View Full Version : Top or bottom of binding post for single run ?
RobbieGong
21-09-2012, 21:18
Does it matter if you connect to bottom or top of binding post ? Does it make any difference ? :scratch:
hifi_dave
22-09-2012, 09:56
Yes.
The sound is defined (in a small way) by the links. Try the effect of connecting to the bottom and then to the top terminals and hear what happens.
If you have good links made from a similar cable to the main cable, there will be very little difference but if you are using supplied brass strips, the sound will change quite markedly.
Use the middle one...
(What, they're not tri-wire?!)
Beobloke
24-09-2012, 12:03
Use the top ones. This way gravity will help the signal fall down to the bottom terminals, whereas if you use the bottom ones it has to struggle up what is effectively a vertical cliff face to reach the top. By the time it gets there it will be tired and a bit wobbly.
Audio Al
24-09-2012, 12:10
Use the top ones. This way gravity will help the signal fall down to the bottom terminals, whereas if you use the bottom ones it has to struggle up what is effectively a vertical cliff face to reach the top. By the time it gets there it will be tired and a bit wobbly.
:lol::lol:
:rfl::rfl:
If there is a difference it'll depend on which set of binding posts the more critical part of the crossover is connected to directly. Will the bass/mid or treble suffer more going through 2 sets of binding posts and a link?
If you're worried it about some nice wire links will probably sound a little better than brass plated sheet metal, if that's what you have.
It DOES make a difference in my experience as the links are often brass, so using the top or bottom can result in subtly better bass or treble. The treble suffers more though, so I'd recommend trying the top rather than the bottom.
It is more important to replace the supplied links with preferably bare-wire speaker cable.
People might jest, so just listen for yourself and decide.
I have always used proper jumper cables made of the same wire as my main cables. I then feed the main pair to the bass terminals, allowing the jumpers to take the feed up to the mid/treble drivers. It makes sense to keep the run to the most power hungry driver the shortest. Sounds better that way for me.
Not sure how it can make any difference.
Not sure how it can make any difference.
Mainly due to the brass jumper links, which unlike interconnects are a longish bar of relatively poor conducting and 'grainy' metal, and not up to the standard of pure copper. As per my sig I don't want stuff like this to make a difference either...!
No i'am talking if you put them in the top or bottom.
hifi_dave
24-09-2012, 22:04
Because you are going direct (almost) into the bass or tweeter, rather than going via a bit of brass or wire which can influence the sound.
The Grand Wazoo
24-09-2012, 22:41
It's nowt to do with bi-wiring, chaps
I think the question does not concern which set of posts to use on a bi-wirable speaker - its about whether you should connect to the top part of the post or the bottom part.
Get rid of the links supplied and use proper jumper cables as to which one better (bottom or top)I have no idea just trust your ears if you have prefence
It's nowt to do with bi-wiring, chaps
I think the question does not concern which set of posts to use on a bi-wirable speaker - its about whether you should connect to the top part of the post or the bottom part.
Who has been talking about bi-wiring? We have been discussing that the links between HF and LF posts are audible and that speaker cable works better than using the supplied (brass) links that are generally installed.
The Grand Wazoo
25-09-2012, 18:34
Apologies, that wasn't what I intended - too much editing.
The question wasn't about biwire links though, was it?
icehockeyboy
25-09-2012, 22:20
No i'am talking if you put them in the top or bottom.
Many women I know insist on it not going in the bottom. :lol:
bobbasrah
26-09-2012, 05:30
Apologies, that wasn't what I intended - too much editing.
The question wasn't about biwire links though, was it?
Indeed it was Chris, which end to connect the cable on a biwire link, as in will it sound better the signal going to the tweeter via the brass link or to the woofer via the link. :scratch:
It is not difficult to try try it out, and after a week switch back to see if any difference noted.
Equally, John's point about replacing the link with the same wire as the speaker cable, is easy enough to do (bare more of the sheathing to make the connection without a sepataye link) and removes any possibility of the brass having any effect.
:cool:
Indeed it was Chris, which end to connect the cable on a biwire link, as in will it sound better the signal going to the tweeter via the brass link or to the woofer via the link. :scratch:
Careful, Bob, I think it's you who is getting confused: a bi-wire connection involves two runs of cables, one for the bass and the other for mid-treble. The jumpers are removed in this configuration.
We are talking about how best to connect a single wire run, whether it should go into the bass or mid/treble terminals. Here the jumpers (whether they be brass or wires) remain.
For the nervously inclined: :lol:
Connect your "live" speaker wire to your speakers positive treble binding post and the "ground" speaker wire to the negative bass binding post.
The differences are subtle in my system and wouldn't worry to much about it, but this way is the prefered in my setup.
Of course the brass plates connecting top and bottom binding posts have been replaced with proper speaker wire as suggested earlier.
The only truth here, is that if you can hear a difference, there is a difference. :)
Godd luck to ya, and report back with your findings!
/Mike
bobbasrah
26-09-2012, 07:02
Careful, Bob, I think it's you who is getting confused: a bi-wire connection involves two runs of cables, one for the bass and the other for mid-treble. The jumpers are removed in this configuration.
We are talking about how best to connect a single wire run, whether it should go into the bass or mid/treble terminals. Here the jumpers (whether they be brass or wires) remain.
