the plug is not as high as the other models, since the outer barrel remains “un-grounded” and acts as a shield only by reflection.

The 0102, is a plug with a full metal body (which is isolated from the central and ground pins). The outer barrel is made of a copper alloy and it offers full shielding via a connection to the ground.  Although, the connector is still very low on Eddy currents and capacitance their presence is higher than on the 0110 model. The basic design of the 0114 stands between the other two models. With a plastic body and a grounded outer brass barrel it combines qualities of both 0110 and 0102.

External link to WBT NextGen website

WBT 0110Ag:  data sheet 

WBT 0101Cu:  data sheet

WBT 0102 Ag:  data sheet

WBT 0102Cu:  data sheet

WBT 0114Ag:  data sheet

WBT 0114Cu:  data sheet

WBT NextGen Instruction Manuals:

0110 , 0102 , 0114 

WBT Next Gen connectors offer full shielding  (especially the 0102 and 0114) and their locking mechanism provides minimum contact resistance on the signal ground without risking mechanical wear on the RCA socket and on the connector contact itself. They are some among very few RCA connectors that manage to combine the use of  pure copper and pure silver base metal with minimal contact resistance for a very long period of time and with many more life cycles than any other pure copper or silver RCA. This characteristic alone allows them to stand out of the competition.

In our opinion the WBT Nextgen are the best RCA connectors available in the market. Taking into consideration the design ideas involved, the selection of materials, the tolerances and their build quality, no other RCA plug can reach the potential of Nextgen connectors. On the other hand it is down to ones personal opinion whether their high price is justified by evident improvements in the overall sonic presentation. Objectively, a connector can achieve a certain (optimal) electrical performance. (i.e. high conductivity materials, minimal contact resistance, low eddy currents, low capacitance, shielding etc). Once these characteristics are achieved there is very little that can be offered by further improvements. However, WBT goes a step further and offers a product where some small, less obvious, details make it stand out. Ie. The pure silver contacts are finished with a platinum layer to ensure hat the actual conductor will stay free from oxide build up and mechanical wear; on the 0110 the anodized housing (although it clamps the ground contact) it remains electrically isolated by it; the “Z split” and the slight skew of the central pin create a profile which adjusts to the tolerance of the mating socket and further minimises contact resistance. Overall, our point is that WBT Nextgen, deserve their reputation (and possibly their cost) as products of very high specifications. However, “better connectors” do not necessarily translate into some instantaneous, audible improvement. They will ensure a consistent performance in a range of conditions and applications, over a very long period of time; but if one takes into consideration only the sonic performance, we believe that less expensive alternatives can prove themselves very worthy competitors at significantly lower prices.