bare wire or bananas? (1 Viewer)

[shane_watson]

i know this topic has probably been beat to death but im new here.anyway my reciever is not going to be moved at all and im wanting to know the benefits of bananas or bare wire if any.lm looking to save a little money and i figured this could be a place to do so,any and all comments welcome.thanks

 

[Roger Kint]

IMO, if you are sure you are not going to move the unit then go with bare wire. I believe bare wire is the best connection but you have to be careful you don't tighten too tight that the wires become frayed and fall off.

I didn't think I would move my receiver a lot, but turns up I did and still do so I got banana plugs. They are very convenient and I'm glad I got them. Makes connections and moving around very very easy.

Your two points (not moving unit & saving money) would be reason enough to go with bare wire.

 

[Chu Gai]

We're not talking a lot of money here, that is unless you want to blow the bank. Bare wire is fine. Periodically, when it needs it, you may want/have to give it a little trim on account of oxidation. If you're sloppy, or have an accident, its possible to create a short. Not a good thing. Spades, bananas, a combination of the two also work. Crimping, crimping and soldering, screw down techniques can be used to make the attachment. Get gold plated ones. Takes care of the corrosion issue and not expensive. RadioShack, other electronics parts places in your city, online sources all provide perfectly capable products. Audibly no difference. Take your pick. Can't make up your mind? I opt for bananas on the receiver, spades on the speakers.

 

[Craig Robertson]

i like to use bare wire tinned with a bit of silver solder.

 

[Myki Cantero]

I just bought banana plugs for the convenience. I thought bare wire was ok for me. But when I did the following:

1) decided to bi-wire my main fronts so i had to remove all the speaker connections, etc. pull out my receiver from the rack (can't access from the side since it's close the wall)

2) soldered the tips of my wires

3) connect everything again! (not to mention that the speaker dials of my receiver were too close to one another)

I decided to install banana plugs.

Also, when my friend brings in his receiver for some comparisons with mine, it will be easier to connect his.

 

[Bob Cal]

Not exactly on the same topic but, does it make a big difference if the banana plugs are slightly longer and a portion sticks out. I have Studio 60's .

 

[Jeffrey Chin]

bananas ownz joo

 

[Chu Gai]

Bob...nope...might be a little unsightly but that's about it.
Jeff...I give up, what does it mean?

 

[Christopher Lyn]

I switched to banana plugs (just a little crimp and solder and everything is fine). Got them from Radio Shack (gold plated).

I think they look cleaner and nicer and is definitely more convenient if you move your components around or are trying to do some comparison listening.

 

[Adam Bluhm]

I have my first set of banana plugs. They are Phoenix Gold. I tell ya, they're a bit of a pain to mess with. It's the rubber slip on type. I think I'll be getting some of the screw-together type soon. The ones I have are too big of a headache when making connections.

 

[Chris Hiter]

I have some AR bananas and HD 12 gauge wire and I was wondering if it hurts the connection if there is space between the bananas and protective plastic over wire. My bananas are too small to fit over the thick plastic. Thanks for any help

 

[SteveA]

The way I figure, every point of connection probably degrades the signal a little bit. With bare wire, there is one point of connection (wire to speaker, or wire to receiver). With bananas, there are 2 (wire to plug to speaker, or wire to plug to receiver). Granted, the signal degradation, if it exists at all, is probably minimal. I opt for bare wire, though.