I'm finishing off a pretty high end home theatre.

I need to terminate my 12 gauge speaker cables with appropriate
bannana plugs.

I understand that there is a lot of hype around name brand stuff
especially with audio components.

I want good value without being stupid.

What are some good choices for these plugs? Are solder-on or screw-on
better?

In , on 05/19/06
at 05:45 AM, lid (Hogwild) said:



I'm finishing off a pretty high end home theatre.

I need to terminate my 12 gauge speaker cables with appropriate
bannana plugs.

I understand that there is a lot of hype around name brand stuff
especially with audio components.

I want good value without being stupid.

What are some good choices for these plugs? Are solder-on or screw-on
better?

I am not a fan of banana plugs for fixed applications. By "fixed" I
mean that the connection is made once and then sits for months or
years. In my opinion bananas are OK if the connection is broken down
regularly, otherwise there is oxide build-up and slow degradation. Gold
plating of both the jack and the plug can help keep the oxides from
forming, but gold is fragile and if the connection is broken down too
many times, the gold wears away, leaving a not so great base metal at
the point of contact.

Soldering is great for fixed connections, but not a good idea for
frequently flexed connections because the solder creates a stress point
at the transition between the soldered and not soldered area that will
work harden very rapidly and cause a complete break in the wire.

Banana plugs are familiar and relatively inexpensive (unless you
purchase the "audiophile" grade). I prefer bare wire connections or
crimped spade lugs or pins.

The "screw on" connectors (banana or otherwise) have never impressed
me. A good rule of thumb is: Easy on, easy off. The side screw or
compression nut variety are better, but home users will feel that these
are harder to work with.

Much of the audiophile grade speaker wire is difficult to terminate,
probably a task best left to professionals who regularly work with that
wire and connector.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

"Barry Mann" wrote ...
I am not a fan of banana plugs for fixed applications. By "fixed" I
mean that the connection is made once and then sits for months or
years. In my opinion bananas are OK if the connection is broken down
regularly, otherwise there is oxide build-up and slow degradation.
Gold
plating of both the jack and the plug can help keep the oxides from
forming, but gold is fragile and if the connection is broken down too
many times, the gold wears away, leaving a not so great base metal at
the point of contact.

Soldering is great for fixed connections, but not a good idea for
frequently flexed connections because the solder creates a stress
point
at the transition between the soldered and not soldered area that will
work harden very rapidly and cause a complete break in the wire.

Banana plugs are familiar and relatively inexpensive (unless you
purchase the "audiophile" grade). I prefer bare wire connections or
crimped spade lugs or pins.

All electrical connectors rely on metal-to-metal contact.
I can't help wondering how Mr. Mann deals with other
kinds of connectors. Go back and substitute "RCA/phono"
for "banana" and see what you think?

Lets not forget that banana plugs were used in laboratories
for test equipment for decades before they became popular
for speaker use. Banana are still the overwhelming first
choice in these critical applications. I have a difficult time
sharing Mr. Mann's pessimism for banana connectors.

Richard Crowley wrote:
"Barry Mann" wrote ...
I am not a fan of banana plugs for fixed applications. By "fixed" I
mean that the connection is made once and then sits for months or
years. In my opinion bananas are OK if the connection is broken down
regularly, otherwise there is oxide build-up and slow degradation. Gold
plating of both the jack and the plug can help keep the oxides from
forming, but gold is fragile and if the connection is broken down too
many times, the gold wears away, leaving a not so great base metal at
the point of contact.

Soldering is great for fixed connections, but not a good idea for
frequently flexed connections because the solder creates a stress point
at the transition between the soldered and not soldered area that will
work harden very rapidly and cause a complete break in the wire.

Banana plugs are familiar and relatively inexpensive (unless you
purchase the "audiophile" grade). I prefer bare wire connections or
crimped spade lugs or pins.

All electrical connectors rely on metal-to-metal contact.
I can't help wondering how Mr. Mann deals with other
kinds of connectors. Go back and substitute "RCA/phono"
for "banana" and see what you think?

