[glynnw]

Anyone know a source for solid silver spade connectors?  For the last 15 years or so I have made my own solid siver interconnects with silver ETI RCA plugs.  I finally made silver speaker cables and would like to continue with my solid silver theme.

They cannot cost $400 for 4 (sorry WBT)

[S Clark]

Anyone know a source for solid silver spade connectors?

https://www.thecableco.com/diy-cables-and-connectors/spade/1010-spade-set-of-4.html

[Archguy]

https://www.thecableco.com/diy-cables-and-connectors/spade/1010-spade-set-of-4.html

Those are plated. I wonder what the base metal is, even?

Same source does show solid silver connectors, though, at a much higher price of course.

One of several examples:  https://www.thecableco.com/diy-cables-and-connectors/spade/wbt-0661-ag-signature-spade-single.html

Silver is about $14.50/ozt btw.  I do like the construction of those though.

[FullRangeMan]

Silver if not highly refined has worse sound than copper, I would suggest rhodium plated.

[DaveC113]

WBT...

https://www.wbt.de/english/products/a/Detailansicht/Artikel/nextgenTM-sandwich-spade-new-version.html

Interesting title for the thread, I wasn't sure if you were selling WBT silver spades and mixed up the letters or were looking to buy silver spades. 

[lokie]

If you find pure silver, please post.
These look interesting;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/8pcs-CMC-Y-spade-audiophile-speaker-connectors-Silver-plated-spade-plugs-jack/253676249982?hash=item3b1048637e:g:UKMAAOSwsR9a8pxe
They don't look to be very robust but I bet they sound pretty good. I have CMC silver banana  post and binding posts and am happy with them although I think the silver is starting to rub off.

[brj]

Solid silver spades are hard to find, and most are usually 'fine' silver, which is 999 (3 nines) pure.  Note that the WBTs use fine silver.

Assuming that you have an appropriate crimping tool, you could also consider solid silver wire as your binding post connector, as it's low mass, easier to find in higher purities, less expensive, and easily cleaned.  (Silver oxide and silver sulfide are conductive in an absolute sense, as is often claimed, but they are 3 to 4 orders of magnitude less conductive that pure silver or copper, so the cleaning of tarnished silver surfaces is strongly recommended.)  I experimented with some 12 AWG 9999 silver wire for this purpose, but you can find 99999 silver wire as well.  (Sites like VH Audio and Sonicraft have similar options, but in smaller gauges that are likely not suitable for a high-current speaker to binding post contacts.)

A picture of my first attempt, with one pair cleaned, and the other showing tarnish after a few months in storage:



(The silver wire surface in direct contact with the binding post contact surfaces never visibly tarnished even after 2 years of use, so it appears to have been a reasonably gas-tight connection, even if the silver on the air-exposed edges of the wire did tarnish.)

Note that, all things being equal, you'd likely prefer dead soft annealed silver for the sake of its more uniform grain structure, but even the act of unrolling such wire will start to work-harden the metal and fracture the crystalline matrix, so, as you'd expect, there is always a compromise.  (After bending the wire to final shape, you could theoretically anneal it back to a dead soft state, but you'd have to do it in a controlled environment to avoid oxygen uptake into the metal.)  How much that matters compared to material purity I'll leave to others, though I'd be surprised if most spade manufacturers were doing much about it either.

Note that electrical contact physics is actually a non-trivial subject and an area of active research for many reasons.  There are many competing parameters, of which the bulk resistance of the base metal is only one factor.  This is especially true when you look at connector performance over time (oxidation issues) and repeated mate/de-mate cycles.

[Archguy]

(The silver wire surface in direct contact with the binding post contact surfaces never visibly tarnished even after 2 years of use, so it appears to have been a reasonably gas-tight connection, even if the silver on the air-exposed edges of the wire did tarnish.)

Thanks for your authoritative contribution to this thread, BR.  It's a topic of considerable interest to me, though I don't normally use silver (it's barely different from copper in its electrical performance, even disregarding its demerits).  This information is relevant, though, to why almost invariably I prefer spades and forging, for instance, to bananas and soldering. 

[lokie]

Good info BRJ.

I think you advanced the idea that it is a complicated subject.

