How to convert Kimber 8TC bananas to spades

[StupidClay]

Hello everyone,

I just purchased a pair of Kimber 8TC speaker cables off Audiogon. Each end terminates in factory supplied banana plugs.

Unfortunately, the binding posts on the back of my amp - a NAD C320BEE - only accept spades and/or bare wire. So my question is: what's the easiest way to covert one end to spades? Typically I would strip the wire myself, but 8TC strands are so thin, and there are so many, I'm afraid that will be too difficult.

Should I buy some sort of tool? Do I have to take them in? Suggestions please, thanks!

Best,
Clay

[Kaboom]

cut and paste!
however it is quite possible that the reciever does indeed accept banana plugs, just that the binding posts are blocked by a little plastic plug, which you can remove (CAREFULLY!!) with a flat blade screwdriver, or a knife.
cheers!

[StupidClay]

Unfortunately I’ve already hacked off one of the banana plugs, in an attempt to strip the wires. So messing with the receiver is no longer an option 

[Resident Loser]

Hello everyone,

I just purchased a pair of Kimber 8TC speaker cables off Audiogon. Each end terminates in factory supplied banana plugs.

Unfortunately, the binding posts on the back of my amp - a NAD C320BEE - only accept spades and/or bare wire. So my question is: what's the easiest way to covert one end to spades? Typically I would strip the wire myself, but 8TC strands are so thin, and there are so many, I'm afraid that will be too difficult.

Should I buy some sort of tool? Do I have to take them in? Suggestions please, thanks!

Best,
Clay

...you'll want to modify the cables and ruin their re-sale value if push comes to shove...Kaboom's idea might be the answer...IMO an adapter of sorts may be the solution.

This question has come up many times here @AR, unforunately, what you need doesn't really exist...an in-line female banana receptacle which you could then add a short length of wire and a spade-tip...I said unfortunately because just about all the female jacks I've seen are designed for bulkhead/panel applications...I mean they could be used in such a scheme, but the end result wouldn't be too neat or pretty even for someone with experience.

While surfing for a solution, I came across this:

http://www.caltestelectronics.com/www/ItemDetails.asp?ItemCode=CT2553%2D%23&cat=Cat3&QSID=3.d.1&id1=386

It's suitability (re: clearance issues, etc.) for your purpose is only an educated guess, you might want to contact these folks directly...or even order them, @ $1.85per they arent too expensive to eat, even if you couldn't return them. They even come in colors to aid in observing polarity.

jimHJJ(...good luck...)

[StupidClay]

Folks! My error, I’ve worded my question all wrong.

My 8TC’s came with factory SPADES. What I NEED is a banana plug and/or bare wire. I’m sorry, I just now realized I had messed up the wording in my original post.

So yes, my question is how do I hack off the spades and expose the bare wire and/or get a banana plug. Thanks!

[Resident Loser]

Folks! My error, I’ve worded my question all wrong.

My 8TC’s came with factory SPADES. What I NEED is a banana plug and/or bare wire. I’m sorry, I just now realized I had messed up the wording in my original post.

So yes, my question is how do I hack off the spades and expose the bare wire and/or get a banana plug. Thanks!

...pick a color from one to ten...true or false...do you take the bus to work or your lunch?...we are talking about speaker wiring aren't we? Don't come back and ask us when to plant your turnips...

Get thee to a Home Depot (or Lowes or other electrical supply shop)...go to electrical tools (ask someone)...look for a Klein wire-stripper or multi-tool (ask someone)...pay for it (go to cashier)...go home (I trust you know where that is)...cut off the offending connector (on the wire)...using the appropriately sized stripping die (one of the holes), carefully strip the insulation from each individually insulated wire on each leg of the Kimbers...twist the conductors in each leg together...insert bare wires in banana plug and tighten the connector (as per mfrs. instructions)...voila! done...

No magic...no quick fix...

jimHJJ(...life is difficult, wire is wire...)

[StupidClay]

Whoa, easy friend.

Your response – while containing trace hints of advice – was a pretty poor attempt at humor and lacked any semblance of tact. Congratulations on taking out the easy target, though!

I was simply enquiring whether there was an alternative for higher-end speaker cable beyond hacking off the spades and stripping the wires. I’d have no problem doing that with $10 Radio Shack cable, but I’m still trying to justify the cost of the Kimber and wanted to go about it the right way. That’s all.

Could have done without the amateur improv, though. Hopefully you’re a touch more helpful with other newbies.

[Resident Loser]

Whoa, easy friend.

Your response – while containing trace hints of advice – was a pretty poor attempt at humor and lacked any semblance of tact. Congratulations on taking out the easy target, though!

I was simply enquiring whether there was an alternative for higher-end speaker cable beyond hacking off the spades and stripping the wires. I’d have no problem doing that with $10 Radio Shack cable, but I’m still trying to justify the cost of the Kimber and wanted to go about it the right way. That’s all.

Could have done without the amateur improv, though. Hopefully you’re a touch more helpful with other newbies.

...but after what proves to have been wasting my time in order to politely answer your first question, we now find it was a non-question bordering on inclusion in the "How stupid am I?" file...to wit:


Unfortunately, the binding posts on the back of my amp - a NAD C320BEE - only accept spades and/or bare wire. So my question is: what's the easiest way to covert one end to spades? Typically I would strip the wire myself, but 8TC strands are so thin, and there are so many, I'm afraid that will be too difficult.

