Plugs or bare wire? (speaker cable)

[gasolin]

I tried to ask a question about plugs for speaker cable or bare wire on a group on facebook and got some rude comments, some where helpfull but i didn't come to an conclusion

Was considering going above standard quality to something like rhodhium banana plugs and was thinking about bare wire

Plugs or bare wire? Does it matter except for more oxidation with bare wire?

 

[wilro15]

I'd like to know this myself. I use Nakamichi plugs which are good for quickly plugging and unplugging. Not sure if it affects the sound quality though.

Also not sure of the quality of the plugs as I bought them on ebay and you get a lot of fakes.

 

[keeper of the quays]

I use bare wire...re oxidisation, run some emery paper over wires if not used for a while..

 

[davedotco]

I have always preferred banana plugs but only if they are properly soldered and sealed with shrinkfit or proper sleeving. This is not difficult to do yourself if you have the components and can do basic soldering, but if not, best left to the experts.

Otherwise you may as well use bare wire, just be carefull of stray stands shorting out your amplifier.

 

[Al ears]

I have always preferred banana plugs but only if they are properly soldered and sealed with shrinkfit or proper sleeving. This is not difficult to do yourself if you have the components and can do basic soldering, but if not, best left to the experts.

Otherwise you may as well use bare wire, just be carefull of stray stands shorting out your amplifier.

+1

 

[shadders]

I use bare wire...re oxidisation, run some emery paper over wires if not used for a while..

Hi,

used to work in exchanges, and wire wrap cables/wires. Thinking at the time was that any dirt in the wire wrap after being wrapped assisted conduction.

Regarding oxidation, will probably only occur where the air can get to the wire, else conduction occurs where there is contact between the metals and no oxidation.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

[shadders]

I have always preferred banana plugs but only if they are properly soldered and sealed with shrinkfit or proper sleeving. This is not difficult to do yourself if you have the components and can do basic soldering, but if not, best left to the experts.

Otherwise you may as well use bare wire, just be carefull of stray stands shorting out your amplifier.

Hi,

I think soldered open ended spade type connections are optimal for any required connection implementation. There will be a greater surface area for conduction than with banana connection whose connection area will approximate an annular ring of a much smaller area than spade type.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

[chebby]

+1 for soldered plugs.

 

[TrevC]

If you want to swap stuff use bananas, otherwise bare wires.

 

[chebby]

If you want to swap stuff use bananas, otherwise bare wires.

Does 'swap stuff' include 'clean stuff' as in unplugging everything with some regularity to dust, polish, vacuum under and around it all?

In which case i'm sticking with soldered plugs.

YCMV

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I use plugs they are a lot easier to use they are not a lot of money to buy and do not have to worry about stray wire shorting out your amp . There is no sound improvement in useing them just a practical measure that's all

 

[Al ears]

If you want to swap stuff use bananas, otherwise bare wires.

Does 'swap stuff' include 'clean stuff' as in unplugging everything with some regularity to dust, polish, vacuum under and around it all?

In which case i'm sticking with soldered plugs.

YCMV

I used to be of the opinion that the least number of joints / connections in a system the better so bare-wire it was. After years of faff though I got some banana plugs and soldered away merrily. Could I hear a difference in the sound? No, none.

From then on it was banana plugs on all speaker cables purely for ease of connection / disconnection.

 

[davedotco]

I have always preferred banana plugs but only if they are properly soldered and sealed with shrinkfit or proper sleeving. This is not difficult to do yourself if you have the components and can do basic soldering, but if not, best left to the experts.

Otherwise you may as well use bare wire, just be carefull of stray stands shorting out your amplifier.

Hi,

I think soldered open ended spade type connections are optimal for any required connection implementation. There will be a greater surface area for conduction than with banana connection whose connection area will approximate an annular ring of a much smaller area than spade type.

Regards,

Shadders.

The UK has never embraced spade connectors, particularly on electronics. For that reason bananas are the connector of choice in this market.

Personally I think the only thing that matters is oxidation or other factors that that reduce conductivity. Worrying about the surface area of the connection is not something that would bother me. That said if the connections (amp or speaker) suit spades, use spades.

 

[Vladimir]

Crimped and soldered spade lugs are ideal, but I noticed they need retightening on ocassions. They like to loosen up the terminals (depends on the terminals I guess).

