[avbahn]

I have Klipsch Reference speakers and binding posts seemed not very good to connect bare wire.
So I tried banana plugs where you have two screws to fasten the wire.
Connections seemed good and I used them about 3 months.
Sound was ok but something was kind of lacking. So finally I tried to remove
the banana plugs to see if it would make any difference.
To connect bare wire I really took care to connect tightly to the speaker
binding posts. The difference was huge like I would of installed new speakers.

So if you plan using banana plugs I recommend against them.
If you have them installed and something seems out of place in the sound try to remove them and see
if in your system you hear any differences.

[Arcam_boy]

Maybe down to how you did the plugs mate, I've always used banana plugs (airloc or chord terminated) and they've been fine!

[avbahn]

Have you tried to compare? It seemed fine to me as well in the beginning.

My experience is only with screw type plugs and the last ones were: Hicon

[Arcam_boy]

I've tried them all buddy, bare cable, bananas z plugs the lot. I'm using qed screw locs upstairs and there fine and no different to bare ends.

Maybe you've had a bad experience but not sure a thread saying bare ends is much better than bananas or whatever is required :-)

[avbahn]

I am just trying to say that if you don't need them then no point to use them.
Some speakers have unfriendly binding posts for bare wire then there would be a point.
Most of the threads in forums are not required After all it is just IMHO.

[Don Dadda]

I'm with Arcam_Boy

Have banana plugs and spades on each end of the speaker cables and for me, there is no difference in SQ between those and bare wire.
The main reason for them is ease of use when needing to disconnect and reconnecting the cables from the amplifiers.

Maybe it wasn't a solid fit so not making a good connection, but if working well without and not necessarliy needed then, yes no point having them.

All opinions are valid mate

[avbahn]

Post nr 3 has a link for which I used.
It certainly might be that you need to use better quality plugs then Hicon.
As far as I could tell the connections were ok or as good it can be with these plugs.

[Don Dadda]

Yes, i realise that hence why i edited my post

[Arcam_boy]

Ok so you had one bad experience with one brand of plugs to recommend not using them is a bit if a bold thing to say.

They certainly don't add to the sound of the cable/system but try wiring up a 7.1 system using bare cables it's a bloody nightmare!

Banana plugs in general are very good if fitted correctly!

[avbahn]

Ok I will leave it at that.
My 5.1 system has bare wires for 5 channels 7 would be fine as well
During the years this has been a third set of cheap banana plugs so not quite so hasty to draw conclusions.
I have one good experience as well but with soldered plugs and more high quality.
Maybe the conclusion is do not buy cheap plugs

[DodgeTheViper]

I've never had a bad experience with banana plugs, and I have always used them at amp and speaker ends. They are very much a convenience feature and not to be considered an improvement upgrade. I agree with what has already been said regarding your unfortunate experience, so I dont see how you can advise people not to use them because of your experience with them. Too many people do use them.

Funnily enough, I'm thinking of replacing my current ones with some Sewell Silverbacks. ;-)

[Nevaborn]

If youve bought 3 lots of CHEAP plugs in the past and had trouble maybe thats the problem.

Perhaps you just need better quality plugs.

Even if i never planned on moving my speakers id not use bare wire. Its just a pain.

Plugs look better too

[noiseboy72]

Solder them, not screw connections, unless you also crimp a ferrule to the bare wire. The screws will damage the cable and reduce the contact area, making a high resistance joint that you could possibly hear.

With any connection, periodically undo, clean up with duraglit or a bit of fine wet and dry and reassemble. Works on mains connections as well.

(Anyone mention Peter Belt?....)

[DodgeTheViper]

My assumption would be that the majority of users do not solder, but rely on the screw tight or hand tight connection. I'm not too sure who would clean the end of cables with Duraglit either, but if it works for you that's cool ;-)

[noiseboy72]

It's more about best practice. Who fits ferrules to mains screw connectors, but best practice suggests you should. Cleaning oxidisation off connectors will improve the electrical conductivity, but will you hear the difference... On my £200 AV amp and £600 speakers I doubt it, but on a real high end system quite possibly.

Tweaking, it's all down hill from now on in...

[DodgeTheViper]

Well I consider mine to be at least mid range, just wish I could solder. ;-)

[mykyll2727]

I use bananas as I definitely prefer them to bare wire. Like some others have posted for me bare-wire is a pain. Some of my cables came pre-fitted with bananas but with the ones I've added myself I've noticed no detriment to the SQ. Not even with these_ Vampire Wire - #SB As I don't solder.

