Speaker wires.... costly!

[bpatters69]

Hello All,

I am planning to buy the Yamaha RX-A730 and the B&W 685 speakers. I plan to Bi-amp the speakers. I plan to use the set up with mostly music and my TV. I know cables are important but I do not think spending $230 on cables make sense which is what the rep at Bestbuy spec'd out for me. On the other hand, I do not want to cheap out either and buy cables that will compromise the sound quality either.

Here is a laundry list with Best Buy's part numbers and pricing. I would appreciate if if you could spec out a competitive brand at lower cost. If I need to be spending this on the cables, please let me know that too vs buying something less costly.

9511085 30 Foot Speaker Cable $59.99
9522661 MHT Set Screw Bananna set of 4 $29.99 (Quantity of 4)
2926128 MHT Audioquest -2.0M Golden Gate $79.98

Thanks, Bill

 

[afterlife2]

Check out Monoprice.com they are more affordable.

 

[slipperybidness]

Hello All,

I am planning to buy the Yamaha RX-A730 and the B&W 685 speakers. I plan to Bi-amp the speakers. I plan to use the set up with mostly music and my TV. I know cables are important but I do not think spending $230 on cables make sense which is what the rep at Bestbuy spec'd out for me. On the other hand, I do not want to cheap out either and buy cables that will compromise the sound quality either.

Here is a laundry list with Best Buy's part numbers and pricing. I would appreciate if if you could spec out a competitive brand at lower cost. If I need to be spending this on the cables, please let me know that too vs buying something less costly.

9511085 30 Foot Speaker Cable $59.99
9522661 MHT Set Screw Bananna set of 4 $29.99 (Quantity of 4)
2926128 MHT Audioquest -2.0M Golden Gate $79.98

Thanks, Bill

First, good call to ignore the BB guy and come here!

BJC is some of the best, a little pricey but better than anything at BB & you know that the $ was spent on quality on not on a name (with poor quality like Monster cable).
Speaker Cable at Blue Jeans Cable

Read this:
Speaker Wire

Problem solved

 

[markw]

I've never found inexpensive speaker cables to affect sound quality, particularly unterminated ones.

Now, poorly constructed terminated cables are a different story and they can happen regardless of the price paid.

A pack of these banana plugs. a roll of decent, generic 12 gauge wire, and a little time should set you up well.

 

[Adam]

A pack of these banana plugs...

I'll second those! I really like them. Really good quality, and I find them easier to attach to the wire than the less expensive Monoprice plugs that I got (which are also nice, but more difficult to work with). They are pretty stiff the first time that you plug them in, but after that first time, they are a lot easier to plug in/ take out.

 

[j_garcia]

I like the Nakamichi banana plugs; in higher quantities they are actually even a little less expensive than the Sewells Nakamichi plugs, Nakamichi connectors, banana plug, RCA plug, Nakamichiplug.com , Nakamichi Audio Speaker Banana Plug connector, Nakamichi plug, Nakamichi connector

Should also mention that biamping your speakers off a receiver is a waste of time.

 

[markw]

My only concern about the Nakimichi plugs is that they seem to be all metal, which could potentially cause a shorting issue if accidentally mishandled. I like as much insulation around my terminations as possible since I'm fumble-fingered.

 

[Pyrrho]

Spending a lot on speaker wires is a bad idea. Here is why:

Speaker Wire

I own some reasonably expensive speakers that are considered to be very "revealing" (e.g., Apogee Stage), and I would NEVER spend more than a dollar per foot of speaker wire.

 

[Pyrrho]

My only concern about the Nakimichi plugs is that they seem to be all metal, which could potentially cause a shorting issue if accidentally mishandled. I like as much insulation around my terminations as possible since I'm fumble-fingered.

I have some of the Nakamichi plugs (as well as another brand), and I like the Nakamichi plugs very much. You should not be plugging and unplugging speakers with the amplifier turned on, so being "fumble-fingered" and accidentally touching one to the other should never be a problem. They fit snugly and stick straight out of the terminal, so they are not likely to be touching each other on their own.

I would not hesitate to buy more of them if I ever needed any more. They are very good quality.

 

[j_garcia]

The Nak plugs are better quality than the Sewells IMO. The outer sleeves are painted and I don't think will be conductive *if* you were to accidentally touch them together. I've been using them in all of my systems for about a year and I've never had an issue. As mentioned, everything should be off when swapping cables too

 

[BMXTRIX]

The Nakamichi plugs are a silver plastic material on the outside, not metal, and they are awesome. Rotel used a version of these which I coveted for years until I found the Nakamichi ones which I then purchased 500 of for my A/V installation work. Their quality is not the 'best', but the design is the best for straightforward use. Two screws that hold a wire up to 10AWG, possibly larger, but still firmly clamps a 16AWG cable so that you can pull hard on the cable and it is more likely to rip the wire strands before it slips out.

