Connectors

AudioB · « **on:** 27 Oct 2008, 03:41 pm »

I know we all had enough talk about speaker cables, but what about connectors? Do you guys use banana, spade or bare wire? Solder or Crimp?

stereocilia · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 03:54 pm »

I was wondering the same thing. Does the eventual corrosion of bare copper favor a soldered banana vs. one which is just screwed, or crimped (or absent when using bare wire)?

Personally, I don't like spades which make it too easy to short the leads.

Wayner · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 04:10 pm »

All of Frank's amplifiers have binding posts set to the 0.75" spacing standard. That means you can use dual banana jacks which have tremendous gripping power. I use these connectors on all of my equipment and speakers. This is a great budget tweak also as you can buy duals from monoprice.com for about $2 each, gold plated.

Wayner

robinje · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 04:17 pm »

I use bananas for healthy snacking as well as speaker wire termination.

martyo · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 04:24 pm »

Quote

Quote from: robinje on 27 Oct 2008, 04:17 pm
I use bananas for healthy snacking as well as speaker wire termination.

Ditto.

stereocilia · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 04:35 pm »

Since nobody admits to snacking on brain-damage-inducing lead-based solder in their bananas, then I assume the corrosion of copper in purely mechanical connections is either a non-issue or a myth. So, why not just use bare wire? Convenience only, or is there more to it?

mark funk · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 09:37 pm »

Just a heads up, if you are going to use 10 or 12ga or bigger cable a standard dual banana won't take that size of cable. I got some from Madisound with a 5.5 mm ID that well take Belden 10ga cable, when I got them, a few years back they were $6.00 each in red and black so it was harder for me to mess things up. With large cable like that you do have to from time to time tighten them up but I don't think you should try to solder them. As for corrosion, when the leads start turning green cut an inch off the end and you good for another ten years.

robinje · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 09:51 pm »

The compression-type bananas from Blue Jeans fit Belden 10-ga. no problem. They fasten very securely, they're gold-plated, and they're cheap.

Wayner · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 10:18 pm »

I think they are the same ones as from monoprice for about $2.00. Yes, you will have to occasionally tighten the grips, but you should check your speaker wiring every once in a while just for safety, anyway.

I use the banana's cause i move stuff around allot and I like to try new things. Also, the 5-way binding posts on some of my speakers are a bugger to get at and this makes it a snap.

Wayner

stereocilia · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 11:06 pm »

Cool. Sorry to bore everybody with the minutia of cable termination.

So, is it fair to say the mechanical connection has a ten-year life span, approximately? Also, is there a maximum/minimum gauge wire for use with the terminals on my FetValve Ultra 550 if I decide to go with bare wire?

Wayner · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 Oct 2008, 11:27 pm »

16 gauge will handle 13 amps @ 120 volts if that's good enough for ya.

sanlanman · « **Reply #11 on:** 28 Oct 2008, 02:00 am »

I have recently received my order of locking banana plugs and spades from Orange County Speaker Repair. They are really well made and take up to 10 gauge wire. I have just ordered some Blue Jeans cable that I will use with these plugs and spades for my speaker cables. The web site is:

http://www.speakerrepair.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=AHH_Banana

mjosef · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 Oct 2008, 03:16 am »

That GLS 'Black Chrome' banana connector is the worst I have ever tried, its spring tensioned sleeves are easily compressed which results in an eventual loose connection. Its so bad that I will pay you to take them off my hands.

File them under junk.
Parts Express Dayton brand has much superior banana connectors IMO.

AudioB · « **Reply #13 on:** 28 Oct 2008, 01:53 pm »

Wayner, what is the advantage in using duel banana plugs as opposed to single?

Does anyone have experience with Eichmann Bullet Plugs (http://www.eichmanncables.com/bayonetplug.htm)? They are pretty pricey and it looks like they can only be soldered. What do you guys think, gimmick or legit?

I can't figure out whether to put connectors in the same category as cables. Namely, get the cheapest ones that don't mess anything up.