In the OP's defense though I don't see anything wrong with him saying that from his experience he wouldn't recommend them. He didn't denegrate anyone for using them and simply suggested if one feels there's an SQ issue, check and see if a change alters the SQ. IMO seems like fair advice.

[sutton8]

Originally Posted by DodgeTheViper

Funnily enough, I'm thinking of replacing my current ones with some Sewell Silverbacks. ;-)

I use them and they are great value. Fit in my Denon amps no problem and likewise a Sony. I used to have a Yamaha 771 and for some reason they would not fit. Perhaps because they have a tapered shape.

[Mark.Yudkin]

Originally Posted by avbahn

I have one good experience as well but with soldered plugs and more high quality.
Maybe the conclusion is do not buy cheap plugs

Actually the conclusion is what you said - solder! Screw clamping in bare wire into a plug and then inserting the plug into the speaker adds another contact to the signal path. Banana plugs or spade lugs should be soldered to the wire. Those who can't solder should get a friend or ask a shop to do it for them - or accept the consequences.

[DodgeTheViper]

These look to be a decent buy with double screws

20 x Nakamichi Speaker banana plug ***UK SELLER*** 24k Gold plated connector | eBay

[larkone]

Solder - using WBT or good silver solder

[xedas]

Originally Posted by sutton8

I use them and they are great value. Fit in my Denon amps no problem and likewise a Sony. I used to have a Yamaha 771 and for some reason they would not fit. Perhaps because they have a tapered shape.

Hello,

They wouldn't fit probably because you didn't removed the plastic protection "things" that yamaha receiver have in their speakers terminals. You have use the tip of a knife to remove them so the 4mm holes became accessible.
I had the Nakamichi ones hand they worked nice.......now i have the Z-Plug one's that needed soldering (silver solder) and term-shrink sleeves . It's mostly a practical and aesthetic issue because i never "heard" differences compared to bare-wire.

The "huge deference" heard by avbahn probably was due to some bad contacts or other "unforeseen causes" because even the guys who claims that bare wire is better.....they never referred huge differences. Even when this discussion rises to a level that people tend to "cheat" (placebo) in their own opinions and listening experiences they never claim that the differences are huge.

Let's agree to disagree!
(i don't like this expression by the way)

[xedas]

Originally Posted by DodgeTheViper

These look to be a decent buy with double screws

20 x Nakamichi Speaker banana plug ***UK SELLER*** 24k Gold plated connector | eBay

Be carefull not to totally unscrew the screws......if they came out it's hard to put them back nad if the fall into the ground......you the one that's screwed (hope this is not a "bad word".....maybe borderline!?)
I use them in QED micro wire and had difficulty to get them secured.....had to strip twice the length and fold them.

[DodgeTheViper]

The size of my cable would fit ok, cheers

[sutton8]

Originally Posted by xedas

Hello,

They wouldn't fit probably because you didn't removed the plastic protection "things" that yamaha receiver have in their speakers terminals.

No I did remove those black plastic pins. Still wouldn't fit.

[xedas]

Originally Posted by sutton8

No I did remove those black plastic pins. Still wouldn't fit.

That's weird!

I don't know those 'Sewell Silverbacks' but they look alike the Nakamichi's that i used.

[mikelj]

I found issues finding banana plugs that weren't too tight a fit (so tight that you risked damaging equipment trying to take them out) for my Yamaha AX810 receiver and speaker wall plates.

The ones I had problems with I had a friend try with his AV set-up and found that some would fit his floor-standing B&W CDM's but would be too tight a fit for his rears, so I guess not all banana plugs are the same.

Edit: In my experience, I’ve found no difference in soldering or using screws, so convenience wins in my case.

[mykyll2727]

As I said earlier I also haven't found a problem with not soldering. The only problem I've run into w ith bananas are their being too loose. Or more accurately becoming too loose. The BFA styled ones seem to be better
Amazon.com: Belkin PureAV Do-It-Yourself Gold Banana Plugs (4-Pack): Electronics than the leaf type we've been discussing when it comes to that. The solution I've found are the locking type

http://www.amazon.com/GLS-Audio-Lock...s=banana+plugs but of course we are talking more money.