what's the best way to connect my speakers? via banana plug or bare wires?

Question

i just got a new home theatre system. It has binding-post speaker terminals (which i've never heard before) that accepts both banana plugs & bare-wire cables. i tried connecting it via bare-wire cables & it was a disaster. i kept losing sound on one of the speakers. then have to constantly nudge the wire around to get connection back. but the terminals are so close to each other, when i'm fiddling w/ 1, i knock loose the connection for another speaker so it's a never ending process trying to get sound on all 5 speakers. is there a right way of putting bare wires on these type of terminals? it can't be this tedious, can it? i personally think it's annoying that i have to come sideways. i'm use to the old style where i just stick bare wires in red & black clips. alternatively, is connecting via banana plugs better or at least easier? i think i would have to purchase them so was wondering before i committed money to it. thx for any tip/suggestion.

question if anyone's gonna recommend banana plugs then. is there 1 industry standard or do i have to worry about different types?

Answer 1

Using banana clips is definitely easier. Just buy banana clips that have a screw type fastener. Put the wire into the fastener and screw it tight and then just plug the banana clip into the speaker. It makes it a lot easier to swap them out as well.

Answer 2

Hi there. One of the problems with bare wire is after a while the exposed wire oxidises and changes colour.This will very gradually deteriorate sound quality but you won't notice it right away. Gold plated banana plugs or thick gold plated Y clips are the best way to connect speaker cables to your speakers.In Australia we have two types of banana plugs -expandable and non expandable pins. The non-expandable ones give a tighter fit as there is more contact inside the speaker terminal. The other type is satisfactory as long as it doesn't feel loose. The thick Y clips can be tightened with the speaker terminal screw and will not move.So the choice is up to you

EDIT.
I recently purchased 6 meters(3M.X2) of new speaker cables (Van Den Hul) that are already fitted on both ends with connectors.One end has very thick gold plated Y connectors attached and the other end has heavy duty gold plated Banana plugs.Where the connectors are attached to the cables, thick pvc tubing is wrapped around the connection where it joins the wire so nothing is exposed.

Answer 3

Banana Clip Speaker Wire

Answer 4

Better speakers have binding posts rather than spring clips. I have never had quite the problem you have using bare wire in them. I wonder if your wire is sufficiently large. Tinning the ends of the wire with solder can make connecting them easier and help prevent oxidation. Banana plugs are easier to use although they will not make any difference in the sound quality. If you think about it, they are just one more thing between your wire and the speaker. The kind that screw on to the wire are simpler than the ones that solder on (although the solder does make for a better connection than a screw). Spade lugs are an option too but I think banana plugs work better. If you get banana plugs that are JOINED in pairs know that the binding posts on American made speakers are closer together than at least some European made speakers (I have experienced this). Just buy your banana plugs somewhere that you can take them back if they do not fit if you are getting joined pairs.

Answer 5

Yes, I agree with you on how close the binding posts are located. They to a successful hookup using bare wire is to cut off the excess bare wire so it doesn't protrude beyond the binding post. This way you cannot short circuit the wire to another wire/binding post. You also need to tighten down the screw so the wire is secured.

It also helps if you "eye-ball" the difference in length for each pair of wire (+ terminal / - terminal) so that you don't leave a big loop in the wire which puts pressure on the terminal which could force it out.

Another hint is to start wiring from the bottom up so you can see what you're doing without other wires getting in the way.

If you're still frustrated by using bare wire, banana plugs is a good alternative, but you'll have to spend $5-$10 per pair for a decent gold-plated set of jacks.

Answer 6

Best Banana Plugs

Answer 7

There is only one type of bananna plug, so you should be fine. Connectors are always better than bare wire due to better connectivity.

Answer 8

banana plug is much better than stripped wire.