How do some of you have your wire connections? The banana plug would be very convenient but how's the connection? Soild? Thanks for your help

I use straight wire and never saw the need for anything else. You know it's in there good and won't come out easily, and you get a good solid connection. Considering how often I rearrange my living room (basically only when I buy new A/V stuff) the convenience factor is not much of an issue. Plus you gotta consider the convenience of *installing* the banana plugs.

After years of straight wire I now run bananas and they seem really solid and they look and sound good so far.

m-mmeyer

I just run straight wires.

Some folks have claimed that banannas don't give as good of a solid connection. As m-mmeyer has posted, his seem solid and no problems. Even with my straight wire connections, I also read that this is good, but, only if you trim back the wire every once in a while to get rid of the oxidized copper. If I do this often, I'll need new cables.

I'm not certain that most of us can really discern a difference in the connection types. (But then, maybe some can.)

Go ahead and try some different ways and see if you can tell a difference. Half the fun of this hobby is tinkering around and/or buying new pieces of equipment anyway.

I just use straight wire for most of my connections. My rear center is actually hooked up with bananas though. Why you ask? Because I had to mount it on a removable shelf (installed JUST for the speaker!) which must be removed every time I need to get in to the attic. I thought the pull down stairs were *SO* cool when I moved in...

I have used everything but spades. Bananas were pretty nice, but make sure you get good quality that aren't too 'springy'. I have also used the pin type connectors (like some of the monster stuff is) and liked the idea, but not the execution. I think the main advantage there is that it is sealed/plated (so you don't have to ever trim like Hi4Head mentioned) and they could be used with spring clip speakers but they were a bit of a pain to install on a regular binding post. I think spades might be the best way to go and next time I jump in the fire, I'll give them a shot. It seems like a lot of high end speaker wires come with spades.

If using straight wire, which I still do on a few connections, just make sure to fit all of the conductors in the binding post and not to let a stray piece of copper touch anything else. There have been posts here and there mentioning strange audio problems from hum to the receiver shutting down that were traced to a poorly made connection with conductor touching something it shouldn't be.

S.

I just used pin connectors on my newly arrived 1050 and MrSandman was right - it was a pain but it was possible.

[This message has been edited by TimRoo (edited January 16, 2002).]

I've used bare wire, pins (although never on a binding post like the 1050 and 750 use), spades, and banana plugs. Bare wire or spades are supposedly the best for a solid connection, but I use bananas for my surrounds because it's easier. I will say that bi-wiring with bare wire can be very difficult if you have heavy-gauge wire (it's somewhat easier with spades, which is what I'm currently doing for my mains and my center channel).

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Gonk

I use the Radio Shack gold -screw on banana plugs. Good quality, easy to put together, and easy to take apart. I've been really happy with them.

Question to all those who bi-wire. I use 12 gauge wire and the problem is I can't fit them both into the post. What do I do from here? The spades I got don't fit around the post as well.

What do you find either 12 gauge or 12 gauge but not 14 gauge in stores?

THanks.