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Speaker cable: terminate or not?

JTC

PFM Villager...
I'm thinking of getting some semi-decent speaker cable which can be routed easily - thinking one of the QED cables or similar. Anyway, getting these terminated with bananas (especially the Airlock type) pretty much doubles the price - so I wondered whether it's such a bad thing to simply wire the bare wire to the speakers. I've done this before but don't remember whether it's a good or bad thing, so would welcome comments as I could get a much better grade of wire if I buy it unterminated.
 
I did get a mail from a guy at a cable company a couple of years ago stating their preference as bare, spade then bannana. If the cable fits through the hole in the post and you tighten the nut properly you should be fine with wire.

Try it. You can always save up for the connectors and add them later.
 
I find it a bit strange for a cable company representative to recommend bare wire connections for speaker cables.

Most of the affordable speaker cables use copper as conductors and, over time, exposure to air causes the copper to oxidise forming a layer of greenish cuprous oxide. Cuprous oxide is nowhere near as good a conductor as pure copper, so the oxide film that forms over time can result in poorer connections at the terminals to which a copper wire is attached.

This can be addressed when required by cutting off the oxidised wire ends and re-stripping, but prolonged use of this approoach may shorten the cable too much...

Spade and banana connectors are usually either gold-plated or manufactured from metals that either don't oxidise, or if they do, the oxides have similar conductivity properties as the pure metal. Rhodium plating is one example.

With copper wires, if the connections to the cable are soldered to cover the bare wires, then oxidisation is inhibited, which will maintain the quality of the connection.

So, my preference is to use decent spade connectors which, due to being clamped tighter than bananas, make for a better mechanical contact connection, and then to strip the insulation, insert the fresh bare wire into the holes on the spade connectors and seal the connection with solder.

I hope that helps...
:cool:
 
I tried spades once before but found them difficult to work with at the amp end. Different amp now, mind, so perhaps it might be worth considering...

I was thinking QED Silver Anniversary XT Evolution cable, as it's pretty cheap and looks like it's decently put together. At around four quid a metre, I reckon thirty quids worth would be enough. However, terminating them with Airlocs adds more than that cost again - which made me wonder whether it was worth it...
 
I like a minimalistic approach, so bare wires for me - any additional component (plugs/spades plus soldering) can affect connection quality. No problem with oxidation since I remove 2 cm at both ends every year.
 
Bare wires and I think you're gonna loose a lot of bass.

Not arguing with you but can you suggest anything that would explain such a loss? :) ATM I'm bare wire at amp and spades at speaker but the binding post screws on the speakers contiually work loose every few days. OTOH I don't want to lose any bass.
Dave.
 
Neutrik Speakons for me. Pro-grade connections, idiot-proof and cheap as chips. Bare wires are just a disaster waiting to happen. It takes just a stray strand to short the amplifier.

James
 
I was thinking QED Silver Anniversary XT Evolution cable, as it's pretty cheap and looks like it's decently put together.

I once borrowed some QED silver spiral. Sounded bright and disjointed. IMO 79 strand would be a better bet for decent workmanlike performance.

Supra Ply should be fine for bare-end use, because it's tinned. I use old Supra (copper) cables and they sound very good.
 
Agree with James, uses connectors for safety if nothing else.

The comments about losing bass can be safely ignored.
 
I like a minimalistic approach, so bare wires for me - any additional component (plugs/spades plus soldering) can affect connection quality. No problem with oxidation since I remove 2 cm at both ends every year.

Same here. I use white petroleum jelly to prevent corrosion.
 
Funny you should mention this banana plug thing. I have a QED speaker splitter for my 2 pairs of speakers. The cables are Linn K20 and I had the lengths made up with some crimped banana plugs on them. They have become the bain of my life as everytime the junction box is moved out pops a bloody cable. I was thinking of wire straight to the connection but the hole looks a bit small in the post so I thought perhaps a better type of banana plug maybe the QED screwlock type?
 
A single Neutrik takes up less space than 19mm spaced bananas, cannot be disconnected accidentally, and can be used to bi-amplify with just one connector.

Would you believe this is the cable set-up for a 3-way semi-active loudspeaker system driven by six channels of amplification?

10639016-md.jpg


James
 
Actually the greenish hue is almost certainly copper carbonate coming from slightly acidic condensation. Cf. St Paul's Cathedral - under that green is a copper dome which is turned green by the carbonic acid in the rainwater.

None of it a good idea in any event. Bare wires are very bad for consistency and almost anything is better than just shoving them in. You also have some great advice above. Those deltrons are good and similar things can be probably be found for even less at Maplin. Personally, though, I would buy some secondhand Linn K20 cable (or Naim cable if you can get it as cheaply) and hope to get the connectors already attached. Apart from anything else you can always sell it on at about the same price if it doesn't do the job you want.

CT
 
Would you believe this is the cable set-up for a 3-way semi-active loudspeaker system driven by six channels of amplification?

10639016-md.jpg


James

Yes.

No use to JTC though, unless he is going to modify his amp and speakers.
 
I once borrowed some QED silver spiral. Sounded bright and disjointed. IMO 79 strand would be a better bet for decent workmanlike performance.

Supra Ply should be fine for bare-end use, because it's tinned. I use old Supra (copper) cables and they sound very good.

Whoever invented silver cables should be shot !

Years ago I remember when I got my Cable talk 3 speaker cables terminated with gold plated, airlock plugs. I couldn't understand why it sounded worse than the bare cables - I do now..
 
Are the QED Screwloc a decent termination as I was thinking of getting some of these? I have tried the Farnel Deltec ones and they don't seem to be as positive a fit as they could be in my gear.
 


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