Wayner · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 Oct 2008, 02:19 pm »

The dual bananas, because they are connected together, actually exert force on each other, so to speak, making the connection much more sound. The 2 banana contacts have 2 holes to guide them and hold them. This puts less stress on the metal contactors. I have had problems with single bananas loosening up, right in the connector, because the banana metal contactor seems to have less grip as it ages, due to deformation of the "leaf springs" of the connector. This could be due to larger speaker wire resulting in strain on the contactor, and I think the design of the connector itself looses grip in time. I have had some connectors actually fail having no spring left in them at all. This resulted in very poor (if any) contact. Going with duals solved that problem forever.

Wayner

stereocilia · « **Reply #15 on:** 28 Oct 2008, 02:52 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 28 Oct 2008, 02:19 pm

The dual bananas, because they are connected together, actually exert force on each other, so to speak, making the connection much more sound. The 2 banana contacts have 2 holes to guide them and hold them. This puts less stress on the metal contactors. I have had problems with single bananas loosening up, right in the connector, because the banana metal contactor seems to have less grip as it ages, due to deformation of the "leaf springs" of the connector. This could be due to larger speaker wire resulting in strain on the contactor, and I think the design of the connector itself looses grip in time. I have had some connectors actually fail having no spring left in them at all. This resulted in very poor (if any) contact. Going with duals solved that problem forever.

Wayner

Thanks, Wayner, I hadn't thought of the cumulative pressure of two connectors in one housing. But you didn't mention my favorite reason: it is difficult to short them out unless you bridge them with another metal object. I'm always surprised to see thick metal sleeves on banana plugs -- seems like that's just asking for trouble. I do wish the routing hole were larger in the commonly available dual bananas, I can't even fit two 16 ga. wires through there. I wonder if somebody makes a quad banana! The BFA bananas can be spread manually if they loosen over time, I do like those.

rajacat · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 Oct 2008, 03:32 pm »

These bananas connect with a lot of surface area and they are cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.com/4pair-24K-Gold-Speaker-Cable-Banana-Connector-Plug-45_W0QQitemZ120310597215QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120310597215&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

-Roy

2gumby2 · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 Oct 2008, 01:00 pm »

Does anyone have experience with Eichmann Bullet Plugs (http://www.eichmanncables.com/bayonetplug.htm)? They are pretty pricey and it looks like they can only be soldered. What do you guys think, gimmick or legit?

I can't figure out whether to put connectors in the same category as cables. Namely, get the cheapest ones that don't mess anything up.

[/quote]
I purchased some of those Eichmann bayonet plugs and they are pure junk IMO. They are so flimsy, the first time I used them I snapped off one of the plugs in the binding post. That was an expensive lesson. I now use Audioquest BFA Banana plugs and i am very happy with them. Easy to crimp and they hold well. I've also used the Audioquest set-screw type banana plug and they are very nice as well, but more expensive.

Wayner · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 Oct 2008, 01:47 pm »

I've also noticed that some (maybe older style) banana receptacles aren't deep enough, by design, to get the plug firmly seated. I know Frank uses deep receptacles on his power amps 'cause the plugs go in further. That really is the biggest problem. I know on my Dynaco speakers, if I don't use dual plugs, the single jacks may (and have) fall out of the receptacle.

W

boead · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 Oct 2008, 02:55 pm »

Quote from: stereocilia on 27 Oct 2008, 03:54 pm

I was wondering the same thing. Does the eventual corrosion of bare copper favor a soldered banana vs. one which is just screwed, or crimped (or absent when using bare wire)?

Personally, I don't like spades which make it too easy to short the leads.

I found some nice solid copper spades from Cardas that sounded better then others I have tried. I tried a Monster gold plated banana that was slurry or mushy (those are technical audio terms), bare wire was certainly best but these Cardas spades were the best I tried out of about a dozen or so.
http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=oem&content_id=1&pagestring=Spades

Yeah, I know (especially within the AVA circle) I’ll be flogged for suggesting that a spade has any effect on the sound. But it does, use your ears...