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Thread: Quality in Spades

  1. #21
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by farflungstar View Post
    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.
    Makes sense, Adrian, and if you're willing to regularly bare more fresh cable, in order to maintain signal integrity, once the old bits (as a result of being exposed to air) become oxidised/tarnished, then that's cool.

    I can't be arsed, so that's why I use spades

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

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  2. #22
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pharos View Post
    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'.
    Some salient points there, Dennis, all of which should be considered. I'm happy with the solution I've adopted, so there's no need for me to change it.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #23
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    I would certainly agree with those who have supported the cause for bare wire as things have changed considerably over the years. I remember back in 1979 when I had Naim pre/power gear, their loudspeaker connections wouldn't then even take QED 79 strand. In those days I was practically forced into banana plugs.

  4. #24
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

    Posts: 1,736
    I'm Russell.

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    The WBT banana's that I removed were locking bananas. The pin was sliced into 4 parts, and a needle is forced in between them when you tighten the sleeve. Making them impossible to pull from their holes when expanded. I never noticed any lack of sound while using them. And yes, the Allen screws are holding these spades on. But I am a tech and I will say that nothing is as good as a soldered connection. Solder is not just melted in between the metals, it makes a molecular bond to compatible metals. Making them as one piece of metal. Years ago I broke off the binding posts on my amp, from overtightening. And I soldered the bare wires directly to the amp! I never had to tighten them or clean them for 20 years!


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  5. #25
    danilo Guest

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    I soldered my speaker wires directly decades ago.
    A good as it gets electrical connection.... after being pissed with the general crap quality of posts and the ludicrous pricings of hi zoot ones.
    But then I don't swap out bits willy nilly either... so it's not a problem... but it could be if a fiddler.

  6. #26
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

    Posts: 1,736
    I'm Russell.

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    Quote Originally Posted by danilo View Post
    I soldered my speaker wires directly decades ago.
    A good as it gets electrical connection.... after being pissed with the general crap quality of posts and the ludicrous pricings of hi zoot ones.
    But then I don't swap out bits willy nilly either... so it's not a problem... but it could be if a fiddler.
    I moved houses with it, I just wrapped the wires around the amp, and rolled them out at the new house, and all was well! But as I said, back then high end speaker wires had not been invented. This new oxygen free copper Monster zip cord was the latest thing. And at a dollar a foot was thought to be outrageously priced!


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  7. #27
    Join Date: May 2016

    Location: Notts

    Posts: 2,741
    I'm Geoff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pharos View Post
    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'.
    This sounds like sentence in a Saudi court for infidelity!


  8. #28
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

    Posts: 1,736
    I'm Russell.

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    You know, I bet lead would make for good spade connectors. Soft enough to deform when compressed, conforming to the mating surfaces. Much like car battery terminals. Of course they would be covered with warning labels for being health hazards, but for the sake of audio what's a small health hazard?


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  9. #29
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,846
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    The late Peter Belt once advocated using lead (Pb) for the conductors of audio interconnects.

    I believe folks are being far too partisan regarding the use of either bare wires, plugs or spade connectors. With all mechanical connections, it is important the apparent mating surface area is 6 - 10x the cross-section area of the connecting cable. That, and sufficient contact force, is all that is needed and is readily achieved by most, if not all, sensible connector designs.
    Barry

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