Banana plugs, solder tinning or both

[ZPITA]

I recently rewired the speakers on my home theater system, doing away with an overpriced set of designer cables for the front speakers and replacing them with traditional copper speaker wire. At the time I read somewhere that it was a good idea to tin the wire for connection, which is what I did.

I am now thinking about the convienienience of banana plugs but am concerned with the connection many of them make to the wire, a set screw into a braided wire does not seem very secure to me and wondering if the tinned wire isn't better.

So the questions are, does tinning the wire and connecting it directly with the screw down terminal make a better connection then a banana plug, and do I loose something by using a banana plug with the already tinned wire?

 

[j_garcia]

I've never soldered my banana plugs and never had an issue. Your concern about the wire contact to the connector is unnecessary in this application. If you DO want to solder them, solder type bananas are available. Tinning keeps the wires from fraying, but other than that, offers no real benefit within a connector (and no downside either) other than the fact that if you are going to tin them, you don't really need connectors IMO. Connectors are no better or worse than bare wire. While there is some loss I'm sure, I'm going to say it will be nearly impossible to tell the difference.

Your wires are already tinned, so that means you don't have additional work to do it, though I still find Bananas far more convenient than having to screw/unscrew all of the binding posts on the speakers and receiver/amp and makes for a cleaner install in most cases.

 

[Swerd]

So the questions are, does tinning the wire and connecting it directly with the screw down terminal make a better connection then a banana plug, and do I loose something by using a banana plug with the already tinned wire?

Copper is soft, and deformable. If you tighten the binding posts (that most speakers have) directly on the copper, you will have a good connection. Tinned copper wire is harder and less deformable.

It is a good idea to tin the end of the wire so no frayed copper strands can create unwanted short circuits. Try to tin the very end of the wire, and allow the tinned part to protrude just beyond the binding post, so untinned copper is compressed by the post.

I like using these kind of banana plugs:

Amazon.com : Deadbolt Banana Plugs, 12-pair, By Sewell Direct : Electronics Cable Connectors : Electronics

The springs on the banana post last longer, and the method of attaching them to copper wire is easy and reliable - no set screws.

 

[jbltmp]

Great suggestion by Swerd, and thanks for the link to the Sewell Direct site. Monster sells the same type of connector but, of course, at a much higher prices...$19.95 for four, occasionally $14.95 for four on sale on-line from Best Buy. So assuming they are the same quality, the Sewell Direct connectors are an excellent value.

Monster also makes these same type of connectors, but with a flexible mesh lead for amps that do not accept banana plugs. I've gotten these on ebay for $15/pair. They work very well.

New Monster Cable QL GFP H RS Quicklock Gold Flex Pin Connectors | eBay

 

[ImcLoud]

I use sewell connectors and have used the monsters in the past, they are the same thing. Amazon sent me 3 packs of 24 of the sewells by accident so I have tons of them, lol {may be my fault, but I have them now, so not worth sending back}... they work awesome...