How much difference could a simple Banana plug make?
- Thread starter Yping
- Start date
good idea, then there would be no need audio forums and forum posters (so way less rudeness and nonsense), maybe not even magazines, and way fewer manufacturers and retailers
the whole world seems to have become one big reality tv show which is definitely not good
whatsnext
Naimless
Not at all it would give those who are supersensitive to express their experience and those who do not share their sensitivity to politely ignore their experience.
But one persons 5 is another’s 3 or 2
As an aside that EEV blog is quite well known - that guy posted a review of a Keysight multimeter I ended up buying for home use. As a further aside, I carry out resistance readings regularly, either with a Fluke 87 hand-held where I null out the resistance of the leads that's accurate enough above 1 Ohm; use a Keysight 34461A in so-called 4 wire mode or use a calibrated DC current source, measure the voltage drop then calculate the resistance.
My Atlas speaker wire came with expanding Rhodium-plated 90 degree 4mm plugs that are a loose fit until the knurled screw clamp is tightened - they then won't budge. Expensive over-kill, IMO. I see Atlas now fit screw-on Z plugs, solid expanding plugs or spades that can be swapped if required. IMO, Z plugs are the best option due to their springiness & decent contact area that has little to do with "mass-storage" or eddy currents!
Out of the hobbies I indulge in (photography & cycling) nothing comes close to the level of pseudo-science that pervades Hi Fi. Proponents certainly argue but rarely over the science. Hi Fi is definitely a peculiar one!
My Atlas speaker wire came with expanding Rhodium-plated 90 degree 4mm plugs that are a loose fit until the knurled screw clamp is tightened - they then won't budge. Expensive over-kill, IMO. I see Atlas now fit screw-on Z plugs, solid expanding plugs or spades that can be swapped if required. IMO, Z plugs are the best option due to their springiness & decent contact area that has little to do with "mass-storage" or eddy currents!
Out of the hobbies I indulge in (photography & cycling) nothing comes close to the level of pseudo-science that pervades Hi Fi. Proponents certainly argue but rarely over the science. Hi Fi is definitely a peculiar one!
Barrymagrec
pfm Member
As far as cycling is concerned I am sure that if you change your balls for ceramic versions you`ll be able to grind out better times.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
I have a (measured) peak at 6-8kHz. So my wife's 0 is my 5!
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
Rather like hifi. 99% think it's ALL nonsense.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
One problem with Z plugs is that if you use heavy cables they can pull the Z plugs down so they only contact at 2 points, negating their large contact area advantage. I do like them, but not on heavy cables. The expanding type are useful then. But swappable ends simply means you have more joins in the signal path, something I like to minimise. Another reason for me not using those cage type banana plugs.
G
Guest432
Guest
Not sure why people even use them, most amps and speakers have screw down terminals.
I just have the speaker wire stripped back and screwed down very tightly in the terminals, no plugs used.
I just have the speaker wire stripped back and screwed down very tightly in the terminals, no plugs used.
Barrymagrec
pfm Member
Snap.
Matty297
pfm Member
This can and has been accurately measured though unlike foo subjectivity!
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
Some speaker cables are too big/have too many strands. Some terminals are too small. Some cable manufacturers terminate their cables (some TQ cables have to be factory terminated, I believe). Some people change or compare cables. Bare copper (or silver) wires oxidise. And so on.
The space behind my power amp is so tight it would be impossible to get to the terminals well enough safely screw down bare wires.
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
This thread is a fine example of Arkless' first law of hi fi forums "the number of posts will be inversely proportional to the value and veracity of the subject".
narabdela
who?
Best way...but far too sensible.
Pete MB&D
Pete Maddex, the one and only!
I use 50A Anderson connectors on my 16mm CSA wire that forms my speaker leads with spades on the speaker ends.
They are really nice polarized hermaphroditic connectors no chance of shorting out your leads.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=272818239891
Pete
They are really nice polarized hermaphroditic connectors no chance of shorting out your leads.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=272818239891
Pete
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
See my reply above.
My Atlas Ascent 2 cables are indeed factory terminated. The strands are many & very fine being crimped into a ferrule that is then screw-clamped into the plugs. These cables were bought off Atlas at a Bristol show (2x 5m) for half price. They'd obviously been carted around quite a bit & one end came away from its ferrule eventually. The strands were too fine to be clamped directly into the plugs so sent them back for re-termination in Scotland. I also had them shortened to 2.2m so have the remaining length without plugs stashed away. I would prefer as few interfaces as possible but am not convinced that having so many is actually an issue here - perhaps depends if oxidation becomes an issue or not.
My previous speakers (Totem Arros) were originally bi-wired with fairly ancient Exposure cable (4x 5m). I ditched this cable when I bought the Atlas stuff so purchased some beefy QED spades for the shorting links that were useless in that the speaker terminals would not tighten down onto them properly so my own experience of such thick & polished spades was poor. My current Quadral CS8 speakers are not bi-wireable anyway. I was a believer in bi-wiring back then!