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The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:
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How do you terminate your speaker wire?
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| Topic: | How do you terminate your speaker wire? This thread has 20 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15. |
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| Post 1 made on Sunday January 13, 2002 at 10:02 |
Bruce Burson Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | October 2001
897 |
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Just twist the strands? Solder? Banana Plugs? Spade Lugs? Those little gold pins Monster often uses on its pre-terminated runs? Enquiring minds want to know! Well, anyway, I want to know. What are your preferences?
I'll go first: I have always just twisted the strands, because I have never really thought any other way would give me better sound. I do cut off the bare ends and strip a fresh section every couple of years when they get oxidized.
Lately I've been debating using banana plugs, not because I think they'll sound better but because I'm tired of twisting all those little binding posts with my fat fingers. :) -Bruce
This message was edited by Bruce Burson on 10/10/03 07:26.
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Never confuse your career with your life. |
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| Post 2 made on Sunday January 13, 2002 at 10:50 |
Larry Fine Loyal Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
5,002 |
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Bruce, I just twist the strands, tin the ends using solder, making sure the solder goes up inside the insulation a bit to avoid a weak spot, and bend a loop for the binding posts. I flatten the loop a little with pliers to provide a larger contact area, and use a wrench to tighten the posts. I can't imagine a better, lower-resistance connection. If I wanted to make reconnections faster and easier, I would opt for locking banana plugs. Larry www.fineelectricco.com
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| Post 3 made on Sunday January 13, 2002 at 11:12 |
Matt Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
1,802 |
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I prefer to twist the wires, but not solder them. I think I get a better 'bite' with the binding post or what have you with seperate strands. Once I have it cranked down, I wiggle the wires to get any 'slack' out...and then tighten again.
Beware of stray wires this way though.
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| Post 4 made on Monday January 14, 2002 at 02:41 |
Larry Fine Loyal Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
5,002 |
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Matt, that's why I tin, although my amps would probably melt a single strand shorting the output. Larry www.fineelectricco.com
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| Post 5 made on Monday January 14, 2002 at 14:04 |
Hey Bruce
I use a solid banana plug that has a screw down binding post for the wire insertion. You place the wire into the binding post and screw it down. Then put the banana pug into the 5 way post on the speaker. It works great becasue the wire is never bent because of the way the plug works. I can snap a dig. photo and send it to you if I want, since this description is a bit lacking....Tony
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| OP | Post 6 made on Tuesday January 15, 2002 at 02:57 |
Bruce Burson Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | October 2001
897 |
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Tony, Sounds interesting! I think it understand your description, but by all means send me a pic at [email protected] if it's not too much trouble. Where did you get them and how much do they cost?
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Never confuse your career with your life. |
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| Post 7 made on Tuesday January 15, 2002 at 12:12 |
Hi Bruce,
I will send the pic, but I won't be able to do it until Weds night. I bought them at Sound Forum, a local dealer, and I think that they were in the neighborhood of 5 bucks a piece. You should expect to get the pic sometime Weds night....Tony
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| Post 8 made on Tuesday January 15, 2002 at 13:48 |
Westie Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
106 |
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Bruce : check the following link for all kinds of banana plugs, many with screw down terminations for your wire. [Link: partsexpress.com]
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| Post 9 made on Tuesday January 15, 2002 at 13:49 |
Westie Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
106 |
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sorry for duplicate post
This message was edited by Westie on 01/15/02 14:19.47.
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| Post 10 made on Wednesday January 16, 2002 at 15:38 |
Brett DiMichele Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
296 |
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For ease of use (repeated plugging and unplugging) I
use Banana Terminations. I also Silver Solder all my
Terminations because I do not want to have to redo any
connections due to oxidization that does and will occour
to any bare copper. I also solder simply because I do
not hold much weight in crimped terminations unless
they are done with the correct crimping dies which I
do not own.
My next set of speaker wires will use only the best
Banana and spade connectors available (WBT) and they
will also be silver soldered. I am waiting till I get
my 4 Monoblock Amps and my Tube Preamp before I make
up a Bi-Amp set of cables.
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| Post 11 made on Thursday January 17, 2002 at 01:37 |
Larry Fine Loyal Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
5,002 |
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Just for info's sake, copper oxide is conductive, unlike aluminum oxide, which is why an anti-oxidant is required for aluminum power connections. No, I'm not suggesting that oxidized connections don't affect sound signals. Larry www.fineelectricco.com
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| Post 12 made on Thursday January 17, 2002 at 14:53 |
oldgearhead Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | December 2001
27 |
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I can't believe no one has mentioned one of the
best connectors for 12 gauge, fine strand wire:
Radio Shack 278-306 screw compression banana plug!
Viva Avia,
JRS
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| Post 13 made on Friday January 18, 2002 at 13:20 |
Spiky Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | May 2001
2,288 |
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I've got some Vampire Wire banana plugs, and like them more than Monster's or Rat Shack's. Haven't really tried any others, though. It's the plug side that I like better, they have several versions for different methods of attaching the wire.
What I like specifically is there are no little "spring" inserts along the plug to hold it in place, rather the whole plug end is the "spring". Much easier to push into a post, but holds just as well.
This description isn't great, but if you're familiar with standard plugs, you can see the difference. vampirewire.com
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| Post 14 made on Monday January 21, 2002 at 19:03 |
automan Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | August 2001
16 |
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"Just for info's sake, copper oxide is conductive..."
Only in one direction, which is why it used to be used as a rectifier....not something you'd want in an audio path.
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| Post 15 made on Tuesday January 22, 2002 at 01:18 |
ericdork Founding Member |
Joined:
Posts: | November 2001
25 |
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banana at the amp, spade at the speaker
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