bannana plugs or Bare Wire ?

MTP

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Hi

I was wondering ? what are the benifits of bannana plugs over bare wire? does it just make connecting the wire easier or do they make a better sound and connection? any info would be helpfull. I am planning to buy Monster bannana plugs are they ok ?

Thanks

Prashant
 
Banana Plugs are a far more convienent way to connect to your speakers compared to bare wire especially if you frequently change or move your speakers around. That is one of the main reasons that most hi-fi dealers prefer banana plugs to bare wire.

However some audiophiles swear by the bare wire as they believe that less is more and nothing should come between the the source and the speaker.

I prefer the banana plug as it is more convienent. Some of the good banana plugs I have come across is the Eichmann Banana Plug.
 
Banana plugs: make neat connection, are very convenient to handle and reduce exposure of the bare wire to air preventing oxidation.

Monster QuickLock Banana/Spades are excellent.They don't need soldering, can accept thick cables, are very user friendly and allow for a rigid secure connection.

Don't buy their "Flexi"pins though. These are fragile and tend to break over time...

Aniruddha.
 
Hey Guys

Thanks a lot !! however there are a couple of things that don?t match up here, its better if there are no connector cause there should be nothing between the speaker and the source, but then again the bare wire without a connector will get oxidized and that?s not good for the audio clarity I guess. If I am just looking at sound fidelity and not convenience as a factor should I use connector or not?

Thanks

Prashant
 
Hi Prashant,

If you have the speaker cables terminating as bare wire then buy the banana plugs and try the speaker cables with and without the banana plugs and see if you can notice any difference.

Depending on your setup you may or maynot notice the difference.
 
Dear friend i feel using banana plugs is always convenient if you change speaker wires from one to another pair, however bare wire is more secure as threre is no risk of being pulled away & getting short circuit. If you donot change speakers bare wire better option, the quality of sound by using banana plugs or bare wire you will not be able to notice.
 
Hi,
Theoretically bare wire should sound best(read purest as there is no other medium involved) but i find no audible difference when using bare wire, banana s or spades(another option) so i guess u should go for whats convenient.
Good looking, gold plated connectors need not be of good quality. When buying banana s always check if the pin fits snuggly(decent contact pressure). Too easy to slide in or having to muscle it are both a NO NO, spades are very good too(just check what size ur speakers/amplifiers accept).
If u are the fit it and forget type then bare wire is best, if u are always experimenting then maybe a banana is the preferred connection.
Lastly check out the SBAN banana from Kimber. Not plated or fancy looking but once soldered a super, life long connection, and was Rs. 500/-(pair).
Regards
 
Bare wire tends to get oxidized over a period of time so either you should get them coated with silver solder or use a good quality connector. The connectors should have better spec for the copper used & of course it should give a very tight but effortless connection. I feel Eichmann , WBT & Profi/ Neutrik are the better brands, though I?ve not tried the others.
 
Depends on the binding posts on your speakers / amps. Bare wire will not remain tight on binding posts designed for banana's or spade connectors and the wire strands will always be loose.

The best connectors IMHO are spades as they can be tightened down on the post and offer the maximum surface contact area. WBT makes the best spades/bananas. WBT-USA
 
Hi,
Ya WBT make the best connectors, terminals etc but the pricing here is ridiculous. If u are intending to use in say a biwire set up u could get a budget amp in the cost of 16 spades or banana s!!!!!!!!!!!!! so u have to draw the line somewhere.
Regards
 
Hi,
Ya WBT make the best connectors, terminals etc but the pricing here is ridiculous. If u are intending to use in say a biwire set up u could get a budget amp in the cost of 16 spades or banana s!!!!!!!!!!!!! so u have to draw the line somewhere.
Regards

I simply suggested that WBT is the best. He can buy what he wants. What line have I crossed?
 
Hi,

To draw a line somewhere is a general statement am not in any way saying that u have crossed a line/ boundary or whatever. Of course each of us are free to use whatever connector they so choose, this is just a healthy discussion and should remain such.
Regards
 
Agreed. BTW a set of 12 spades to make up a biwire set (4 terminals at speaker and 2 at amp end per channel) will cost about $120. Not really that ridiculous considering the premium product. TEHO
 
Hi again,
Well i would need 16 and when i checked here in mumbai was told its 1000/- per peice!!!!!!!!!!! Haha thats what i meant a cheap amp could be got. But at the price u mention i sure am a buyer.
Best regards
 
I was using 4 mm MX banana plugs previously which were really pain in the avr terminals.

Now I bought MX gold plated 2 mm bananas which cost around Rs 75 per pair which have

angled and straight. The angled are without screws.

I soldered the ends in to these and I put the sheath over the pin after soldering.

The real advantage is they fit in to AVR terminals so well and so easyily.

Fit perfectly unlike the 4 mm. Angled are better, they avoid touching other terminals.

There is no perceptible difference in sound from bare wire as per my listening.

Speaker end wires I just soldered and use them as bare wire.

Just thought it may help some and since I did not want start a new thread.

Mx products are

http://mdrelectronics.com/categories.php?categoryid=6&start=0

Dealers

http://mdrelectronics.com/dealer.php

Cheers.
 
Last edited:
I was using 4 mm MX banana plugs previously which were really pain in the avr terminals.

Now I bought MX gold plated 2 mm bananas which cost around Rs 75 per pair which have

angled and straight. The angled are without screws.

I soldered the ends in to these and I put the sheath over the pin after soldering.

The real advantage is they fit in to AVR terminals so well and so easyily.

Fit perfectly unlike the 4 mm. Angled are better, they avoid touching other terminals.

There is no perceptible difference in sound from bare wire as per my listening.

Speaker end wires I just soldered and use them as bare wire.

Just thought it may help some and since I did not want start a new thread.

Mx products are

MX Products

Dealers

MX Products

Cheers.

Can 2mm banana fit in clip type Onkyo AVR spk connectors?
 
Can 2mm banana fit in clip type Onkyo AVR spk connectors?

Spirovious, do NOT use any banana or spade for a clip type connector. The best is bare wire. If you use a banana or any solid metal, the teeth in the clips will bite and spoil the metal or plating.

When you use a bare wire, if you need, once in a while remove the wire, clean the tips with Isopropyl Alcohol, and reinsert it again.

Cheers
 
Last edited:
just wanted give you all feedback about my 2mm bananas.

Other day accidentally one of the wires was pulled and the gold plated tip got cut off and was stuck in the terminal.

I have plugged in the rest of the left over.

Just thought of letting you know.
 
Last edited:
Depends on the binding posts on your speakers / amps. Bare wire will not remain tight on binding posts designed for banana's or spade connectors and the wire strands will always be loose.

The best connectors IMHO are spades as they can be tightened down on the post and offer the maximum surface contact area. WBT makes the best spades/bananas. WBT-USA

I like answer. I don't know about WBT, but I like the tightness and quality and fit of the tool-free Monster QuickLock Angled Gold Spades. I tightly secure my wires with ease to my amp and receiver binding posts. I love their quality and design - very easy to attach securely, large open and deep spades, angled for perfect fit, and very clearly banded with red and blue for the correct connections. Overall great :)

Because I heard so much about using "bare wire" for speakers, I am currently using twisted bare wire into my speaker terminals - thru hole and around the binding post. However, I notice that when I move my speakers (only once in awhile), my speaker wire loosens up a bit and sometime strands break off. :sad: I am going to eagerly switch over to a new pair of Monster spades. :)
 
A beautiful, well-constructed speaker with class-leading soundstage, imaging and bass that is fast, deep, and precise.
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