Lets not forget that banana plugs were used in laboratories
for test equipment for decades before they became popular
for speaker use. Banana are still the overwhelming first
choice in these critical applications. I have a difficult time
sharing Mr. Mann's pessimism for banana connectors.
Laboratory test equipment that is setup and changed around fairly often.
banana plugs do not provide a gas tight metal to metal contact. Nor do
RCA type plugs, but RCA type plugs do provide much more contact surface.
These plugs will, eventually, develop thin films of corrosion, said
corrosion products being less than good conductors of electricity.
Unplugging and replugging them in wipes the metal surfaces clean and
restores the unimpeded flow of electrical current.
Gold plated connectors will much better resist this problem, but the
gold is less mechanically robust, so will, over time wear off from
plugging cycles and being plugged into connectors plated with other,
harder metals.
The banana plug was used because it was readily available,
inexpensive, and well understood by the design engineers. Professional
audio companies have overwhelmingly converted to the Speakon line of
connectors from Neutrik. Good for your application, but a bit overkill,
and not cheap. For a long term home speaker, it is hard to beat a pair
of terminal screws and crimped on lugs. Not as good as a soldered
joint, but removable with a screwdriver. Gold plating is nice, but only
in a cosmetic sense with screw terminals. Inexpensive, even if you have
to purchase one of those crimp terminal kits at the dollar store.
Now if you are one of the audiophooles who brags about buying two
hundred bucks a foot for helically wound oxygen free copper gold plated
cables from overpriced marketing companies, buy the platimum plated
connectors with diamond highlighting.

--Dale

In another incarnation I worked in a standards lab calibrating
instruments. That's where I picked-up my dislike for banana jacks -- it
had nothing to do with audio.

Now that I'm into audio banana jacks are still a thorn. Some of my
audio test equipment uses banana jacks, and I'm constantly fighting to
keep them clean.

Situations vary, but I come across banana plugs where disturbing them
slightly will result in a clearly audible event. Roughing these guys up
a bit results in an easily noticeable sonic improvement.

In my opinion at least half of the "magic" associated with changing to
high-end cables is due to the accidental contact cleaning when the
cables are replaced.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

On Sun, 21 May 2006 02:00:23 GMT, Dale Farmer
wrote:

Now if you are one of the audiophooles who brags about buying two
hundred bucks a foot for helically wound oxygen free copper gold plated
cables from overpriced marketing companies, buy the platimum plated
connectors with diamond highlighting.

I've never understood why audiophools didn't use soldered connections.
They could always buy diamond-encrusted soldering irons. And I'm sure
someone would indulge them with a brand of premium solder.

Nothing is simple.

It looks like my speakers and receiver have been designed for bananna
plugs - so thats what I'll probably use.

Screw or solder on - no definitive - whatever.

Gold plated seems like a good idea - bingo.

Now to find the best value....

On Tue, 23 May 2006 14:03:27 GMT, lid (Hogwild) wrote:

Nothing is simple.

It looks like my speakers and receiver have been designed for bananna
plugs - so thats what I'll probably use.

Screw or solder on - no definitive - whatever.

Gold plated seems like a good idea - bingo.

Now to find the best value....

Gold plated is only a good idea if what you are plugging into is also
gold plated. Otherwise go with the usual nickel.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Don Pearce wrote:
On Tue, 23 May 2006 14:03:27 GMT, lid (Hogwild) wrote:

Nothing is simple.

It looks like my speakers and receiver have been designed for bananna
plugs - so thats what I'll probably use.

Screw or solder on - no definitive - whatever.

Gold plated seems like a good idea - bingo.

Now to find the best value....

Gold plated is only a good idea if what you are plugging into is also
gold plated. Otherwise go with the usual nickel.

And only a good idea if it's thick enough not to be cut through as soon as
it gets used. Cheap gold plating will scrape off very quickly, leading to
more oxidation.

On Tue, 23 May 2006 14:03:27 GMT, lid (Hogwild) wrote:

It looks like my speakers and receiver have been designed for bananna
plugs - so thats what I'll probably use.

Screw or solder on - no definitive - whatever.

Gold plated seems like a good idea - bingo.

There's probably little point in gold plating. Unless the socket is
too. Even then it will scrape off quite soon.