God forbid, Chris referred to the biwire link as did I Martin to distinguish that from the cable runs. Maybe should have just referred to the bits of brass on the two sets of speaker connections for clarity....:doh:
hifi_dave
26-09-2012, 09:13
As in post no.3 perhaps.
bobbasrah
26-09-2012, 12:33
As in post no.3 perhaps.
:exactly:
Many women I know insist on it not going in the bottom. :lol:
Does your Wife know this...? :lol:
Brass!?!? :steam:
I have always assumed that my links were gold plated copper (PMC OB1i).
They are fairly bendy so I may be right. Does anyone actually know?
If it IS gold plated copper, I doubt that ANY wire will sound any better so top/bottom/middle wouldn't make any difference.
The obvious answer is to try both and hear which you prefer.
Alan Sircom
28-09-2012, 09:20
Use the top ones. This way gravity will help the signal fall down to the bottom terminals, whereas if you use the bottom ones it has to struggle up what is effectively a vertical cliff face to reach the top. By the time it gets there it will be tired and a bit wobbly.
I disagree.
The spirit of Fyodor Dostoyevsky came to me in a dream and said that the bottom ones were better, because all life is struggle.
In all seriousness... experiment. If you hear a difference and express a preference, go for it. If you don't, don't sweat it. Try with the standard jumper connectors and experiment with custom made ones if you want (I know people who swear by this). Same applies.
I know that "everything makes a difference" is something of a mantra in audio, but IMO there are some things not worth burning the midnight neurotransmitter over. That said, it's not as if switching terminals comes at a cost (unless you kill your amplifier by mistake in the process) so if the mood takes you, give it a try.
Brass!?!? :steam:
I have always assumed that my links were gold plated copper (PMC OB1i).
Unless the binding posts are unusually high-quality items from the likes of Cardas, WBT or Furutech (not normally used on speakers of that price), you can bet your boots, my boy, that they'll be gold-plated BRASS! ;)
Marco.
Beobloke
28-09-2012, 11:50
In all seriousness... experiment.
I tried that once. Wife slapped me. :(
prestonchipfryer
28-09-2012, 12:06
Try doing it diagonally. I did it once and it worked fine.
Unless the binding posts are unusually high-quality items from the likes of Cardas, WBT or Furutech (not normally used on speakers of that price), you can bet your boots, my boy, that they'll be gold-plated BRASS! ;)
Marco.
I hadn't even thought about the binding posts, I was just considering the jumper strips - as OP.
I'm sure you are right about the binding posts so maybe we shouldn't worry about the jumpers. The plugs will also be plated brass or even plated steel. We then get into the area of screw, crimped or soldered terminals etc. I think I will go back to sleep :zzz:
Lol... Just drink some beer and be happy :cool:
Marco.
I think for many speakers the terminals are of much better quality than the busbar jumpers supplied, so it's well worth experimenting with short jumper cables made of the same type as your main speaker runs.
icehockeyboy
03-10-2012, 10:24
Try doing it diagonally. I did it once and it worked fine.
What did 'er indoors say about that.....did she enjoy it? :eyebrows:
Alan Sircom
03-10-2012, 15:00
Try doing it diagonally. I did it once and it worked fine.
That is seriously not recommend.
You can easily sprain your groil, possibly causing small lesions on your sprungulum.
I know a reviewer who tried this once and ended up having his whole semi-colon removed. He has to punctuate into a bag now.
Diagonal wiring is not a bad concept if carefully handled. It benefits from the modial interaction of magnetoreluctance and capacitive directance. Just make sure you don't nub together the osmolarity of the phase detractors.
sq225917
03-10-2012, 15:07
God bless the rotary encabulator.
+1. And all who sail in her.
Marco.
Alan Sircom
03-10-2012, 15:11
God bless the rotary encabulator.
Well spotted that man. I have wanted to insert whole paragraphs from the turboencabulator 'patent' into a review. With some products, it would make more sense than what they provide.
RobbieGong
03-10-2012, 16:28
BONKERS !!! :lol:
For the nervously inclined: :lol:
Connect your "live" speaker wire to your speakers positive treble binding post and the "ground" speaker wire to the negative bass binding post.
The differences are subtle in my system and wouldn't worry to much about it, but this way is the prefered in my setup.
I have 3 way, triwireable speakers (PMC PB1i). I biwire them using Chord Epic Super Twin (terminated 2-4) and Chord Signature jumpers. I've always run this with the bass terminals having one pair of wires and mid/treble having the other, configured as Mike suggests above (red to treble, black to mid and the jumpers connecting red/red and black/black).
The other day I happened across the manual, which recommended bass taking one pair of speaker cable wires and treble taking the other pair with mid using jumpers from treble. So I thought I'd try it and I was quite surprised by what I heard.
So the two mid/treble configurations were:
Red wire to treble and black wire to mid.
Red and black wire to treble, jumpers from treble to mid.
Configuration 1 was the clear winner for me with better detail, better spatial presentation and more dynamic, although maybe a little bright with the wrong recordings. Configuration 2 was smoother, less detailed and spatially more vague. The difference was not as large as say a component change but definitely clear and by no means subtle.
My interpretation is that 2 is somehow preventing my system reach its full potential. Why, I'm not sure. :confused:
I'm staying with 1, just like Mike, no questions asked. YMMV.
If you biwire, I would recommend you try this out. It may well give you a simple, no cost upgrade.:thumbsup: If you do try it, I would make sure your amp is warmed up first and turn it off when switching the wires around.
Chris
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