I had purchased some inexpensive mic cables not realizing that the XLR ends were poor quality. Wiggle the cable and they disconnect. I purchased the Neutrik ends to salvage the cable which appeared OK. This was my first experience with ends that are tool free and just twist on. The cable was fairly thick so it was difficult to twist the end down so that it was completely tight. It holds and does not want to come undone on its own so I do not expect any issues. Tolerances and quality are top notch so this should be a one time repair. The female connector was the first one I replaced. The new female locked tight into the cheap male end on the low end cable. Might have been the only replacement needed, but I replaced both.

I bought a bunch of 20-foot mic cables cheap, turned out the cable was actually well shielded, but the connectors don't have good strain relief and the metal body is smooth and hard to grip. I've been replacing the ends as they go bad with the Neutrik connectors, and I love them. Some of my more expensive cables already had Neutriks on them, so I knew what to expect. The ridges on the plugs make them easy to insert and remove from the board and stage box, and the strain relief ensures the cables will get more use between repairs. Neutrik is the best on the market, don't buy anything else.