banana plugs or regular speaker wire

[ryanianmckinnon]

im looking to upgrade in the future and right now i just have plain speaker wire from my reciever to my speakers and adventually im gonna be getting an int. amp and i was wondering if i upgrade to banana plugs will it make the music sound better and more clear cause ive been looking around on prices and im wondering if it makes a big enough difference to decide to upgrade and if its worth the money ?
thanx

[poppachubby]

no ryan, the plugs would not be considered an upgrade. Infact, alot of cable manufacturers and audio types believe bare wire to be the best. So the plugs are really just another way of doing things. Some higher end speakers only offer an option of plugs, in this case you have no choice unless you change the ports.

If you want to upgrade, consider the actual wire you're using. Get yourself something that's not too long or short for the location. 10 or 12 gauge with a good layer of shielding.

Personally, I use pin plugs, banana plugs and spades too. Mostly because I have to. Either the port is too small for the wire, requiring pins, or the port is fitted for bananas. I have one pair of speakers with posts which require spades.

So, I am not saying don't get any plugs rather, don't expect improvement from termination.

[ryanianmckinnon]

so one of the best upgrades i can do for cheap is just upgrade the speaker wire ?
im still thinking about getting plugs but if the speaker wire i upgrade is to big then ill go to plugs my int. amp is only gonna be max 8 feet away from the speakers so i dont need a huge run of speaker wire to each speaker and the bigger the wire makes less of a load on the amp right cause its easier to push the signal or whatever it is through the wire right ?

[poppachubby]

Fatter the better, as you go bigger the number decreases. ie; 10 is really fat. You'll get better bass response. I didn't say it would be cheap, but you can get good cable at a reasonable price. I don't use BJC so I'll let someone who does recommend it for you. I have my own ways and resources.

Here's a thread with my stuff: http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=31979

[ryanianmckinnon]

yeah fatter is better i have also heard that only cut enough speaker wire to go from the speakers to the amp and not have tons of access ? is that true and if i can find some nice banana plugs for a reasonable price i might purchase them

[dakatabg]

Ebay has all kinds of plugs! Check there and you will see many many brands!

[ryanianmckinnon]

poppa c i was checking out ultralink AMBIANCEŽ MkIISPEAKER CABLE and it looks nice its 10 gauge but it doesnt say how much, are u pleased with your cables from there cause im kinda on a budge for that stuff as im still in school and only working part time

[poppachubby]

yeah fatter is better i have also heard that only cut enough speaker wire to go from the speakers to the amp and not have tons of access ? is that true and if i can find some nice banana plugs for a reasonable price i might purchase them

I answered you already ryan...


Get yourself something that's not too long or short for the location.

as for this...


poppa c i was checking out ultralink AMBIANCEŽ MkIISPEAKER CABLE and it looks nice its 10 gauge but it doesnt say how much, are u pleased with your cables from there

I LOVE my Ultralink. I can only comment on the UL Challenger-2 but I am quite certain everything they make is quality. Like I said, give it a day or 2 and you'll probably get some more recommendations...

[ryanianmckinnon]

how much was your ultralink cables poppa c ?

[poppachubby]

I paid $1.25/ft. A great price. I have seen 30 ft. strands online, sale price $60.00. You have to look and watch the prices. I got mine from an online closeout.

[ryanianmckinnon]

1.25/ft isnt bad i would only need like 16 feet
was that 12 gauge ?

[poppachubby]

Yes 12 gauge Challenger - 2. You can check E-Bay too. You can find guys selling strands with termination for good prices.

[ryanianmckinnon]

ok sounds good im deciding weither to go 12 gauge
or 10 im guessing the only really difference is price ?

[poppachubby]

ok sounds good im deciding weither to go 12 gauge
or 10 im guessing the only really difference is price ?


Dude, are you serious? Ryan, review our discussion for the answer to that one.

[blackraven]

I have some 10gauge wire from Bluejeans cables and they sound great. I paid about 70cents per foot and bought their banana plugs for $3.50 each and terminated them myself.
I think they are the best bargain out there for quality cables.

[ryanianmckinnon]

is it hard to put on your own banana plugs?
like i can buy the cable and plugs but just wondering if i could put
them together myself and what are some good plugs ?

[blackraven]

If you go with the bluejeans cables, all you need is a wire stripper and cutter. The banana plugs are a screw on type. It will take you all of 30min to put them on. You will also need a hair dryer if you use the shrink wrap that they provide.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

here's the instructions on how to install the plugs.

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/Speaker_cable_termination.pdf

[ryanianmckinnon]

ok thanx braven