How much difference do the banana plugs make?

[admin_exported]

Afternoon all,

I currently have the bog standard, Milty-esque, banana plugs on the speaker end of my cables.

During a quiet moment at work (started at 9 and it's still going) I was looking at some flashier banana plugs.

How much difference does a 'flashy' banana plug make? I am not interested in the ones such as WBT that cost £70 a pair (!!), but more in QED airloc/screwloc. Are these better sounding? Or are they simply a better form of termination that prevent oxidisation and provide more contact points? Should I have just spent the day on BBC online instead?!

Also, should I invest in a soldering iron and solder my cables, or is screwing good enough.

Ta!

Bored Phil

 

[John Duncan]

Sonically, I'd say very little if anything. From a practical point of view, however, I'd pay the money every time (but then I'm always swapping speakers in and out)

 

[professorhat]

Yup, the main benefit of the Airloc's is the prevention of oxidisation of the wire.

 

[Anonymous]

PhilAllen:How much difference does a 'flashy' banana plug make?
None.
PhilAllen:Should I have just spent the day on BBC online instead?!
Yes.

PhilAllen:Also, should I invest in a soldering iron and solder my cables, or is screwing good enough.
In all likelihood, screw fits are fine. Arguably you might lessen the possibility of oxidisation with soldering, but I really wouldn't worry about it. Unless you have always wanted a go at soldering for some reason.

 

[chebby]

Get your dealer to solder some banana plugs when you buy your cables or buy cables (like Chord) that already have been 'terminated' with soldered plugs. This is not to improve the connection but for convenience and tidiness and to eliminate any chance of shorts between terminals from stray strands. If you want a mechanically better connection then get spades soldered on instead.

Flashy or not makes no difference. Gold makes no difference. (Unless you live in a salt mine.)

'Directionality' makes no difference. The signal betwixt amp and speakers is AC so directionality is a hifi 'in joke' because the 'directionality' (if it existed) could only be correct 50 percent of the time whatever way the cable is installed.

QED Airloc is just a marketing term for 'crimped'. (And I have seen a few people - here on these forums included - complaining about Airloc connections falling off.)

 

[aliEnRIK]

I prefer spades myself, a better fit IMHO