A fool and their money... Locking banana connectors

[jinjuku]

Exhibit A: WBT Locking banana connectors from Parts Express ($36 PER plug)



Exhibit B: Locking banana from Speakerrepair (#40 for 10)



BTW the pic from GLS is the old 'Generation 1' so what you are actually getting is the revised Gen2 stuff.

I normally don't associate Parts Express with such foolishness but on the flip side of the coin can't blame them for taking a chumps money.

 

[j_garcia]

These have been around for at least 10 years. The GLS and 3 or 4 other similar locking plugs are all knock offs of the WBTs, and yes, they do work identically

 

[highfigh]

But, they're really good.

 

[Audioholics]

You know what's NOT good about them...? If the sides touch they short... I hate that, especially on receivers where the posts are tight.

 

[markw]

Form over function.

You know what's NOT good about them...? If the sides touch they short... I hate that, especially on receivers where the posts are tight.

That's been my gripe about fancy bananas for years but the average consumer just gotta see all that gold plating they are paying for.

 

[gmichael]

Gold locking banana plugs are cool, but when do the platinum cucumber plugs come out? I could get into those.

 

[j_garcia]

You know what's NOT good about them...? If the sides touch they short... I hate that, especially on receivers where the posts are tight.

Same here, but I have yet to have this actually happen and I have been using plugs like this for years. Once they are locked in place, they won't be loose enough to tweak and touch each other. All they would have to to is make the sleeves non-conductive.

 

[gmichael]

Same here, but I have yet to have this actually happen and I have been using plugs like this for years. Once they are locked in place, they won't be loose enough to tweak and touch each other. All they would have to to is make the sleeves non-conductive.

You mean, like these cheap ones? http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-460

 

[j_garcia]

You mean, like these cheap ones? http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=090-460

Yep, sort of The only problem with those is the cheap plastic barrel often cracks. I've have some that are nearly identical. The tips are metal, but the metal doesn't extend all the way through the plug.

 

[highfigh]

You know what's NOT good about them...? If the sides touch they short... I hate that, especially on receivers where the posts are tight.

That has been my main objection to metal banana plugs all along. Why they can't just use binding posts with standard EIA spacing, I don't know. Fat fingers can't get in easily but if the binding posts have the plastic spacer, it doesn't matter. Unfortunately, the manufacturers place the posts so the dual banana plugs can only go into a pair of positive or negative, not one of each.

For dual banana plugs, I used Stinger, from AAMP of America. Reasonable and they work well.

 

[gmichael]

Yep, sort of The only problem with those is the cheap plastic barrel often cracks. I've have some that are nearly identical. The tips are metal, but the metal doesn't extend all the way through the plug.

A more flexable plastic would help. A nice clear layer over the metal would work.

 

[highfigh]

Yep, sort of The only problem with those is the cheap plastic barrel often cracks. I've have some that are nearly identical. The tips are metal, but the metal doesn't extend all the way through the plug.

These aren't that brittle. I have some and they work fine, but the screw is a PITA and jabbing a finger is easy. I like these for the terminal cups on speakers-
http://www.amazon.com/Stinger-Dual-Black-Banana-Plug/dp/B001FDQ6BS