to banana or not to banana that is the ? (1 Viewer)

[Tom Heim]

I am planning on buying a first HT in a bout a month or so Probably a Pioneer htp 220 or an onkyo hts 650. I think I am going to use Home depot 12 ga.

Are banana plugs needed? or can you just twist the wire over and hook up the speakers and the receiver? or is it acceptable to use bare wire and solder the ends?

 

[Bill_Weinreich]

Tom,
Banana's are handy if things get changed around occasionally, and are a perfectly good way to hook up the speakers. Some believe that bare wire connections are the best way to go. If you do, then like you said, tin the ends with solder so that no stray wire strands can make contact on another post.

Either way will be fine, so it'll just be a personal decision.

Bill

 

[Kevin Deacon]

If you tin the ends of the wire it will not oxidize over time and you won't have to trim the wire for a good connection. If you use bananas make sure you seal the connection with shrink wrap so they won't oxidize.

 

[PatrickLG]

Solder should NOT be the point of contact.

You may crimp bananas then solder to strengthen, in this manner the copper in the wire is making contact to the gold in the banana.

 

[Burke Strickland]

For convenience, banana vs bare is like the difference between simply plugging in a power cord and threading a needle. :>) I've tried it both ways where that has been possible. (Some binding posts do not accept bananas and others make it very difficult to attach bare wire properly.) Although I cannot discern a sonic difference when the connections are secure, I sure can tell the difference in time and effort when it comes to rearranging and re-connecting things.

Burke

PS -- there's been some good advice here on sealing the connections to prevent oxidation of the exposed wire -- it is a potential issue regardless of the connection method of choice.

 

[Tom Heim]

Thanks Guy's for the great info all things that I would have never thought of about sealing the ends to prevent oxidation

Thanks again
Tom

 

[DougKuhn]

Hmm. Good info. (I am new here). I was looking at the banana clips for my Denon AVR-1803 but I think they are going to cause fitment issues in my entertainment center....unless I mod the backing the EC, which I think I am going to do anyway.

 

[Christopher Lyn]

If soldering and shrink wrap prevent oxidation, does that mean those banana plugs where you screw the back end to hold the wire into the plug...sorry don't know what they are called...are no good, since the copper wires are just held against the banana plugs by a screw and is exposed to the air?

 

[KeithH]

I prefer banana plugs over bare wire or spades. Banana plugs are very convenient. As was said, they are great if you have a need to move things around. They are also safer in that if someone inadvertently bumps into a wire connected with banana plugs, the wire will likely pop out instead of dragging the speaker down to the ground and possibly causing a lot of damage.

With bare wire, there is the potential for oxidation, though coating the wire with solder should eliminate it. Still bare wire is just not convenient.

 

[Ole]

If oxidation is a concern and some say you shouldn't tin the wire, (It oxidizes too), what about gooping the connection with dielectic (sp?) grease available at electronic or auto parts stores?

 

[Dave Goff]

My receiver is an AVR-520 HK, this receiver has its binding posts pretty close together. I chose AR banana plugs. They cost half as much as monster. Also they have a color coded rubber boot that will help with stray strands. This is my first set up and had it unplugged several times and the banana plugs were helpful. I labeled each wire with a bit of masking tape and pen.

I hadn't heard of shrink wrapping them. Where do you get the stuff? Sounds like a good idea?