banana plugs or bare wire?

[mustang-gt-2002]

how do you have your speaker cables pluged into your receiver/AMP/speakers?

are banana plugs worth the price. to do my receiver & speakers it will run me $5.50X18 pairs = $100

or is bare wire better.

getting a new stand today and just thinking of it now. so buying off the internet won't work.

[blujacket]

I use them. Get them here http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

[mustang-gt-2002]

Originally Posted by JimShaw

I like them for the convience BUT monoprice.com has them for 2.40 a pair

Originally Posted by blujacket

I use them. Get them here http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

thanks for the link. but need them today may have to put them on later.

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by blujacket

I use them. Get them here http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

What he said. I just redid my wiring with the above item. Cheap, easy, I dig 'em. No need to spend $5.50 each.

[JimShaw]

Originally Posted by mustang-gt-2002

how do you have your speaker cables pluged into your receiver/AMP/speakers?

are banana plugs worth the price. to do my receiver & speakers it will run me $5.50X18 pairs = $100

or is bare wire better.

getting a new stand today and just thinking of it now. so buying off the internet won't work.

I like them for the convenience BUT monoprice.com has them for 2.40 a pair

[Tempest]

They are just to make it easier to connect/disconnect and perhaps to look cleaner if someone is happening to show off the back of their receiver... other than that regular wires are just fine.. I would go with just 12g wire from monoprice.com or any other place that sells wire at resonable prices..

[Pirate King]

Originally Posted by Tempest

They are just to make it easier to connect/disconnect and perhaps to look cleaner if someone is happening to show off the back of their receiver... other than that regular wires are just fine.. I would go with just 12g wire from monoprice.com or any other place that sells wire at resonable prices..

Exactly. All of my connections are bare wire. Because I do not connect/disconnect. Monoprice.com is a great place to shop.

[zedd_117]

With my new set-up I went with banana plugs after reading all of the praise they got on this site. I have to say, I'll never go back to bare wire again! They are a breeze to hook up and install. They just feel more secure then a bare-wire hook-up.

[Travis]

I use bare wire.

I've always believed a system is only as good as the wekest link. So, why put in an extra lin, and risk it being weak. Maybe I'm oversimplifying, I'm sure someone will post yes.

Unless you are switching speakers from amp to amp every 2 weeks, why bother with clips. Put in the bare wire and finger tighten the posts nice and firm and your done.

[mdabb]

Bare wire is fine, but if you go with banana plugs I would check out the locking banana plugs at Blue Jeans cable. They make a nice solid connection and are very affordable.

I prefer spade lugs myself for more contact area. Keep in mind everything is going to oxidize sooner or later, even solder. Just clean up the connector with a contact cleaner every once in a while and it's all good again.

[jeff92k7]

I do neither. Banana plugs are great if you need to connect/disconnect them frequently but short of that, I don't see much point in them.

I coat the ends of my speaker wire with solder to seal the ends and keep the wire from oxidizing and then just stick the soldered end through the binding post hole and screw down the terminal/post just like you would do for bare wire.

Sidebar... I always find it funny to read the arguments that people get into over pointless concepts like bi-wiring, using ultra expensive (overpriced) speaker cables, and/or adding expensive precious-metal plated connectors. They always seem to forget that there is really very little contact point between the cables and binding posts, or plugs and binding posts, etc.

[Carlsberg19]

I have banana plugs..but havent fitted them yet..mainly because i dont have a superlong thin screwdriver to get at the screws

[Rob J in WNY]

I use banana plugs. An inexpensive touch of class to the overall system.

In the past, I have noted that the bare-wire binding posts option sometimes required occasional re-tightening.

[EigeSan]

Definitely banana plugs! I purchased the closed screw type from monoprice.com. It makes speaker connecting EASIER and cleaner.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by EigeSan

Definitely banana plugs! I purchased the closed screw type from monoprice.com. It makes speaker connecting EASIER and cleaner.

Good choice with the Speaker Identification Tabs. Makes things so much more simple!

John

[EigeSan]

Originally Posted by John72953

Good choice with the Speaker Identification Tabs. Makes things so much more simple!

John

Thanks. Meh, it's low tech but it works.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Carlsberg19

I have banana plugs..but havent fitted them yet..mainly because i dont have a superlong thin screwdriver to get at the screws

You can get a "precision screwdriver set" like this one from Lowe's or Home Depot for about $5. It will have what you need in it.

[kingofgrills]

I have spade connectors on both ends of my XLO Electric speaker cables. They're really large spade plugs, and they offer a very solid connection with a lot of surface area.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by kingofgrills

I have spade connectors on both ends of my XLO Electric speaker cables. They're really large spade plugs, and they offer a very solid connection with a lot of surface area.

+1....I can't use spades on the receiver end...much too restricted for space. Wish I could though, because with spades you never have to worry about a connection coming loose, IMHO.

John

[outbreakm]

I use the GLS locking banana plugs with Belden 5000UE 12 AWG speaker wire and it works out nicely.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm
http://www.speakerrepair.com/Merchan...ode=AHH_Banana