Getting the clock from the X-Dante cards is a big step in the right direction.
I don't think the cable diameter is the issue with the shells. I use direct bury cable for ruggedness in portable use. It is thick because it has double jackets, but it still fits in the ethercon shell. The jacket should be crimped in the plug.
I have found that there are plugs made for solid wires, and plugs made for stranded, and flakey connections result when cable type and plug don't match. Too many manufacturers gloss over this detail. Generally, the pass through plugs are made for stranded. Solid wires go into non-pass through plugs pretty easily. Plugs made for solid wires are often smoke colored.
Back in the ethernet dark ages, I prewired a whole rack of equipment with the wrong RJ-45s, and had flakey connections galor. I ended up redoing all of the terminations and all of the problems were solved.
I don't think the cable diameter is the issue with the shells. I use direct bury cable for ruggedness in portable use. It is thick because it has double jackets, but it still fits in the ethercon shell. The jacket should be crimped in the plug.
I have found that there are plugs made for solid wires, and plugs made for stranded, and flakey connections result when cable type and plug don't match. Too many manufacturers gloss over this detail. Generally, the pass through plugs are made for stranded. Solid wires go into non-pass through plugs pretty easily. Plugs made for solid wires are often smoke colored.
Back in the ethernet dark ages, I prewired a whole rack of equipment with the wrong RJ-45s, and had flakey connections galor. I ended up redoing all of the terminations and all of the problems were solved.