Basic Connection Question

I noticed the 7700 user manual has three ways to connect the amp to the speaker cables. This is probably a very basic question for this forum but which,if any,is best.

Are you referring to banana plugs, spade lugs, and bare wires into the binding posts? Any one of the three is a reasonable choice, each with plusses and minuses. Banana plugs are very convenient. Spade lugs are less convenient, but provide a more solid connection. Bare wires are the "least pretty" (just the stripped ends of the wires inserted into the holes in the posts). Bare wires can offer the best connection (conductors directly in contact with the post), but also offer more opportunities for shorting the posts together with stray strands of the conductor. Spade lugs offer a connection that should be as good (assuming the spades are properly installed) and are easier to make sure there's no stray strands crossing over. Cheap banana plugs can loose the "springiness" that maintains the connection and give you a less solid signal path, but better banana plugs should not have that problem. Spades and bananas both need to be properly installed on the ends of the cables (no loose connectors or bad solder joints).

I use spades on the cables that I bought for my mains and center, but I have bananas on the surrounds for convenience.

The one you already have. I don't think you'll get a clear winner on any of the three methods and for all intents and purposes they're the same. Others may feel differently.

As I am always moving things around or trying new gear, I use banana plugs on everything. It takes longer to properly solder the connections on, but once you do it the time you save if you will be swapping them out if you are like me is invaluable.

I'm a big fan of banana plugs for convenience. Hard core folks seem to prefer spades. Bare wires would be my last choice.

Cheers,

I have to say I am with Doug and Ritz on this one. Banana plugs are so convient when you change gear very often.

Thanks all for the help.

If you get locking bananas, which are a bit more expensive (I pay $3 per plug), you will get convenience and a connection that won't degrade.

Any opinions, sorta off topic, on cable material? Copper vs silver? There's so much snake oil...love to hear what people have tried and liked.

There's not a significant difference in conductivity between copper and silver. Silver does have an edge, but it's very slight (242 btu/h*ft^2*defF*ft for silver vs 232 for copper; for comparison, gold is 196 and aluminum is 130). Copper's so common because it is so well-suited - 96% as conductive as silver for a lot less money, so it's easy to upsize the conductor a fraction and achieve the same performance with copper as silver at a much lower cost.

Without getting really detailed and somewhat boring, it comes down to which metal has more valence electrons. Silver has more than Gold, so they can be torn away easier and it is more conductive for that reason. If you want more info, do a google search for Bohr's Atomic Theory. This differnece would still be very negligible.

Ok, so a little further, what are folx using for their interconnects/speaker runs? Informal poll...and, so I don't break etiquette, is this better handled in another area?

For interconnects, I’m using Belden 1694A, new cable when I constructed the interconnects, rated to 3GHz for Digital Video, with Canare crimp-style RCA connectors. Shouldn’t lose too much at under 50KHz!

For loudspeaker cable, I’m also using video coax cable, this time surplus Belden 8281. I’m not using the center conductor at all, just the two-layer, tinned copper braid shield. This dual layer braid has a DC resistance equal to about 11 gauge solid copper, a very decently low resistance. A speaker at 50 feet would require the signal to make a 100 foot round trip. Using this cable, the current traveling to this speaker and back experiences only a 0.11-ohm resistance from the 'coax speaker cable.' Using only the outer layer is like running the current through a flexible, insulated, tinned copper pipe so there’s no current trying to flow where even the very small back EMF would concentrate in the center of a normal conductor. Even though this is a somewhat stiff cable, I think I've gained the benefits of some more esoteric cable but for a low price.

Have I gone a bit overboard? Probably, but I spent less than twice as much as buying off-the-shelf RS interconnects and medium gauge zip cord and I think I’m getting very near higher-end performance.

syvlvr,

For your poll...I recently made all my interconnects using RG59 Belden 1505A coaxial with Steren PermaSeal RCA connectors. See the post on RG6 for subwoofers on the Interconnect page. This allowed for a clean install in my component cabinet. Let me know and I'll post my "recipe" for the interconnects. bestbang4thebuck's Canare connectors with Belden 1694A is certainly a fine interconnect too. For speaker cable I used Cables To Go's bulk in-wall 14/2 cable when I remodeled my home theater, er family room, about three years ago. The speaker wire is terminated at a wall plate behind my cabinet and I use banana plugs on both the wall plate and amp. The speaker wire is bare at each speaker.

Interesting, so you guys are diy and really happy with the results. I've been getting more and more skeptical with these huge, hyped cables. One friend has these thick MIT cable for his Vandersteens, guess they sound fine, but not for that kinda kwan!

For me, have currently a mish-mash of Monster, plus older stuff never heard of, and audioquest. Thinking of getting some silver for the speakers, which in the manual they do suggest. Still on the fence about how much the aftermarket power cables change the sound.

Doh...till I bother with my sig, my main stereo speakers are Onix Ref 1 mk 2's.

We use these, http://www.levitonvoicedata.com/catalog/BuildPage.aspx?BuildPageID=1484 , from Leviton. We made our own component cables, ( tough to find a manufactured Plenum rated cable), and they work great!!! Just make sure you get teh white dielectric to the top of the inside sleeve. Jim

syvlr,

I've read a lot of posts on a number of sites about cables and both sides of the debate (do they or don't they make a real difference) are passionate and feel they are correct. I had some custom length component and analog audio cables made for an in-wall install about three years ago. My local electronics outfit used an RG59 coaxial terminated with pretty generic RCA connectors and they work just fine. I guess I have grown more skeptical that high end cables will make a difference I can hear or see. The Steren Permaseal I RCA connector and the tool allowed me to make interconnects that were the correct length at a reasonable cost and they work fine. IMO, if a person can perceive a difference between cables it would be up to them to determine if the cost justified the improved sound.

Uh-oh, feelin an off-topic coming! How do you like your Harmony 880 AvFan? Mine's coming any day. Integrate well with all your gear, esp the 990?

Thats all from me on cables. I like the 880 and so does my family. My kids had it figured out before I did! The Harmony web page used to program the remote is a little clunky but I think with a little more effort on my part I can improve how the remote works. I going to spend some time this weekend fine tuning. Enjoy your new 880 and let the forum know what you think.

I received my Harmony 880 last week and programmed it last weekend. It is one slick little remote. I am most impressed with it.

Not wanting to start a flame war here about speaker cables, but the RLC parameters of speaker cable/ wire totaly describe the physics of the electronic situation. The electronic theory of speaker cable/ wire is well established. Same RLC equals same performance. Period. Anyone suggesting otherwise, for whatever reason, is either ill-informed or just plan stupid. Take your pick.