Connections for speaker cables

[Al ears]

My latest speakers have various means of connection to cables namely bare wire / spades / 'banana' plug.

Which do you consider to be the best method, and why?

Cheers in anticipation.

 

[Anonymous]

have read somewhere that the best way is to use the cables unterminated

 

[Bodfish]

In theory, bare wire does indeed give the most direct connection. However, you have to balance that against the fact that the conductor's exposure to air will cause oxidisation which will degrade the wire itself. If you are happy to strip back some of your cable every six months or so and use a proprietory solution (which can slow the oxidisation process) then fair enough.

Personally, I have never had any particular problems using banana plugs.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks. But let me get this straight. Are you suggesting that if you solder banana plugs onto the cables (presumably using silver-solder) then the oxidisation problem goes away??

 

[idc]

Unless you have gold terminations there will be some sort of oxidisation. But everything from your plug to your phonos to your banana connectors get mucky and benefit from a clean with the likes of brasso once a year or so. There is a product called deoxit which helps to prevent oxidisation.

As for sound the most important thing about any connection is that it is secure. When I had unterminated speaker cable on my very first setup I could not get a secure connection. So not having any soldering skills I got some spades and with a pair of pliers I clamped them onto the wire and that made the connection nice and secure. All other speaker cables I have bought have been terminated with banana plugs that fitted into the amp and speaker nicely. But say I had had a connection that was lose and wobbled about, I would have looked to change it to another type.

 

[Anonymous]

If you want to try the bare wire approach, you could lightly 'tin' the end. Silver solder would be a good choice. When silver oxidizes it stays conductive unlike most other oxides. This would save any fraying and should negate the need to trim back the cable every so often. I have done this and couldn't tell the difference in sound between this, bananas or forks. I was using Lexicon (processor/amp) with Jamo Concert 11 speakers so was expecting to be able to tell the difference if there was any. My ears may have been the limiting factor.

I think a good, secure maximal surface area contact between cable termination and terminal posts may have a greater short term effect. You are sending the audio signal down the cable (which has a certain cross sectional area) this has to get into the speaker by surface contact with the terminals (vice versa at the amp end). Good smooooooth contact between cable surface and the mating terminal surface will ensure minimum contact resistance and if the joint is mechanically tight then it will tend to oxidise slower as air can't get to the wire.

I guess for bare wire, in the majority of terminals, we are trying to get the wire to be perfectly cylindrical to fit into the perfectly cylindrical female terminal. Enter the banana plug.

 

[Al ears]

I like the idea of tinned-end approach.

I was always told to keep signal path as short and 'clean' as possible. The idea of introducing yet another connection (spade or banana plug) into the equation never really seemed to gel. There is always the possibility of a 'dodgy' connection and or spades working loose etc.

Think I will tin the ends of my cables and see how we go. Many thanks for all your replies.

 

[Anonymous]

Whichever method you use I dont think you will hear any difference.

Banana plugs are convenient and never caused me any degradation in sound.