In my experience, you can usually talk them out of that, especially if you have impeccable feedback as a seller (an immediate payer) ;)
Marco.
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In my experience, you can usually talk them out of that, especially if you have impeccable feedback as a seller (an immediate payer) ;)
Marco.
YA AUDIO from hifi collective is an old favourite of mine and I use there components when modding speakers, excellent stuff.
No worries, unfortunately I don't think HFC stock them anymore...
Yeah, but like you say, they're superb. Probably my favourite type of speaker terminals, in terms of how they operate. You can get a really nice, tight secure connection.Quote:
The posts on the Krell are impressive, big wing nuts with a fat post, easy to get a nice tight fit with lots of surface area mating. But, I do believe they are brass.
Nope, defo solid copper, as when you see them in the flesh, and look at the holes drilled where the solder terminals are, you can see that they're copper, through and through :)Quote:
So I suspect that even these copper terminals you've posted here are copper plated something. Or a copper alloy that's harder than pure copper.
I do that religiously once a year, and like you say the results are always worthwhile. Yes they do tarnish over time (and change colour), but I don't mind that, as lightly tarnished solid-copper plugs and terminals are still more conductive than even the cleanest brass ones! ;)Quote:
Pure copper spades are more practical, if they deform a bit that's no big deal. And both copper and brass require a bit of maintenance, they do tarnish over time. A yearly cleaning wouldn't hurt them. I used to tear my whole system down and clean all connections, and open all components and clean the circuits and switches and knobs.
Marco.
So what would be the recommended fitting of spades, screwed with allen screws, soldered, crimped?
ive always generally used bananas soldered, but get the idea that the spade has more contact surface.
Indeed, and yet only the Yanks seem to have properly cottoned onto this? :hmm:
Not only that, but when quality (appropriate) speaker terminals have been fitted, you can get a ring-spanner around them and gently 'nip up' the connections, to make them really tight and secure, by virtue of 'clamping' the spades directly onto the contacts of the speaker terminals.
I could probably lift my amp up in the air, by simply grabbing hold of the speaker cables, the connection is *that* solid! The internal connections of the speaker terminals would give way before the outer ones would...
Banana plugs are inferior, simply because few ever fit the holes in speaker terminals properly, and end up 'wobbling about', even when pushed fully home, simply because the aperture they're supposed to 'mate' with is almost always different from the diameter of the banana plugs used.
I initially soldered the spades, then simply tightened the existing allen screws, for that bit extra protection against the cable being pulled loose - job done - and you will simply *not* obtain a better connection, short of hard-wiring! :cool:
Marco.
I would question the claim that spades offer a greater contact surface area than banana plugs. It all depends on the actual type and manufacturer.
Most of my gear uses banana plug connections (save the Levinson ML2s, which do use 5-way screw teminals and the Quad 510s which use XLR connectors), and I have to say the plugs fit very firmly, to the point that I have some difficulty in unplugging them.
Personally I prefer bare ended cables - I don't like the bananas on my isolda cables but can't change them. I just don't see the point of adding another interface/change of metal/added resistance.
The logistics.
Any even extremely well machined to high finish metal pin, has, under an electron microscope a seriously uneven surface.
These asperities are so pronounced that only a small potion can interact with any interfacing mating part.
Considering that the vast majority of plugs and sockets are made from sheet material forced onto formers, and that there is little guarantee that the result will be anything like conforming with the desired shape, there will inevitably be air gaps in addition to the asperity problem.
I agree with the above re cable ends; I solder the speaker cable together after twisting, and then crush that under the force of the terminal 'nuts' on the speakers or amplifier.
The soft materials allow some compliance from malleability, and will be crushed by the nuts to increase the surface area of contact.
Of course cleaning and re-doing are necessary with time, but this saves a lot of money on expensive plugs and sockets which cannot hope to really mate with a good contact surface area.
The spades above are better, being softer, but they have a screw interface as well, and I would bet that measurement of R would vindicate my approach, which also saves money.
I would have S.Steel terminals, and use a spanner lightly to do up the nuts, further compressing the soldered wire.
BT uses bifurcation, a tapered fork into which one strand is forced. The result apparently gives a more reliable connection than other methods because of a 'cold weld'.
I would agree, Barry, as nothing is set in stone. However, that's what my experience to date with both bananas and (really good spades) has indicated, although as you say much will come down to the respective designs of both.
However, what I can say is that in all the years I've been into hi-fi, with all the different kit and banana plugs I've used, I've *never* achieved as solid a connection as I have with my current combination of connectors (as listed earlier) :)
Marco.