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Speaker connectors, Which one is better?
- Thread starter 192kbps
- Start date
JayGilb
Major Contributor
Aesthetically, I like the style of the right side pair. Technically, no one would be able to hear an audible difference and both seem quite capable of securing the wire.
D
Deleted member 46664
Guest
The usual plugs are just a convenience item for when you're making frequent changes. The rest of the time you want the best connection you can get.
Personally ... I've always favoured stripped and tinned wire to any kind of banana or pin plugs.
The tinned wire is simply inserted into the side hole of the binding post and the nut is tightened to hold it.
Even better, if you have spring clips on the speaker you can be assured of a connection with constant pressure that won't come loose over time. But most speakers now use binding posts.
Personally ... I've always favoured stripped and tinned wire to any kind of banana or pin plugs.
The tinned wire is simply inserted into the side hole of the binding post and the nut is tightened to hold it.
Even better, if you have spring clips on the speaker you can be assured of a connection with constant pressure that won't come loose over time. But most speakers now use binding posts.
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Eggs Ackley
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2021
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These work just as well.
DSJR
Major Contributor
Nah - bloody audiophiles and their expensive posh looking connectors 
All you need are these really, as long as you don't push and pull 'em about all the time -
These below have increased in price these last few years, but make good surface contact to the socket regardless.
Other trad springy contact types available and seem to work just fine
As for bare wire and/or spades, I've seen spades easily work loose and for a typical lay enthusiast forum bod, a single loose strand is all it takes to short the amp's speaker terminals..
All you need are these really, as long as you don't push and pull 'em about all the time -
4 x 4mm BANANA PLUGS BERYLLIUM Copper Gold Plated Z-type Hollow Audio Connectors | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4 x 4mm BANANA PLUGS BERYLLIUM Copper Gold Plated Z-type Hollow Audio Connectors at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
These below have increased in price these last few years, but make good surface contact to the socket regardless.
4 x Gold Plated BFA-Z 4mm Banana Plug Speaker Connectors | eBay
Banana Plug Speaker Connectors. 4 x Gold Plated BFA-Z 4mm. Highlands and islands will be more expensive.
www.ebay.co.uk
Other trad springy contact types available and seem to work just fine
4 Premium 4mm Gold BANANA PLUGS Twin Screw Speaker Cable Connectors | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4 Premium 4mm Gold BANANA PLUGS Twin Screw Speaker Cable Connectors at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
As for bare wire and/or spades, I've seen spades easily work loose and for a typical lay enthusiast forum bod, a single loose strand is all it takes to short the amp's speaker terminals..
D
Deleted member 46664
Guest
That's why you tin the wires with solder ... no loose strands. Also ... zero connector cost.
Yes spades sometimes come loose. Despite a larger surface area connection they also provide a larger skate area where minor movement of the wires (eg. during dusting or vacuuming) can torque the top nut loose.
restorer-john
Grand Contributor
Tinning with solder is so 20th century... Brittle, subject to corrosion and compression. Not a good idea for any type of low resistance clamped banana or screw terminal. Pretty sure it is 100% illegal for anything mains rated here.
Ferrules are infinitely better, and required in EU countries in order to obtain CE marking. Here's a couple I just crimped up on a scrap of wire.
round die brass:
square crimped tinned copper ferrule:
D
Deleted member 46664
Guest
I would use the ferrules on CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) wire along with Dielectric Grease ...
But then, that's exactly why I don't use CCA wire.
I've got tinned copper connections in a couple of movie theatres that are now 30+ years old with no problem.
(I used to service theatre sound systems)
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fieldcar
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Whatever you do, avoid these and everything that looks similar. The free-floating springs compress, but never make a rigid connection to the speaker binding post. I once blew up a compression driver from a poor connection. You'll know when this design is ineffective when you can freely rotate the banana plug.
D
Deleted member 46664
Guest
Whatever you do, avoid these and everything that looks similar. The free-floating springs compress, but never make a rigid connection to the speaker binding post. I once blew up a compression driver from a poor connection. You'll know when this design is ineffective when you can freely rotate the banana plug.
YES! Thank you.
Connectors with the floating cage design are sometimes worse than no connector at all.
There is a fix if you're good with soldering ... run a fine bead of solder around the cage at the connector tip to lock it in place and provide a good electrical connection... that however does nothing for the second, internal connection between the connector and the wire ... More than once I've pulled the wire right out of these connectors without any struggle at all.
D
Deleted member 46664
Guest
Think about it this way .... How many unsoldered connections are you making?
