Is 12 to 14 AWG copper wire without plugs worth trying? Or totally not?

[Apesbrain]

I will make sure they don't touch each other.

Another user's ingenious solution:

Should I buy a vintage Sansui AU-505 amp ?

Just after some advice in this area. I have a chance to grab a restored SANSUI AU-505 solid state stereo amp. From what I can gather it's early to mid...

forums.stevehoffman.tv

 

[AJM1981]

Then 16 gauge it is!

I found two thicker regular electricity cables around. I might get some pins for those. Little thing against is that it is a regular white mantle. Optically not an improvemen, but might be able to hide them well.

 

[AJM1981]

Another user's ingenious solution:

Should I buy a vintage Sansui AU-505 amp ?

Just after some advice in this area. I have a chance to grab a restored SANSUI AU-505 solid state stereo amp. From what I can gather it's early to mid...

forums.stevehoffman.tv

Thanks for sharing. I am a bit more conservative in this. Not willing to punch things through and modify it. I did modify the Pioneer I found, but those binding posts were literally cable grinders and in the worst sun washed and rusty condition. My au505 is in really good condition and like to keep things as they are.


Currently it is already up and running for about a week. I like the au505. It is perhaps not the heaviest of all, but it does well with the evo 4.2 loudspeakers. Less analytical and warmer compared to my Yamaha wxa50, nice dynamics and a different bass profile. If I can say it that way. With the Yamaha I felt that a subwoofer could be added, as the bass profile felt more layered. With the au505 it seems to reach further out. Bit less "controlled", but in a kind of organic way. I like both, but after years of class d a welcome change

 

[krabapple]

Would you say that, while dealing with more modern amps in the past, being able to connect both bare wire and banana plugs to a modern amplifier and being able to connect bare wire to a sansui au101, makes it weird to assume that both pins and bare wire would be clippable to a au505 spring connector? which can practically be clipped in. Only soundwise it is a bad idea as it turned out. I just gave it a try after having used the pin system correctly to start with.

P.s. I did not grow up in the 70s, so missed about every attention point when it comes to the variation in kinds of binding posts those days.

I would say don't answer my questions with a question. Just answer my questions. Where are you getting your information? At the start you cited AI, I'm wondering where you've moved onto since then.

'Bare wire' is not the same as 'solid wire'. Twisted bare ends of stranded wire have always been very commonly used for speaker connection in home audio. Properly connected , there will be no, zero, nada, sonic difference between using bare stranded wire, and wire terminated with a pin. Bare solid wire should work too. My point is that the latter is not commonly recommended, and never was-- 12g-16g solid wire is notably less flexible than stranded, for one mundane reason. 'Banana' terminators are of course a common option today at the AVR end.

Your claims about what happens 'soundwise' are simply preposterous.

Basic question: Do you you know what type of wire/termination your amp is designed to use? I'm gonna guess it isn't a paper clip or a bare solid wire.

(The original owner's manual for your model seems to be completely MIA online; I only find a peculiar combo document that is combines minimal 'user instructions' with disassembly instructions and schematics)

 

[AJM1981]

Basic question: Do you you know what type of wire/termination your amp is designed to use? I'm gonna guess it isn't a paper clip or a bare solid wire.

It is primarily designed for pin connectors. And I don't believe that cables provide a different sound.

 

[krabapple]

When pressed down, the pin can be entered and it clips between staying in the "pressed" open position and giving a good output. But it does not really work well with bare strands, even rolled tightly. It kind of crushes them, and difficult to see if the strands of two cables in that case come cross underneath the clips. It also goes to the closed position as it does not hold on to something as with the pin.

I don't quite know what the bold part is supposed to mean. And why do you think the + and - strand would touch 'underneath the clips'?

These spring clips aren't rocket science. You want a bare 'rolled tightly' stranded wire (let's say, at least 16g) inserted into the hole to be 'crushed' when you release the clip. That means the terminal has a good contact and good grip on the wire. (Ditto a pin...modern pins have ridges in them that further help 'lock' the connection.)

If they aren't holding tight to a stranded wire (but somehow are, to a pin or paperclip??) , maybe they are just worn out. (Hard to imagine how many cycles of clip/unclip would be needed for this to happen, but....) In which case your amp is broken and need repair.

 

[AJM1981]

I don't quite know what the bold part is supposed to mean. And why do you think the + and - strand would touch 'underneath the clips'?

These spring clips aren't rocket science. You want a bare 'rolled tightly' stranded wire (let's say, at least 16g) inserted into the hole to be 'crushed' when you release the clip. That means the terminal has a good contact and good grip on the wire. (Ditto a pin...modern pins have ridges in them that further help 'lock' the connection.)

If they aren't holding tight to a stranded wire (but somehow are, to a pin or paperclip??) , maybe they are just worn out. (Hard to imagine how many cycles of clip/unclip would be needed for this to happen, but....) In which case your amp is broken and need repair.

I am already using the amp for a week and everything sounds clear and fine. There is good contact. No polarity or other issues whatsoever.

 

[Robin L]

I found two thicker regular electricity cables around. I might get some pins for those. Little thing against is that it is a regular white mantle. Optically not an improvemen, but might be able to hide them well.

My stereo uses some 12 gauge from an extension cord, bare wire ends, white. Fortunately, both amp and speakers use five-way binding posts, doesn't matter how fat the wire is, for all practical purposes. And the wire is short and hidden behind my desk. I've got a strange case of bargain basement overkill - the floorstanding speakers (Infinity Primus 250) set me back all of $30, the AVR (used as a two-channel amp) was $50. And the wire was something like $10.