When things get complicated for me, I like to copy what others have done.
I cant think of another company that has the history and knowledge of using silver in audio components than Kondo.
Here's what they do. I cant tell if the wire protruding from the "cap" is an extension of the actual wire or if it is part of a cap assembly. 

 

[Jon L]

I used to have Silvermith speaker cables, which are fabulous-sounding and just use the internal silver ribbon as connectors.  I'm sure not having extra connectors/solder in signal path contributes to the great sound quality...

[glynnw]

Thanks for all the input.  Looks like someone needs to manufacture these (for less than $400 for 4).  My request comes as a result of buying a pristine CJ MV75a-1 amp and loving it.  The terminals are screws so I screwed on a  small piece of wire with female bananas and then plugged my spkr cable KLE bananas into this.  This adds a couple of inches of cheap wire and some really cheap female bananas into the signal path so I want to eliminate this small wire/banana thing and just go direct to the screws.  I do not want to replace the stock screw terminals - the amp is just too nice and stock for me to screw it up.

This morning I just took away all this extra wire and connectors and screwed the bare wire to the CJ terminals.  So do I hear a big difference?  No, I don't, but it looks better.  FYI, I am not a subtle type.  If X is good, then 2X is better.  I almost never hear small differences that others rave about.  I started making my silver cables about 15 years ago after a friend made some copper ones I liked.  In a comparison, the silver had better bass and the copper excelled at treble - much the opposite of what I figured would happen. At home I couldn't hear a difference between my silver ones and the Nordost Red Dawn cabling I had been using, so I went with DIY and sold the Red Dawns.  Now after 15 years, most of my connectors and wiring is .999 silver at least.  I compared mine to some VDH ones I made and again heard no difference, so I am cool with the .999 wire, especially since I can make a one meter 4 strand 20 gauge interconnect with silver RCAs for a little over $100.  I am going on the theory that although I do not hear most small differences, if I make a lot of small improvements it should add up to a better sound - not to mention fun making them.  YMMV

Thanks again for all the ideas - what the Circle is all about.

[Archguy]

Now after 15 years, most of my connectors and wiring is .999 silver at least.

Just make sure someone in your life knows, so they don't end up in the landfill one day!

[glynnw]

I have left instructions that all my audio stuff goes to a younger audiophile friend of mine.  He knows.

[brj]

Lokie and ArchGuy, you're welcome.

Glynnw, just be aware that if your bare wire is stranded (vs solid), it's likely to corrode/oxidize where exposed to air.  I was using Kimber 4TC and 8TC in my system and found black oxidation forming within a few months when I used the bare ends straight into the binding posts of my amps and the copper lugs of my speakers' external passive parts boards.  (And I live in a semi-arid environment.)  That's what led me to try the solid silver wire in the first place.

(This is also why I won't use wire enclosed by textile insulation or an air filled tube.  I like the idea of both, but even if it sounds fantastic when new, the surface will want to eventually oxidize or corrode, even if polished.  I know some experienced cable manufacturers that have used such wire without issue for years, but my personal experience leaves me cautious in that regard, especially if I'm not able to inspect it.)

[glynnw]

Thanks BRJ.  Mine are 4 pieces 20 gauge solid wire per interconnect - 2 positive and 2 negative.  The wire is in cotton and then all braided.  Then Techflex because the bare white cotton gets dirty really quick.  It is no doubt oxidizing some, but I am now 72 and have minor tinnitus, so if I lose some highs, I probably wouldn't hear them anyway. (My hearing now stops at 11K hertz).

[FullRangeMan]

I have 2 jeweler friends, one has made jewelry since the 1970s both are elderly, they told me pure silver is prone to oxidation in open air environment, unless mixed with chrome or nickel.

Gold is the more resistant metal to oxidation as all know and they say secondly is the rhodium, they use rhodium plated for rings and other fancy things.

[glynnw]

At some point I will skin the coverings off one of them, take a picture and post it. It may be corroded, but it still works. I'd hate to think I needed to pull these all apart and polish the wires.  In fact I won't think about it - just too scary.  That will never happen.

[cal3713]

Nice discussion folks. Adding to my threads for future reference...