 

[gasolin]

Does difference material have different sound like gold and rhodium?

 

[MajorFubar]

I use plugs. But only because it simplifies moving the speakers while hoovering.

 

[Al ears]

Crimped and soldered spade lugs are ideal, but I noticed they need retightening on ocassions. They like to loosen up the terminals (depends on the terminals I guess).

+1

My findings exactly. I cannot say why but my current speaker cables came factory terminated with spades and for some reason they do seem to work loose over time. I ended up chopping them off and fitting bananas all round.

 

[Vladimir]

Does difference material have different sound like gold and rhodium?

It certainly does after a while. The least corrosive material will remain with best conductivity (less resistance) longer.

 

[davedotco]

Crimped and soldered spade lugs are ideal, but I noticed they need retightening on ocassions. They like to loosen up the terminals (depends on the terminals I guess).

+1

My findings exactly. I cannot say why but my current speaker cables came factory terminated with spades and for some reason they do seem to work loose over time. I ended up chopping them off and fitting bananas all round.

Someone in the US made quite a lot of money selling a sort of 'box' spanner specifically designed to tighten up your speaker terminals.

Turning poor design into a marketing opportunity, americans, eh!

 

[Al ears]

Crimped and soldered spade lugs are ideal, but I noticed they need retightening on ocassions. They like to loosen up the terminals (depends on the terminals I guess).

+1

My findings exactly. I cannot say why but my current speaker cables came factory terminated with spades and for some reason they do seem to work loose over time. I ended up chopping them off and fitting bananas all round.

Someone in the US made quite a lot of money selling a sort of 'box' spanner specifically designed to tighten up your speaker terminals.

Turning poor design into a marketing opportunity, americans, eh!

Moneygrabbers!

Everyone knows spades are only good for digging holes in the ground. 🙂

 

[radiorog]

Crimped and soldered spade lugs are ideal, but I noticed they need retightening on ocassions. They like to loosen up the terminals (depends on the terminals I guess).

+1

My findings exactly. I cannot say why but my current speaker cables came factory terminated with spades and for some reason they do seem to work loose over time. I ended up chopping them off and fitting bananas all round.

Did you hear a difference?

 

[ellisdj]

Does difference material have different sound like gold and rhodium?

Rhodium was made popular by Furutech on their top of the line products. You can read what they say about each material effect on Sound on their website

I was advised Rhodium for tubes gold for solid state but that might not be your preference

Rhodium will stay perfect forever

You should and can clean any contacts with deoxit gold. Spray some on a corroded crimp ring or similar and see just how good it is. Or try and solder a contact sprayed with it its murder so even though you can't see it the effects are there

 

[andyjm]

used to work in exchanges, and wire wrap cables/wires. Thinking at the time was that any dirt in the wire wrap after being wrapped assisted conduction.

Regarding oxidation, will probably only occur where the air can get to the wire, else conduction occurs where there is contact between the metals and no oxidation.

Regards,

Shadders.

Wire wrap connections form a gas tight cold weld at the point the wire wraps around the corners of the square wire wrap post.

IDC punchdown connectors also have very high contact pressures which produce a gas tight seal.

The trick is to avoid oxygen getting to the contact surface, and that usually means having high contact pressures. This is not true for stranded cables in binding posts.

 

[abacus]

Good quality plugs, spades or use of bare cable will not alter the sound in any way, however when using spades and bare wire, you will need to periodically re-tighten them, as they compress over time.

With plugs, make sure you have enough room at the back so that the cables are not bent sharply, as this can cause a weak spot (As well as straining the terminals) which will cause problems in the future.

It all comes down to common sense, and the basic engineering science you learnt at school.

Hope this helps

Bill

 

[andyjm]

So, rather than 'I prefer this / that', it may be worth looking at the physics of the problem.

What is wanted is a high current, low resistance connection that doesn't deteriorate over time.

Stranded cable in a binding post will oxidise over time, and also has the risk that a stray strand will short the amp.

Depending on the design, banana plugs can have very low contact areas and low contact pressures. The solid bar design with a spring down one side is particularly bad for contact area.

A gold plated spade connector either soldered or crimped to the cable, held in a tight gold plated binding post provides the best outcome in terms of contact resistance and longevity.

Having said all of the above, absent shorting out the amp with a stray strand, I doubt that the differences in resitance from any of the above approaches will be audible.