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Bronze Member Username: InviernoPost Number: 55 Registered: Feb-04 | I've been auditioning some different amplifiers and have run into problems with the banana plugs I'm using. I'm using 3 different types of banana plugs, all from Parts Express. Each type is somewhat different in length. All fit just fine into NAD amps and Parasound Amps. For Rotel amps they are a little bit too long (can't fully plug them in) and are looser than I would like. With Sunfire amps, the banana plugs barely stay in and are most definitely not safe. Anybody know if there is any true standarization of both length and width for banana plugs? Also, any suggestions on *affordable* locking banana plugs? I've seen some pretty ones for $60 a pair, but that's just crazy. I really would like to find a safe, firmly locking connection that is also easy to undo and redo as I play with the system. If anyone has suggestions or solutions, please let me know! |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Bananas are supposed to be a standard lenghth and circumference. They are used as laboratory and professional connectors and have to meet given specifications. The problem is there are few agreed upon standards in home audio and equipment manufacturers can make a banana connection any size they wish on their equipment. Also to save money, a company like Radio Shack will likely cut corners since they feel their merchandise is unlikely to end up in laboratories. Companies like Monster do what they want for marketing reasons partially because there products also are unlikely to be used professionally. If you purchase Pamona banana plugs you will have a standard size and one of the best inexpensive plugs available. If you need to make a secure connection you can take a small flat blade screwdriver and gently bend the fingers of the connector outward to make it slightly fatter. My personal opinion is that the expensive locking bananas are not worth the money since the design of a banana plug was decided upon to make a fast TEMPORARY connection. Bananas were never intended to be a permanent connection until the marketing people of the home audio world got into the mix. |
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Bronze Member Username: InviernoPost Number: 56 Registered: Feb-04 | Good info, thanks. I assume you are describing Pomona plugs, not Pamona? It looks like most of their banana plugs will only fit down to 18 AWG wire and I'm using 14 AWG and some 12 AWG for long runs so I may be stuck with other brands. Besides, with a young child at home I do need a connection that can't easily be pulled out. I can always go with bare wire, but (1) I'll be moving the system around a bit during the next few months and (2) I'm very paranoid about a stray strand from the twisted wire shorting the connection. One bang/flash/smoke experience was enough. Maybe pins would be the best compromise. |
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Silver Member Username: SoccerPost Number: 178 Registered: Apr-04 | No, bare wire is almost always the best connection. You can try this: solder the wires tips so they won't get loose/broken, then aply it tight to the amps/speakers. |
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Silver Member Username: SoccerPost Number: 179 Registered: Apr-04 | Remember a loose connection is often a source of amps damage (too much current/impedance variations). |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Yes, I did mean Pomona. I have drilled out the access hole on Pomonas to accommodate thicker cables but I doubt they will let you get a 12 AWG in there. If you are going to solder anything I would suggest you put spade lugs on the cables. Not all binding posts accept spades and you can clip one side if that is a problem. The only problem with just solder is a soldered wire is harder to clean and will oxidize faster when left exposed to the air than a solder connection that has been well made and is sealed from the air. The soldered cable by itself, like a pin connector only allows a small portion of the cable to make contact with both sides of the binding post. This allows air inside the connector compounding the oxidation problem. It is always desirable to have as much contact over as large an area as possible for the best transfer of energy when the connection is new and particularly when the connection is older. A spade connector can be cleaned easily and if you tighten the post enough it will, if the binding post is well made, make an air tight connection that will not oxidize quickly. A spade can also be bent at the end, or you can purchase them as locking spades in a nickel finish from any electronics supply house, so that once it is tightened you cannot remove it without undoing the post. A spade has more surface area available and will make the second best connection on a binding post after bare wire. If you don't know how to solder thick cable you can have a shop do it for you. Either way, if you are doing 12 - 10 AWG you might be best looking for someone who has a soldering pot. You can pick one up at an electronics supply house but they are rather pricey for a one time job. |
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Bronze Member Username: InviernoPost Number: 57 Registered: Feb-04 | I'll look into spades, especially locking spades. BTW, they are not an option for me, but I found Radio Shack "locking" banana plugs, model #278-307. They do allow you to adjust pressure, but not very well. Then again, They are $8.40 instead of $30 a pair... See http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=CTLG_005_0 03_003_000&product_id=278-307 For the soldering, I've got a ham radio friend who can hopefully do the job for me. |
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New member Username: TerminlvelocityPost Number: 1 Registered: May-04 | I build my own speaker cables so I have tried and tested a number of banana plugs. The DAYTON plug is pretty good and doesn't really change the sonic characteristics of the cabling that much. Most people I make cable for like the look of the NAKAMICH plugs because they give a more professional look to the cable even though there is a slight sonic change. Here are a couple of links to some of the plugs I use. NAKAMICHI 24K LOCKING BANANA PLUG; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5700608864&sspagename=STRK% NAKAMICHI GOLD CRIMP BANANA PLUGS; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5701047159&sspagename=STRK%3A MEWA%3AIT&rd=1 DAYTON AUDIO BANANA SPEAKER PLUG; http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=091-1260 If you a using multi-stranded speaker cable consider building yourself some speaker cable with individually insulated solid copper core. TNT has a great article on the science of speaker cable and a couple articles on how to build some top quality speaker cable while on a budget. http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html Cheers |
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Nickhil Unregistered guest | Hi guys, could somebody please tell me if these banana plugs are good quality? Thank you. http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=090-460 |
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New member Username: TerminlvelocityPost Number: 2 Registered: May-04 | How important is your setup to you? If you have an $800+ receiver and speaker pairs of equal or slightly less value then I'd say pass on these plugs. I've just started using GLS plugs from Orange County Speaker. You can find them at: http://www.speakerrepair.com/ . I have tried both the regular and locking plugs. Good quality and the price is reasonable. Nice professional look too. My personal setup is bi-wired on all 6 channels so I need a lot of plugs. Gold plated plugs are the way to go, but you need to make sure the gold plating is of good quality. Nickel-plating is inexpensive so right there you already know what the quality is of the product you are getting. If you are willing to put a little bit of time and money into your setup you can make your own full-frequency-range speaker wire ( http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/spkcbl_e.html ) and terminate it with a good quality banana plug. The use of multiple individually insulated solid copper conductors of 24-Gauge thickness guarantees freedom from the effects of non-linear conduction as found in multistranded cables. But ultimately your setup is based on your personal requirements. Good luck and I hope what ever you decide it works out. |
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Offsprung Unregistered guest | Recently I decided to use bananas instead of fighting with these wires. I settled for GLS non-lock from OCS partly because of this thread. I received them yesterday and was surprised that the entire alum. shell was shorted to the lead. I am back and forth with OCS who's claiming "durability" and customers are not suppose to touch them together (maybe I should use bare wires and caution so they don't touch each other). I understand this all the receivers multi jacks instructions always warned of stray wires and short possibilities (one of the reasons I got the jacks). So now instead of maybe one or two tiny wires with possible short problems, I add these HUGE banana plugs which are entirely HUGE SHORT TARGETS? Personally I do not care if the shell will survive being run over by a truck (the gold plated tip will go first I am sure), but it just seems wrong to leave them completely exposed. Are they all this way? |