A hearing assistance system for a user having an ear canal, the system comprising: a housing; electronics disposed in the housing; a receiver adapted to be placed in the ear canal; and a cable for electrically interconnecting the receiver and the electronics; at least one end of the cable having a plug formed of insulation material containing a plurality of electrical conductors (208, 308) exposed at the end of the plug, and the housing or the receiver or both of them comprising: a receptacle formed of insulating material containing a like plurality of electrical traces (213, 313), and an electrically conductive silicone layer (214, 314) made with alternating layers of conductive and nonconductive silicone; the plug and receptacle being configured such that when the plug is fully inserted into the receptacle, a pair of mated conductors and traces contact at least one common conductive layer of the conductive silicone layer to complete an electrical connection between the pair of the plurality of electrical conductors and traces; wherein a face of one of the plurality of electrical plug conductors (208, 308) is parallel and opposite a face of one of the plurality of electrical traces (213, 313) where contact is made with the conductive silicone layer; and wherein at least one nonconductive silicone layer exists between adjacent conductive silicone layers such that electrical isolation between each conductor common to the plug or the receptacle is maintained. a housing; electronics disposed in the housing; a receiver adapted to be placed in the ear canal; and a cable for electrically interconnecting the receiver and the electronics; at least one end of the cable having a plug formed of insulation material containing a plurality of electrical conductors (208, 308) exposed at the end of the plug, and the housing or the receiver or both of them comprising: a receptacle formed of insulating material containing a like plurality of electrical traces (213, 313), and an electrically conductive silicone layer (214, 314) made with alternating layers of conductive and nonconductive silicone; the plug and receptacle being configured such that when the plug is fully inserted into the receptacle, a pair of mated conductors and traces contact at least one common conductive layer of the conductive silicone layer to complete an electrical connection between the pair of the plurality of electrical conductors and traces; wherein a face of one of the plurality of electrical plug conductors (208, 308) is parallel and opposite a face of one of the plurality of electrical traces (213, 313) where contact is made with the conductive silicone layer; and wherein at least one nonconductive silicone layer exists between adjacent conductive silicone layers such that electrical isolation between each conductor common to the plug or the receptacle is maintained. a receptacle formed of insulating material containing a like plurality of electrical traces (213, 313), and an electrically conductive silicone layer (214, 314) made with alternating layers of conductive and nonconductive silicone; the plug and receptacle being configured such that when the plug is fully inserted into the receptacle, a pair of mated conductors and traces contact at least one common conductive layer of the conductive silicone layer to complete an electrical connection between the pair of the plurality of electrical conductors and traces; wherein a face of one of the plurality of electrical plug conductors (208, 308) is parallel and opposite a face of one of the plurality of electrical traces (213, 313) where contact is made with the conductive silicone layer; and wherein at least one nonconductive silicone layer exists between adjacent conductive silicone layers such that electrical isolation between each conductor common to the plug or the receptacle is maintained.