First, the cable terminations are fine, with/without plugs.
As to no sound...
First thing I would do is double check (again) all wiring is correct and that you have the AVR set up correctly with speakers turned on in the set up menu. If that does not work, I would triple check all wiring including confirming all screws in the plugs are fully tightened, then I would reset the AVR. Simple reset first, unplug it for 10 seconds with any other connection also removed, then reconnect and try again.
That part is simple first tier troubleshooting.