Nakamichi plugs 0534B, Nakamichi connectors, banana plug, RCA plug, Nakamichiplug.com , Nakamichi Audio Speaker Banana Plug connector, Nakamichi plug, Nakamichi connector

The 0534B model is the one I buy, and I typically go via eBay as the price can be a bit lower, but is similar.

Like everyone else said, you should be able to find speaker wire for less than half a buck a foot.

50' of 2 conductor, 12 gauge cabling for $16.42.

50ft 12AWG CL2 Rated 2-Conductor Loud Speaker Cable (For In-Wall Installation) - Monoprice.com

Add a 12 pack of banana plugs for $13 and you are set for under $50 shipped to your door.

 

[Pyrrho]

The Nakamichi plugs are a silver plastic material on the outside, not metal, and they are awesome. Rotel used a version of these which I coveted for years until I found the Nakamichi ones which I then purchased 500 of for my A/V installation work. Their quality is not the 'best', but the design is the best for straightforward use. Two screws that hold a wire up to 10AWG, possibly larger, but still firmly clamps a 16AWG cable so that you can pull hard on the cable and it is more likely to rip the wire strands before it slips out.

Nakamichi plugs 0534B, Nakamichi connectors, banana plug, RCA plug, Nakamichiplug.com , Nakamichi Audio Speaker Banana Plug connector, Nakamichi plug, Nakamichi connector

The 0534B model is the one I buy, and I typically go via eBay as the price can be a bit lower, but is similar.

Like everyone else said, you should be able to find speaker wire for less than half a buck a foot.

50' of 2 conductor, 12 gauge cabling for $16.42.

50ft 12AWG CL2 Rated 2-Conductor Loud Speaker Cable (For In-Wall Installation) - Monoprice.com

Add a 12 pack of banana plugs for $13 and you are set for under $50 shipped to your door.

You got me to take a closer look at mine, and I got out my meter to test them for resistance. The silver/aluminum color is just the color of what measures like plastic, not metal. I think you are quite right about them being plastic.

Since I am not careless about my wires, it was never much of a concern to me whether they were plastic or metal on the outside. For the money, they are fantastic quality. I have paid more for ones that were not nearly as nice.

 

[j_garcia]

Interesting, because I thought they were metal too, but then the metal insert on the inside of the sleeve that threads onto the banana wouldn't make much sense On my mains I use some different BFAs, but they are effectively identical to the Nak ones, just with different outer shells.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... The outer sleeves are painted and I don't think will be conductive ...

One way to find out is to check with an Ohm meter that everyone should have.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Oh, and for what it's worth, the outer sleeves have a plastic insert in them that separates the sleeve from the plug itself and acts as an insulator. It's hard to tell if it is aluminum on the outside or not, but for sure, there is a nylon/plastic sleeve which has been inserted into the outer casing which also acts as an insulator to keep shorts from occurring. Can't believe I didn't remember that when I posted above. It was one of the things which really impressed me with the design because I was hesitant to purchase them prior to that point.

If they showed more photos of the plug itself on their website and talked about how it was insulated, then I think that would help generate more sales for them, but as of right now, I'm a customer and supporter for life.

 

[slipperybidness]

I've never found inexpensive speaker cables to affect sound quality, particularly unterminated ones.

Now, poorly constructed terminated cables are a different story and they can happen regardless of the price paid.

A pack of these banana plugs. a roll of decent, generic 12 gauge wire, and a little time should set you up well.

I like the Nakamichi banana plugs; in higher quantities they are actually even a little less expensive than the Sewells Nakamichi plugs, Nakamichi connectors, banana plug, RCA plug, Nakamichiplug.com , Nakamichi Audio Speaker Banana Plug connector, Nakamichi plug, Nakamichi connector

Should also mention that biamping your speakers off a receiver is a waste of time.

So, I finally broke down and bought a set of the Sewells that markw says are so great. I have not used them yet, so I can't comment on how they fit with my other gear, but hopefully they will work fine. Assuming that there are no problems there, I think I must agree and these will most likely be my new go-to rec on which BPs to buy! They are definitely high quality, especially at the price of about $1 a pop ($2 a pair) or so on Amazon. The thing that I like about them the most: They have an O-ring to help seal out moisture in the atmosphere that can eventually corrode the connection! That is a fine little detail on a cheaply priced plug! I'm sold! (compare these to the Monster brand that are pretty much the same for $4 a pop!).

