Speaker Wire Connection Question PLease Help?

Question

Ok I've Recently Purchased a 400 Watt Techwood Home Theatre Receiver and 2 Kenwood Floor Standing Speakers I've Got Some 14 Gauge Speaker Wire (Monster Cable) My Question Is Is There A Way To Hook The Speakers Up Using Something Other Than Bare Wire (Like A Banana Plug Etc) All I Have is the Red/Black Terminals You Push Down To Insert The Speaker Wire So Can Anything Else Be Used So I Do Not Have To Hook It Up Bare Wire Only Serious Answers Please I'll Be Hooking This Up Within The Next Day Or So So Fast Accurate Answers Are Appreciated

Answer 1

With those type of push terminals, your only option is pin connectors. Monster cable sells decent ones. Soldering them on is the best way to go to prevent the connections from degrading in the future, though they twist onto the wires like wire nuts and soldering is not necessary.

Alternatively, you could simply tin the stripped wire ends heavily with electrical solder, in effect forming your own pin connectors. This will give you a connection that will remain reliable for much longer than bare copper.

Twist-ons... http://www.shopallmonster.com/home_av/connectors/speaker_twistcrimp.asp

I see they also have crimp-ons which could also be soldered... http://www.shopallmonster.com/home_av/connectors/speaker_crimpstyle.asp

Answer 2

Hi. Have you got these terminals on both the speakers and the amp or only on the speakers?Are you able to unscrew the terminals and replace them with ones you insert a banana plug into. I'm not sure if it would work. If you take the back off the speaker and see where the 2 wires are connected to the existing push down terminals you could cut the wires and remove the terminals and insert the new ones.As i say i'm not sure if it could be done

.Another thing that would work without changing your terminals is to lightly solder the bare wire with LEAD FREE solder then the wires would be protected inside the solder and the silver solder would make good electrical connection. This way you can use your existing terminals and they won't cut the wire. Just make sure you use LEAD FREE solder.
I hope this helps a bit.
Cheers,

Answer 3

If you screw out the bananna plug input connector, you can put the bare wire through the hole that will reveal itself on the top of the plug, then screw back. The main benefit that bananna plugs provide is easy connection and disconnection of wire to the receiver or speaker terminal.