Speaker cable terminations: solder vs. crimp vs. screw vs. bare wire?

D

dlavall

Enthusiast
Has anybody ever actually tested the difference between these methods of connecting speaker terminal plugs to speaker cables? I am leaning towards a combination of crimp or screw AND solder, but am unclear whether that is really the best way, or if any of these methods make a discernible difference at all.

I have come across a variety of opinions when perusing some old threads here, and while some make sense, some others don't. I found this one interesting:
personaly i dont solder,i like the idea of having copper on copper,silver on silver.rather then having it sitting in a pool of tin thats not very connductive
I don't agree with the logic here because I can't see how the higher resistance of tin can really have an impact the overall resistance of that connection. Resistance becomes a function of both: the length of the conductor and its cross-sectional area. I think that, in a solder joint, the effective length is minimal (compared to the length of the wire itself). It also makes sense to me that we could talk about an effective cross-sectional area of the surface contact between the copper in the wire and the terminal plug/spade. I think the effective area would be maximized in a soldered connection, but with a slight increase to the effective length of the connection. Granted, it's a tall order to model the effective length and cross-section of a connection be they soldered or crimped; however, maybe we could just optimize BOTH by crimping AND soldering?

I realize this is all engineering minutia, but does anybody know if there any reports or tests on this published somewhere, or does anybody have any experience in comparing these methods?

-Dave
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
The main reason I would tin my speaker cable is to prevent stray wires from coming out and possibly shorting the connection. That can be prevented by care when making connections. Beyond that most everybody seems to agree that using spades or banana plugs is more about convenience/neatness. I like Bananas myself. Others prefer bare wire. *shrugs

All else being equal, I would opt for the easiest path to a secure connection, and soldering adds extra time and is mostly unnecessary IMO. A banana plug with good opposing dual set screws holds cable of appropriate size quite well. That's just me, though. ;)
 
William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
I like bare copper because it provides a better “crush” , and contact, and won’t allow screws to back off.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
I think most would say bare wire is probably technically the "best" connection, but whether it would even be measureable is up for debate. I'm pretty sure it won't be anything you could hear. I use banana plugs myself for convenience. Lately I've been listening to different speakers on my setup and the bananas make it a snap to go from one to the next.
 
Truthslayer

Truthslayer

Full Audioholic
I like bare copper because it provides a better “crush” , and contact, and won’t allow screws to back off.
Agreed, cant see any reason other than cosmetic or constantly connecting and disconnecting speakers or amps. Spades or banana plugs just add another link in the chain. Can't see how that would be beneficial in any way. Do the spades or plugs hurt the equation, probably not to where you could or would notice a difference in sound. I still prefer the bare wire method, that's just my personal preference.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I wouldn't worry about it one way or the other, use the connections you find best for your purposes. Personally I like bananas on the back of a crowded avr for both ease of use as well as I tend to change things in/out somewhat regularly. I really prefer speakon connections, tho, use those on my diy speakers/subs.
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
I'm in the camp of "use whatever is most convenient for your needs and gets the job done". Beyond that, it is a moot point when we are talking audio applications.

Personally, I tend to end up using either bare wire for "permanent" installs or when space behind my gear is limited, or banana plugs when that makes more sense or is more convenient.

Now, for a bit of technical info / education items, but keep in mind that these items are almost certainly not a concern for the audio signals and the audio frequencies!

1) The BEST way to terminate a wire is with ultrasonic welding. The only company that I know of that does this is BJC.

2) A solder joint and heat shrink would be the next best approach. Assuming that you make a good joint and no cold solder connections!

3) Now, it should be understood that any time 2 different metals are in contact with each other, a potential difference (i.e. voltage) is created. It's just the way the world works, and it is the basis of a thermocouple device.

From Wiki:
A thermocouple is an electrical device consisting of two dissimilar electrical conductors forming electrical junctions at differing temperatures. A thermocouple produces a temperature-dependent voltage as a result of the thermoelectric effect, and this voltage can be interpreted to measure temperature. Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor.[1
 
Shanman

Shanman

Audioholic
Locking 'nanas on speakers and AVR. If AVR depth is a concern, I go bare wire on back for space. That being said, I do not prefer the bare wire on the back of the AVR because the 5 way posts are usually tightly stacked with the odd angle approach to insert the wire. Too easy to end up with stray wires touching other posts.
 
WaynePflughaupt

WaynePflughaupt

Audioholic Samurai
If you’re using 12-ga. or larger speaker cable, soldering is probably not even a viable option. By the time you get the wire and connector heated enough to make the solder flow, the insulation on the speaker wire will be melting.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 

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