Monsters at half price

[Irvrobinson]

For those who like spade connectors, these are pretty cool. Properly installed they create a reasonably tight connection. Not quite as tight as a crimp or a solder connection, but reusable, and by design creates a lot of conducting area between the wire and the spade (which is what I like about them). They are a substantial piece of metal, and have heft to them. Monster sells them at a monster price, but the identical connector is available at Home Depot for $5/pair. Perhaps too expensive for you Monoprice fans, but these are nicer, IMHO.

The Monster version at Crutchfield:

Monster QuickLock™ Self-Crimping Angled Spade Connectors 2 pairs at Crutchfield.com

The GE version at Home Depot (which I found in my local store):

Flat Speaker Pins (2-Pack)-22797 at The Home Depot

 

[ratso]

thanx for looking out for us irv, but i will never give that damn company one penny of my money no matter what they charge.

 

[Irvrobinson]

thanx for looking out for us irv, but i will never give that damn company one penny of my money no matter what they charge.

You're missing the point entirely. Monster doesn't make them. They're made in China by who-knows-who and Monster simply markets them. I found a source for the exact same product (but happily without the Monster label) at half price. And they're not bad spades. Now do you get it?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I see OP's point, but why not banana plugs? Or these for this matter?
Opentip.com: CableWholesale Speaker Wire Spade Contacts, Black and Red 2-piece Set, MPN: ACFR-0537

 

[Irvrobinson]

I've seen those. Won't handle 10 AWG cables. Bananas won't work with Revel Salon 2s, at least if you want to close the access door.

 

[j_garcia]

Even the ones with the serrated flats tend to fall out over time. I HIGHLY recommend NOT using spades Marantz uses binding posts that do not accept spades lugs.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Even the ones with the serrated flats tend to fall out over time. I HIGHLY recommend NOT using spades Marantz uses binding posts that do not accept spades lugs.

Odd. I've used spades for about 40 years, and I've never had one "fall out". Some equipment will not take banana plugs at all, like my old Levinson amps, and as I mentioned they're inconvenient with my current speakers. Of course, I haven't owned Marantz equipment since they stopped putting 'scopes in their tuners.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I've seen those. Won't handle 10 AWG cables. Bananas won't work with Revel Salon 2s, at least if you want to close the access door.

I know exactly what you mean.

But I'm actually using the Cables To Go Velocity terminated cables with bananas, and those Salon2 back doors are closed.

Amazon.com: Cables to Go 29176 Velocity 12 AWG Speaker Cable, Blue (10 Feet/3.04 Meters): Electronics

 

[j_garcia]

Odd. I've used spades for about 40 years, and I've never had one "fall out". Some equipment will not take banana plugs at all, like my old Levinson amps, and as I mentioned they're inconvenient with my current speakers. Of course, I haven't owned Marantz equipment since they stopped putting 'scopes in their tuners.

I've used them in car stereo for years, but that's a different situation. For speakers, I had them come loose a few times in less than 40 years and that was enough for me not to use them again. I have a few pairs left laying around right now because my current speakers have odd binding posts, but I still don't use them. Really doesn't matter which type of connector one uses, they all do the same thing.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I know exactly what you mean.

But I'm actually using the Cables To Go Velocity terminated cables with bananas, and those Salon2 back doors are closed.

Amazon.com: Cables to Go 29176 Velocity 12 AWG Speaker Cable, Blue (10 Feet/3.04 Meters): Electronics

Non-locking bananas? I'd rather have spades. Perhaps it's just my jewelry-store WBTs that don't fit.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Really doesn't matter which type of connector one uses, they all do the same thing.

That's quite an assertion. Again, odd that I've never even once experienced such a certainty.

 

[Bruins44]

I just put speaker cables together using banana for the receiver (NAD T747) end and spades for the speakers (NHT Classic 3's). I chose spades from GLS Audio because the binding posts on the NHT's are oriented upward. Using the banana clips causes the speaker wire to stick out way too far in the back. The spades work well and give the speakers a cleaner finish.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Non-locking bananas? I'd rather have spades. Perhaps it's just my jewelry-store WBTs that don't fit.

Yeah, I prefer the locking bananas from BJC, but I'm getting kind of lazy.

These Velocity non-locking are quite strong, unlike the real cheap ones from Monoprice, though.

 

[j_garcia]

That's quite an assertion. Again, odd that I've never even once experienced such a certainty.

I sure would like to see some data that one type of connector somehow influences the sound vs another or that a $100 WBT does anything different SOUND wise than a $2 banana.

I use locking plugs on my receiver side. BFAs on the speaker side because the locking ones don't work in the binding posts my speakers use.

 

[Alex2507]

That's quite an assertion. Again, odd that I've never even once experienced such a certainty.

I think you're misunderstanding his assertion. I think John is saying that all varieties of connectors adequately deliver an amplified audio signal. Then again I might be wrong on both counts. It's happened to me before.

 

[j_garcia]

I think you're misunderstanding his assertion. I think John is saying that all varieties of connectors adequately deliver an amplified audio signal. Then again I might be wrong on both counts. It's happened to me before.

Yes, that is what I am saying. Regardless of how the connector physically attaches to the speaker and to the wire, the signal gets through and I haven't seen anything to suggest where one type yielded an improvement or degradation audio wise compared to another.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I sure would like to see some data that one type of connector somehow influences the sound vs another or that a $100 WBT does anything different SOUND wise than a $2 banana.

1. The WBTs do not sound different at all. I never said they did. They hold tight, and I like the crimping sleeve strategy.

2. I didn't pay $100 for the WBTs. I bought them when the Euro = ~$0.80, there was a big sale, and I think I got them for about $75 for eight of them including a bag of sleeves. They look cool and they feel cool. Other than that, they perform about the same as bare wire, a Radio Shack spade, or a Monoprice banana. They just work better, lock, and work like new no matter how many times I reuse them.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I think you're misunderstanding his assertion. I think John is saying that all varieties of connectors adequately deliver an amplified audio signal. Then again I might be wrong on both counts. It's happened to me before.

No, he said spades fall off eventually, and I said not to me in over 40 years. Everything sounds the same. When did that become an issue? I started this thread over $5/pair spares at the Home Depot? How did any of what I've said get twisted into any termination sounds better? Because I admitted I have some WBT banana plugs?

 

[jinjuku]

With you there Irv. Your comment wasn't about SQ. It was about mechanical retention.

 

[jinjuku]

Yes, that is what I am saying. Regardless of how the connector physically attaches to the speaker and to the wire, the signal gets through and I haven't seen anything to suggest where one type yielded an improvement or degradation audio wise compared to another.

He didn't say anything about SQ. Just that he hasn't had spades fail on him in a mechanical manner.