Removing speaker manufacturers metal jumper bars - thought provoking!!!

[admin_exported]

Hello fellow music lovers. Two posts in two days - must be the recession!

I have read on various forums that it is recommended that the "inferior" speaker manufacturers metal jumper bars are discarded and replaced with either a bi-wiring/bi- amping configuration or replaced with home made/purchased speaker cable jumpers. if either of these options is carried out and the "inferior" metal jumpers removed then in order to achieve some audible benefit should the speaker wire not have to be hard wired onto the terminal(s) as opposed to using banana plugs/spades as surely the banana plugs/spades are of no greater construction/material than the speaker manufacturers metal jumper bars. I appreciate that the banana plugs/spades offer a superior connection onto the terminals and if heat shrunk can help stop the bare wire from oxidising but surely having no banana plugs/spades between the cable and the terminal(s) would be the best option?

This took me about half an hour to compose and I hope it makes sense!

I look forward to your comments.

 

[Anonymous]

I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers.

I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other).

I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

 

[mikeinbrum]

This is one of those things where- if it is an upgrade in quality, it's something you can do yourself at home without cost on a rainy day (I used a particularly grey sunday to tinker round the back of my speakers) I didn't manage to get any audible differences in tone or sound quality, but I enjoyed messing around for a few hours! In the end I returned to the metal bars that Epos provided. Mainly because it looked less messy, and if I were to leave them off I would lose them- which would be bad if i ever wanted to trade the speakers in for a new pair!

 

[Anonymous]

heystak:I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers. I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other). I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

I also use the same cable with same speakers - and I did notice a difference (not a huge one but improvement nonetheless) replacing the jumper bars with pieces of Odyssey cable. It took 10 minutes and was a "free" upgrade. Worth trying even if you're sceptical.

 

[Anonymous]

chainrock:
heystak:I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers. I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other). I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

I also use the same cable with same speakers - and I did notice a difference (not a huge one but improvement nonetheless) replacing the jumper bars with pieces of Odyssey cable. It took 10 minutes and was a "free" upgrade. Worth trying even if you're sceptical.

Chainrock
Have you ever compared a CD player to your laptop / DAC combination?

 

[Anonymous]

chainrock:

heystak:I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers. I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other). I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

I also use the same cable with same speakers - and I did notice a difference (not a huge one but improvement nonetheless) replacing the jumper bars with pieces of Odyssey cable. It took 10 minutes and was a "free" upgrade. Worth trying even if you're sceptical.

Did it make any discernable difference replacing the metal jumper bars for short lengths of speaker cable? It just seems that many people advocate removing the metal jumper bars but then connect the main speaker cable via banana plugs/spades!

I can't understand the benefit on removing a piece of metal and then replacing with other pieces of metal!

??????????

 

[Anonymous]

HARWOOD:chainrock:

heystak:I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers. I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other). I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

I also use the same cable with same speakers - and I did notice a difference (not a huge one but improvement nonetheless) replacing the jumper bars with pieces of Odyssey cable. It took 10 minutes and was a "free" upgrade. Worth trying even if you're sceptical.

Did it make any discernable difference replacing the metal jumper bars for short lengths of speaker cable? It just seems that many people advocate removing the metal jumper bars but then connect the main speaker cable via banana plugs/spades!

I can't understand the benefit on removing a piece of metal and then replacing with other pieces of metal!

??????????

I read in my tea leaves that it's a good idea, so I'm going with it.

 

[RodhasGibson]

I removed mine, simply because I wanted to Bi-Wire the Speakers. No other reason would make sense to me.

 

[cheyworth]

The next option is do you wire the amp to the bass terminals or the tweeter!

Chris

 

[Anonymous]

HARWOOD:chainrock:

heystak:I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers. I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other). I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

I also use the same cable with same speakers - and I did notice a difference (not a huge one but improvement nonetheless) replacing the jumper bars with pieces of Odyssey cable. It took 10 minutes and was a "free" upgrade. Worth trying even if you're sceptical.

