<font color='#000000'>While banana plugs make is easier to connect speaker wire, spade connectors are not particularly easier compared with just the bare wire into the speaker posts. Some of the logic I've heard is that the bare wire can oxidize with time degrading the sound. However, as the DYI Speaker wire page here shows, many of the connectors in use are of the solderless type, thus, one has only replaced the bare wire to speaker connection with a bare wire to connector connection, still prone to all the same problems.
If one considers their speakers to be more or less permanent installations, that is, I would make up the connection once and then leave it alone, probably for years, is there any advantage to using a connector such as a spade or banana plug?
If I was willing to solder, would there now be an advantage in using soldered on connectors?
I've been looking around, and it might be that gold plating the bare wire ends isn't that expensive or difficult. Might this be worth looking into if oxidation is an issue?</font>
