Cables: how to terminate?

[admin_exported]

In the time it is taking for my flippin tv to arrive, I have time to think of too many questions! I went into my local Sevenoaks today to finalise my cable issues for my MT30 / Onkyo 606 (still may suddenly go 875 even though I just don't need it!). After QED silver XT for fronts. Wanted the cheaper micro for rears (they only have the Chord Campana though... ). Will get my subwoofer cable from Mark Grant, the Canare LV77S. Now, 7oaks were just going to screw on their banana plugs.. MY QUESTION: to experienced amp owners, do I need to go for better terminations like welded ones? I have a feeling the wires will slip out otherwise?! And, at the speaker end, in the M1 speaker's connections, should I be soldering the cable ends? I'd like to make sure I ask for the best option, rather than the easiest for the staff to do! Cheers

 

[professorhat]

I got the QED Airloc plugs on my Silver Anniversary - haven't heard a set with just screwed on banana plugs to compare the difference though. Some places can't do the Airloc process in house either. To be fair, the use of banana plugs is really just for convenience of hooking everything up. Properly screwed in plugs won't slip out any time soon - I have my M1 rears hooked up with screw in plugs on the amp side as the Silver Micro wire is too thin for the Airloc process. Also, I wouldn't worry about soldering in the M1 connections either - for one thing, it would make life difficult if you ever decided to change the cable! Mine are just screwed in to the housings within the M1 stand - have been for about 3 months now and no issues at all.

 

[bullitt]

The speaker wire i've got at the moment is 79 strand just the basic , was going to upgrade to qed silv aniversary do i need to do all speakers with this or just the front left/right ,also is it worth ordering spk cables that have been terminated ,only prob for me is all lengths are different to each speaker

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't mean soldering the cable into the M1's! I was talking about soldering the stripped cable's core to stop fraying? This would be BEFORE putting them into the M1's. Similar to how I used to solder speaker wire to top the cable ends oxidising.

 

[professorhat]

Ahh! Thought it was a bit rash to solder them in! Fair enough on soldering the end.

[quote user="bullitt"]going to upgrade to qed silv aniversary do i need to do all speakers with this or just the front left/right ,also is it worth ordering spk cables that have been terminated ,only prob for me is all lengths are different to each speaker[/quote]

Up to you whether you do all the cable or not. Rears are generally quite a long distance away, and the signal tends not to be as important as the front three speakers, so quite a few people use cheaper cable for them to keep costs down. It's also generally advised to keep the cable the same length for each type of speaker i.e. get the same length cable for the two front surround speakers and then the same length cable for the two rear surround speakers e.g. - so if the furthest front surround speaker was 2 metres away and the furtherst rear surround speaker was 8 metres away, get two sets of 2 metre cables for the fronts and two sets of 8 metre cables for the rears.

 

[Anonymous]

Same lengths! At a fiver a metre for 3 front lengths of 1.5m, I'm hardly gonna add 6.5m x 3 more to make them the same length as my two 8m rear cables!
BIG £ ouch. I think I'll make do with lots of varying lengths!

 

[bullitt]

Well my heads hurting ,ive just worked out the lengths required for F/L 3 MTRS F/R 5MTRS , If i was to do rears B/L 18MTRS B/R 25MTRS , To do the fronts only ,terminated one end (amp) cost is abt £55 from futureshop ,So you mean e.g my longest of frnts is 5mtrs so then F/L + F/R have to be 5mtrs ,rears would be 25mtrs in my case ,think i'll stick to upgrading front spk for now.Thanks pro.or bro 🙂

 

[professorhat]

No, your fronts don't have to be the same length as the rears! Just the two fronts should be the same length and the two rears should be the same length.

 

[Anonymous]

Now you tell me. I was awake all last night planning a bank job, to pay for some QED wire. That was a joke, for any halfwits out there who have the Crimestoppers number to hand.
Gives me a bit more cash towards my mains block and Onkyo ipod dock. The spending never stops!

 

[professorhat]

Lol - yeah sorry, my first post wasn't particularly clear. Have tidied it up now so it makes more sense (hopefully!

)

 

[timwileman]

RE: Re: Cables: how to terminate?............................Uzi 9mm