Did it make any discernable difference replacing the metal jumper bars for short lengths of speaker cable? It just seems that many people advocate removing the metal jumper bars but then connect the main speaker cable via banana plugs/spades!

I can't understand the benefit on removing a piece of metal and then replacing with other pieces of metal!

??????????

the idea is that the speaker wire is made of high-purity copper with silver coating - better conductor than the bronze or whatever links that are supplied with speakers. It is cheap and fast to try so why not?

 

[Anonymous]

heystak: player to your laptop / DAC combination?

I have not tried a CDP to compare yet as I don't own one...maybe one day... (unless someone wants to lend me a CDP and come along for the test

 

[Anonymous]

chainrock:HARWOOD:chainrock:

heystak:I have Chord Odyssey speaker cable connected to Monitor Audio RS6 speakers. I replaced the jumper bars with speaker cable (banana plugs one end - bare wire the other). I feel better for doing it but to be honest I'm not sure its made any difference to the sound quality.

I also use the same cable with same speakers - and I did notice a difference (not a huge one but improvement nonetheless) replacing the jumper bars with pieces of Odyssey cable. It took 10 minutes and was a "free" upgrade. Worth trying even if you're sceptical.

Did it make any discernable difference replacing the metal jumper bars for short lengths of speaker cable? It just seems that many people advocate removing the metal jumper bars but then connect the main speaker cable via banana plugs/spades!

I can't understand the benefit on removing a piece of metal and then replacing with other pieces of metal!

??????????

the idea is that the speaker wire is made of high-purity copper with silver coating - better conductor than the bronze or whatever links that are supplied with speakers. It is cheap and fast to try so why not?

Yes and then the speaker wire is terminated with banana plugs/spades which are of the same construction/material as the manufacturers metal jumper bars. I'm simply saying that if it is recommended that the supplied metal jumper bars are discarded then this must also apply to the banana plugs/spades otherwise i can't see any benefit being acheived!

 

[The_Lhc]

chainrock: the idea is that the speaker wire is made of high-purity copper with silver coating - better conductor than the bronze or whatever links that are supplied with speakers. It is cheap and fast to try so why not?

This is the question though, what are the jumper bars actually made of? And if you don't know, how do you know you're improving things? I'm pretty sure a speaker manufacturer wouldn't spend tons of money developing a new speaker and then couple the terminals together using pig iron or something.

Seem to recall the ones on my old KEFs were gold-plated at least. I say recall because I've lost the bloody things, so I'll have to do the little bit of speaker cable thing if I ever take them out of their current duties...

 

[The_Lhc]

HARWOOD: Yes and then the speaker wire is terminated with banana plugs/spades which are of the same construction/material as the manufacturers metal jumper bars.

How do you know that?

Must admit I do find it odd that terminators never seem to get tested, everyone's happy to accept that they make no difference, despite the seemingly crucial role they play in the connection between amp and speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

the_lhc:

HARWOOD: Yes and then the speaker wire is terminated with banana plugs/spades which are of the same construction/material as the manufacturers metal jumper bars.

How do you know that?

Must admit I do find it odd that terminators never seem to get tested, everyone's happy to accept that they make no difference, despite the seemingly crucial role they play in the connection between amp and speakers.

I don't know for sure that they are of the same material/construction althought if i were to put my money on it I bet that 90% of what's available is Gold plated Brass!!!

Perhaps I should reverse the original question and ask whether replacing the speaker cable from the amp to the speakers using 2-3 metres of speaker manufacturers metal jumper bar material would have a negative affect on sound quality?

Now that's an interesting question!

 

[aliEnRIK]

I removed the links from my rear monitor audios (didnt fancy buying biwire cable for them due to the sheer length id need), and fitted my own silver plated cables between them (Bare wire). There was a definite increase in treble quality