With tinned bare wire you are making 1 connection to the binding post directly.
With good banana plugs you are making 2 connections... one wire to plug, the other plug to post.
Spade lugs ... 2 connections... wire to spade, spade to post.
Floating cage connectors ... 3 connections... wire to plug, plug to cage, cage to post.
Which do you think is going to work better?
With tinned bare wire you are making 1 connection to the binding post directly.
With good banana plugs you are making 2 connections... one wire to plug, the other plug to post.
Spade lugs ... 2 connections... wire to spade, spade to post.
Floating cage connectors ... 3 connections... wire to plug, plug to cage, cage to post.
Which do you think is going to work better?
Gary_G
Active Member
Crutchfield Banana Connectors (10-pk.)
For use with 16-gauge or 14-gauge speaker wire
www.crutchfield.com
In my multichannel multi-driver (multi-way) multi-amplifier stereo project, I need to use so many (and rather long, in my case) SP cables. I have been sticking to very reasonable (cheap) tin-plated Y-lugs and AWG10/AWG12 multicore vinyl cabtyre cables with great satisfactions as I shared here and here.
After my 30-year try-and-error journey, now I definitely believe that these very cheap tin plated pure copper Y-lugs and R-lugs are the best terminal-contact solution since rather soft metal tin plate effectively increases the contact surface area when tightly connect and squeeze;
Furthermore it is critically important to eliminate any magnetic susceptible metals in handling of speaker level signals as I shared in my posts here and here.
You can find the latest backside cabling photos of my amplifiers and SP drivers here on my project thread) and here (post #636 on that thread).
After my 30-year try-and-error journey, now I definitely believe that these very cheap tin plated pure copper Y-lugs and R-lugs are the best terminal-contact solution since rather soft metal tin plate effectively increases the contact surface area when tightly connect and squeeze;
Furthermore it is critically important to eliminate any magnetic susceptible metals in handling of speaker level signals as I shared in my posts here and here.
You can find the latest backside cabling photos of my amplifiers and SP drivers here on my project thread) and here (post #636 on that thread).
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As shared here, nowadays I seldom use banana plugs.
In case if I would use banana plugs only tentatively, I always use Audio-Technica's solder-less two-screw banana plug AT6301;
https://www.audio-technica.co.jp/product/AT6301
The pros of AT6301 are;
- reasonable price (JPYen 1,980 [USD 14.85] for four plugs, two pairs)
- rigid and well QC-ed gold-plated plugs
- the two screws are well (precisely) manufactured and can be fixed tightly
- the outer vinyl (ABS resin) sleeve is complete insulator
- the outer vinyl (ABS resin) sleeve can be screwed-in "after" the cable connection
In case if I would use banana plugs only tentatively, I always use Audio-Technica's solder-less two-screw banana plug AT6301;
https://www.audio-technica.co.jp/product/AT6301
The pros of AT6301 are;
- reasonable price (JPYen 1,980 [USD 14.85] for four plugs, two pairs)
- rigid and well QC-ed gold-plated plugs
- the two screws are well (precisely) manufactured and can be fixed tightly
- the outer vinyl (ABS resin) sleeve is complete insulator
- the outer vinyl (ABS resin) sleeve can be screwed-in "after" the cable connection
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Speedskater
Major Contributor
Don't solder-tin stranded wire ends for use under compression terminals. This is never done in industrial & military industries.
Because with time and temperature changes the solder will cold-flow and the terminal will loosen. Also with wires that are subject to vibration, the inner end of the solder will create a hard spot and the strands might break.
I first saw this problem with a FM broadcast transmitter a long, long time ago. A terminal strip in a power supply brunt-up. Only decades later did I realize the cause of the problem.
Because with time and temperature changes the solder will cold-flow and the terminal will loosen. Also with wires that are subject to vibration, the inner end of the solder will create a hard spot and the strands might break.
I first saw this problem with a FM broadcast transmitter a long, long time ago. A terminal strip in a power supply brunt-up. Only decades later did I realize the cause of the problem.
D
Deleted member 46664
Guest
Just a little difference between a speaker handling an average of about 5 watts and the power supply of an FM transmitter, don't you think?
Prana Ferox
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Neutrik SpeakOns. Use Neutrik SpeakOns.
One hundred percent agree. Neutrik SpeakOn connectors are very good. Once you find out how well they work and how easy it is to change cables, there is no reason to want to go back. Professional love them for a reason.
Regards,
Greg
Regards,
Greg
