Best Banana plugs and type for the money? Please read and kindly advise

[addictaudio]

Hello to all. I am in the process of having an entire HT installed. The installer ran Audioquest Type 2 in wall cables. Each in-wall cable has two negative and two positive cables, so one cable could potentially be used to power two separate speakers. What they are doing in order to increase the thickness (theoretically the gauge of the wire), is interwinding the two negatives together and also the two positives together; in essence to power one speaker. Not sure if this is making sense? My question is that they welded a banana plug from Audioquest to the end of the cable. The banana is bare and then the rubber boot slides over it. It basically looks like crap. As the boot is loose, it keeps sliding back and forth. I want to get different boots, and ones that the actual banana plug and boot are one integral part. Which ones do you all recommend? Also, they soldered the banana plugs to the wires. Is this the best solution, or is it better to get the locking banana plugs or the crimping type? Please advise. Thank you.

 

[twoeyedbob]

Tbh i doubt 'the best banana plug' exists
Just avoid chinese cheap stuff made out of tin
Other than that it's daft spending a fortune..
Soldering ..imo..would be the pro way to do it

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk 2

 

[fuzz092888]

I've tried a few different kinds and I ended up with the BJC locking bananas.

Speaker Cable at Blue Jeans Cable

 

[j_garcia]

I like the locking ones and I use them on my amp side on all of my systems. They don't fit the binding posts on my speakers though.

Starts off about other things, but more info toward the end.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/v-interconnects-cables-power-conditioning/83891-ok-squeeze-copper-wire-into-banana-plug.html

 

[addictaudio]

Thanks Guys. This is going to be connected with a Denon 4311, emotiva XPA-5, and the speakers will be Monitor Audio GX300 towers, GX350 Center, and GXFX surrounds. The wires are coming from wall plates through the wall in each of the respective locations where the speakers will be placed.

I felt into the Hoopla of cable brand, and Audioquest does not make any real thick 10 or 12 gauge cables, so the Audioquest suggested doing what they did to the installed, in order to reduce the gauge of the wire. The two positive are twisted together and the two negatives are twisted together, but the bare wire is exposed where they are soldered to the banana plug. There is no techflex or anything like that.

Please kindly check out the link below for a picture of the cable:
Star-Quad

 

[twoeyedbob]

You could slip a piece of heatshrink over it ..depends how
Bulky the banana's are, whether that's possible ?

Whatever you do ,it's a purely cosmetic decision.


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[j_garcia]

Get the 4S11 wire from Bluejeans. AQ is overpriced for what it is, I know; I've used it. You DO NOT need 10AWG wire nor do you need to solder the connectors on.

Basically what you are talking about is what I do:

 

[addictaudio]

Sorry guys, but the wires have already been installed and the audioquest banana pluds were soldered already to the wire. I want to change this with new replacement banana plugs that are one integral piece with the boot, as the audioquest banana plug is separate from a flimsy rubber boot that slides over loosly over the actual plug.

 

[j_garcia]

Sounds like they just used the cheapest plugs they could find and they happened to be the solder type. Just cut them off and replace with the new ones the same way they've done those. Just note that this will have no impact on the sound.

If the plugs are fine and you just don't like the sleeves, just get some 3:1 shrink wrap that is large enough to fit over the plugs like twoeyedbob said. Then a hair dryer if you don't have a heat gun and you will be good to go.

 

[addictaudio]

It does look horrible with bare wires exposed. Believe it or not, they used Audioquest Banana plugs and rubber boots that slide over the plugs loosly, being two pieces versus just one integral piece. J Garcia, are you sure that you do not want to take a trip to my neck of the woods in Central Cali. to iron out these issues? How about some Brazilian BBQ and drinks as a bribe, LOL?

 

[addictaudio]

I have a Denon 4311 and an Emotiva XPA-5. Dumb question, but I also got RCA interconnects to connect the Denon with the Emotiva. Will the banana plugs/wires now go from the speaker to the Denon or Emotiva? Either way, I need references in which the plug will fit nicely with the Monitor Audio GX speakers and to the Denon/Emotiva.

 

[j_garcia]

I just drove down past that area a few weeks ago on the way to and from Arizona. A long drive which did not include time for any stop offs in your neck of the woods unfortunately.

Yes, the speaker wires will now go to the Emotiva amp not the Denon; you connect the Emotiva to the Denon for signal.

 

[addictaudio]

Garcia, based on this, which ones do you recommed that I get?

 

[j_garcia]

If you want inexpensive, go with the Nakamichi ones from the link I posted earlier. If you want locking, go with the ones that Bluejeans has. I use them both for different purposes and I like them both.

 

[Hi Ho]

I have never seen Audioquest banana plugs with rubber boots. The Audioquest bananas, in my experience, are excellent but I have only used the BFA's:

Amazon.com: AudioQuest SureGrip BFA Silver (2 pairs) Banana Plugs: Electronics

They are NOT cheap and that is the biggest downside but the wire goes in the back and the screws are tightened with the (included) allen key and they provide a very secure and solid connection.

I am also a big fan of Planet Waves banana plugs:

Planet Waves Banana Plugs 10-pack, 14-gauge at Crutchfield.com

They are much cheaper and even easier to install as you do not need to strip the wire. Just stick it on and tighten the screw. You just need to make sure that you get the plugs made for the gauge wire that you have.

 

[j_garcia]

The Nakamichis Nakamichi plugs 0534B, Nakamichi connectors, banana plug, RCA plug, Nakamichiplug.com , Nakamichi Audio Speaker Banana Plug connector, Nakamichi plug, Nakamichi connector are about as inexpensive as they come for decent connectors. I bought and returned the AQ BFAs because they were basically identical to the Nakamichis for over 10X the price. I bought 48 of the Nak BFAs for the price of FOUR AQs.

 

[adwilk]

The Nakamichis Nakamichi plugs 0534B, Nakamichi connectors, banana plug, RCA plug, Nakamichiplug.com , Nakamichi Audio Speaker Banana Plug connector, Nakamichi plug, Nakamichi connector are about as inexpensive as they come for decent connectors. I bought and returned the AQ BFAs because they were basically identical to the Nakamichis for over 10X the price. I bought 48 of the Nak BFAs for the price of FOUR AQs.

Those look nice- although I've been pretty happy with the BJC nanners I have. Curious- will two conductor strands of 12 guage fit in one connector?

 

[j_garcia]

Those look nice- although I've been pretty happy with the BJC nanners I have. Curious- will two conductor strands of 12 guage fit in one connector?

I believe they will fit 10AWG so two 12AWG will probably be tight but fit. I've only been using them with single wires.

As mentioned, I use the locking ones from BJC on the amp side in all of my systems.

 

[addictaudio]

The Audioquest that they used in my system are much cheaper than the ones that you all are referring to. They are theCrimp-BFA/S. The boot just lays over the banana, but does not appear to tighten. According to my research, the four conductor Type 2 Audioquest cables are 16 gage, but when combined, as they did in my case, they are now 13 gage or so. With the Blue Jeans locking bananas, do the wires have to be stripped?

 

[j_garcia]

The Audioquest that they used in my system are much cheaper than the ones that you all are referring to. They are theCrimp-BFA/S. The boot just lays over the banana, but does not appear to tighten. According to my research, the four conductor Type 2 Audioquest cables are 16 gage, but when combined, as they did in my case, they are now 13 gage or so. With the Blue Jeans locking bananas, do the wires have to be stripped?

They have to be stripped with all banana connectors.

IMO, you are talking about these:

There's nothing wrong with those. They should work just fine. Basically, I would not change them out unless they are falling off or damaged.