That seems like a pretty definite set of circumstances, now oliver sudden it's the complete opposite...what do you expect, apologies?Tact?...we ain't got no tact...we don't need to show you no tact...the first time maybe, but now?

If you don't know what question you're asking, how do you expect anyone to answer it correctly.

P.S. There is no justification for the cost of after-market wiring...as stated...wire is wire...and besides didn't you already say this:


...Unfortunately I’ve already hacked off one of the banana plugs...

Or was that also an error?

jimHJJ(...get it together troll...)

[JohnMichael]

Hello StupidClay the first thing I would like to say is you have RL figured out. Now for some advice. You have two options to convert spades to bananas. Monster Cable makes banana plug adaptors that you can clamp the spades into the adaptors and then plug in the new bananas. This would of course be the easiest but possible degradation of sound going through one more type of metal. You can also purchase new bananas that once you remove the spades and bare some wire will clamp tightly to the wire with good crimpers. Or bananas that the speaker wire will be soldered to the plug. You can buy bananas that crimp on at Radio Shack or www.partsexpress.com. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new wires.

[Resident Loser]

Hello StupidClay the first thing I would like to say is you have RL figured out. Now for some advice.

Here's some advice, re-read the posts...I did some on-line research and gave him advice concerning his original scenario, even provided a link...a scenario, which I hasten to point out, that proved to be in error...BTW, anyone can do what I did...all it takes is some time and common sense, but I guess that, like re-terminating wires is "too difficult"...

More advice...re-read yet again...he's already cut-off one of the terminations (I'll no longer hazard a guess at what it actually was) so adapters, and whatever uniformity they might offer sonically or aesthetically now being nonexistent, are a moot point.

jimHJJ(...as stated earlier: life is difficult, wire is wire...)

[StupidClay]

JohnMichael, thanks for the reply. Just picked up the plugs at RS and will try them tonight.

Loser, I replied 24 hrs ago apologizing for wording my problem incorrectly; things didn't change "all of a sudden". Perhaps add that to your own "how stupid am I?" file, thanks.

[Resident Loser]

JohnMichael, thanks for the reply. Just picked up the plugs at RS and will try them tonight.

Loser, I replied 24 hrs ago apologizing for wording my problem incorrectly; things didn't change "all of a sudden". Perhaps add that to your own "how stupid am I?" file, thanks.

...it took you from 5:21 PM on the 13th and until 1:49 PM on the 14th to realize your error...within that space of time, Kaboom responded 7 hours later and I responded approx. 7 hours after that...I'll hazard a guess that viewing the link that I provided, caused the lightbulb over your head to glow. 24 hours after that I responded again and, while there have been, at this time, 58 views, there have been only four informative responses...none, zero, nada, zip within that period of time. Why would you think that is? Maybe nobody had the time or inclination to assist? Do you think we all just sit here waiting for questions to answer? It's your gear and you should be familiar with it so yeah, in cyber-world that kind of change is oliver sudden...BTW, the mis-use in lieu of "all of a" was, and still is, quite deliberate...

Given the 180 involved, I think you are lucky to have gotten any answer at all...

So now that you know the proper tool along with the parts to use and the procedure to follow, good luck with your task...

jimHJJ(...I'd look for a high SPF given your thin skin...)

[hermanv]

Although commercial crimping makes an excellent connection (they use tons of pressure) those inexpensive crimp tools are not very good in my opinion.

Get someone to solder on the new bananas for you, if you sleeve them with some nice heat shrink sleeving you could even re-sell then someday as they will look pretty much like a factory termination. Usually one lead (the Blue one for Kimber) will have a red heat shrink and the black lead a black heat shrink sleeve (these are also available at Radio Shack).

[JBMAudio.com]

Although commercial crimping makes an excellent connection (they use tons of pressure) those inexpensive crimp tools are not very good in my opinion.

Get someone to solder on the new bananas for you, if you sleeve them with some nice heat shrink sleeving you could even re-sell then someday as they will look pretty much like a factory termination. Usually one lead (the Blue one for Kimber) will have a red heat shrink and the black lead a black heat shrink sleeve (these are also available at Radio Shack).


Crimping is a superior connection method as opposed to solder if done properly.

[hermanv]

Crimping is a superior connection method as opposed to solder if done properly.

It is not possible to do it properly with one of those flattened metal hand crimp tools they sell in hardware stores. Figure an average person can squeeze 100 pounds or so. Give the tool a five to one advantage, now you have 500 pounds, I don't think its near enough to deform metal and get a gas tight crimp.

[JBMAudio.com]

It is not possible to do it properly with one of those flattened metal hand crimp tools they sell in hardware stores. Figure an average person can squeeze 100 pounds or so. Give the tool a five to one advantage, now you have 500 pounds, I don't think its near enough to deform metal and get a gas tight crimp.

I would agree with that statement. You need the proper tools for sure. The tools I use were design specificly for the cable and connector. As I said, when done properly. Using that flattened metal hand from the hard ware store, i would not consider that begin done properly. So I guess we are agreeing in a strange kind of way :)

[hermanv]

... So I guess we are agreeing in a strange kind of way :)
There is nothing strange about agreeing, its not a contest, the problem deserves a good solution. :)