If this is the meeting held during CES, you recollection isn't
> entirely accurate. Yes, the goal was to tell if something had changed.
> However, some in the audience not only could tell the difference, but
> could identify which amp was being used. One amp was from VTL, but I
> recall several brands being tested in this manner.
>
> The gold contacts are to prevent corrosion which can lead to
> rectification. Not likely, but it could happen.
I've observed it. I have a Heathkit Audio Analyzer, the old IM-22, which measures intermodulation distortion. For a while I used it with double-banana-plug cables; when I wasn't using it I plugged the output into the input to keep the cables out of the way. The plugs were cheap surplus jobs.
One time I didn't use it for a month or so. When I turned it on, I did my routine residual distortion test, and got about 0.75% distortion at 0dBu. "Oh, really?" I said, or words to that effect, and unplugged the cables, then plugged them back in again. The residual distortion dropped to 0.07%, its normal figure. It was at that point that I decided bananas were not a good way to connect things (low pressure, not particularly gas-tight) unless they were gold plated, and the plating was real plating. Or you pulled them out and plugged them in again fairly often.
Peace, Paul