Why they look nothing like bananas!! Thanks Tomcat. I have just read in another thread that if you keep the wires clean and are happy with the sound then bare wires are okay. I'll be glad when everything is set up and I can just enjoy my purchases. It seems to have been a long road getting everything together. I know a lot of you find the demoing and buying and selection process part of the whole shebang, which I did at the beginning, but now it's lost its appeal and I just want results.