Speaker wire ends for my mains? (and speaker gloat)

I've just ordered a pair of Paradigm Studio 100s, CC 590, a pair of ADP 590s, and a Seismic 12 for my new home theater

I'm probably going to biwire the 100s with Audioquest Rockefeller cables. What type of ends do you recommend? My current amp is an ATI 1505, but plan on upgrading to an Outlaw 7700.

My choices of ends (can be independently specified at each end) are:

Spade/S
BFA/S
UST/S
P8M/S
P814/S
1056/S
1010/S
PSC/S

I have no idea what any of these are other than Spade. Recomendations anyone??

Bryan

Very nice speakers!

The options are specific model numbers for Audioquest's stuff. The ones you listed all appear to all be spades, with various wire gauges and binding post sizes supported. The "S" at the end stands for silver (a "G" would mean gold). Unless Paradigm has changed since I got my Studio v2's, they use a large binding post (the 5/16" I believe, although it may be a 1/4") - your dealer could confirm for you, but if they are 5/16" then you'd want to use the 1056 or P8M as those are the only ones that will work with a 5/16" post.

Gonk, thanks for the reply. I just found the secret decoder ring on the Audioquest website so now I can ask more intelligent questions.

Any general recommendations on spade vs banana connectors?

Bryan

The traditional (and pretty reasonable) logic has been that spades offer a more secure connection than banana, while banana is more convenient. It is kind of nice to be able to tighten down a binding post on a spade and feel sure that the connection is going to stay solid for a long time to come. I'm using bananas for my surrounds because it's easier when connecting from the amp to the wall plate that gathers all four speakers' wires together behind the entertainment center, but the mains and center are using spades at both ends.

I would concur with Gonk the prevailing wisdom is that spades offer the best connection and the most relative surface area of contact to the terminal. (However, they are not always the most practical connection if you're biwiring and/or dealing with a speaker post that cannot accomodate the spade well.)

In order of quality of connection from best to worst, I was always told it goes:
(1) Spade Lug
(2) Banana
(3) Pin
(4) Bare wire (if only for corrosion reasons)

One last tip, if your connector is the standard "5-way binding post," CAREFULLY use a 1/2" socket wrench or nut driver to snug the post to the spade. You'd be surprised the additional tightening your fingers alone cannot provide. This not only ensures the most secure connection, it greatly reduces the chances of the lug popping out if you move or bump the speaker cables -- especially if you're using the big garden-hose-sized varieties.

Per Videodrome's tip on tightening the post, Audioquest actually makes a purpose-built binding post wrench, which is basically a screwdriver handle with the appropriate socket built in. It is handy, though.

I'll have to drop in my personal opinion here, and that's the use of locking banana plugs, which are like outlaw's locking RCA plugs in the way they lock down - convenience of plugs meets the tight connection of spades. You can find them online; speakerrepair.com sells them by themselves, and cobalt cable puts them on their cables. IMHO, if you're biwiring these would be much easier than spades.

Looks like a good website to bookmark, Sluggo.

I'm actually using a locking banana on my bi-wirable speakers with good results. It's an old Monster Cable product that accepts a spade. Once you get everything set up, you just pop the banana in the post and twist a set knob on the back. It holds very securely. Don't know if they make them anymore though.

Thanks for the recomendations.

Got some more info. The binding posts on my ATI amp and the 7700 are 1/4" and the binding posts on the Studio 100s are 3/8". Looks I'll go for the P814/S spade connectors on the amp side and the BFA/S banana connectors on the speaker side.