To be fair, I also have a set of the plugs mentioned by j_garcia. However, mine are the Sewell Silverbacks (not the Nakamichi). I had the same concerns mentioned by others, but it seems it is a non-concern as we discussed here. However, I don't care for the bulky end-piece that screws onto these. Buuuttt: The double-set-screws on each plug makes for a rock-solid connection. For these, I prefer to use only the inner plug with the 2 set screws, then I used a small piece of heat-shrink over it rather than those bulky stock screw-on covers. Added advantage is that I can seal out moisture like that too.

So, I really think the ones mark recs are the best out there. The others are good too, but not quite up to the same level as marks. If you don't mind a little DIY though, then you really can't go wrong either way.

 

[j_garcia]

So, I finally broke down and bought a set of the Sewells that markw says are so great. I have not used them yet, so I can't comment on how they fit with my other gear, but hopefully they will work fine. Assuming that there are no problems there, I think I must agree and these will most likely be my new go-to rec on which BPs to buy! They are definitely high quality, especially at the price of about $1 a pop ($2 a pair) or so on Amazon. The thing that I like about them the most: They have an O-ring to help seal out moisture in the atmosphere that can eventually corrode the connection! That is a fine little detail on a cheaply priced plug! I'm sold! (compare these to the Monster brand that are pretty much the same for $4 a pop!).

To be fair, I also have a set of the plugs mentioned by j_garcia. However, mine are the Sewell Silverbacks (not the Nakamichi). I had the same concerns mentioned by others, but it seems it is a non-concern as we discussed here. However, I don't care for the bulky end-piece that screws onto these. Buuuttt: The double-set-screws on each plug makes for a rock-solid connection. For these, I prefer to use only the inner plug with the 2 set screws, then I used a small piece of heat-shrink over it rather than those bulky stock screw-on covers. Added advantage is that I can seal out moisture like that too.

So, I really think the ones mark recs are the best out there. The others are good too, but not quite up to the same level as marks. If you don't mind a little DIY though, then you really can't go wrong either way.

When I first started using the Nu Konceptz plugs, which are essentially the same as the Naks, I just used shrink wrap over them too, but they would slide off a bit if I pulled on them so I went back to the sleeves. You are pretty much not going to keep moisture out of these no matter what you do IMO, but in the few years I've been using them, I've had zero issues.

The huge barrel is what I don't like on the Sewell/Monster ones, but the advantage of that is it does a decent job of keeping the wires separated. The o-ring is there to keep them from unscrewing IMO, which the Monsters would do if you didn't use them The sleeves on the Naks can somewhat loosen also, but not like they are going to come off.

 

[slipperybidness]

When I first started using the Nu Konceptz plugs, which are essentially the same as the Naks, I just used shrink wrap over them too, but they would slide off a bit if I pulled on them so I went back to the sleeves. You are pretty much not going to keep moisture out of these no matter what you do IMO, but in the few years I've been using them, I've had zero issues.

I'm probably gonna start slowly swapping to the Sewells now (ones from markw).

Like I say, both are good, I just prefer the Sewells now that I have had the chance to inspect them side by side.

Edit: I think if it is a plug and forget, then the Silverbacks are great. If it's a plug/unplug, then I think the other Sewells are better suited.

 

[j_garcia]

I'm probably gonna start slowly swapping to the Sewells now (ones from markw).

Like I say, both are good, I just prefer the Sewells now that I have had the chance to inspect them side by side.

Edit: I think if it is a plug and forget, then the Silverbacks are great. If it's a plug/unplug, then I think the other Sewells are better suited.

They all do the same thing, so whichever one you like the functionality of is the one to go with With my A/V-2s, the ones that fit the best in their slightly larger sized binding posts were the BFA style, so that's why I used them.

 

[slipperybidness]

Just to throw another option into the mix
1 PAIR OF High-Quality Copper Speaker Banana Plugs - Open Screw Type: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

I'm not sure if these are similar to the monoprice ones mentioned? I am sure that these can be found at a better price though!

I like these too, but not quite as much as the Sewells. The nicest thing about these is that the back of the set screw can actually accept another banana plug, so you can chain them together as needed. Most of the AH'ers would never want or need that, but as an electronics hobbyist, it can come in handy.