Are there any issues with connecting speaker wire in this manner?


I'm considering purchasing some 14 awg solid core wire to use as speaker cable.  I will be doubling this up to make 11 awg speaker cable. My amplifiers, Red Dragon S-500, have binding posts which DO NOT have a hole drilled in the center of the shaft for inserting wire (they are hollowed out for banana plugs but that's not what I am referring to here nor do I need).  I'll be connecting the speaker wire without attachments, no spades, bananas, nor pins.  To get a good connection, it would be ideal if I could take the wire and, at the half way point, wrap it around the amplifier binding post, then run the two ends out to the speakers.  Will this work or will connecting the wire in this manner be problematic?  Do I need to cut the wire into 2 runs?  Thanks!

lcherepkai

I’m sorry but is this some kind of a joke?  Using solid wire for speaker connections?   You’re kidding right?  Why on god green earth would anyone run solid conductors for cables that transmit frequencies?   The more strands in a cable the better to counter act skin effects.  If you’re serious, don’t even consider it.  Run good standing pure copper zip cord.  

make the loop fit tightly on the screw and orient it so that tightening the screw pulls the wire in rather than pushes it out.  if done correctly, this is an excellent connection.  

This is what I do with the 12-gauge single-conductor speaker wire I have running to my Maggies from my amp.  I have gotten in the habit or periodically reaching behind the amp to check the connection tightness.  Every few months there is a tiny, tiny bit of tightening that can be done.  I don't believe I ever come close to losing signal.  An occasional spray of CRC QD electronic cleaning spray doesn't hurt, either.  My listening room opens to the kitchen on one long side - and we cook.  A lot.  You'd be amazed at what a little electrical douching will do for SQ in such an environment.

@lcherepkai

Unless you’re willing to modify the chassis, run raw speaker cable internally, and direct solder to the exit points of the output stages, you’re going to be dealing some compromise in SQ. Each termination point introduces an additional "relay," contact point, inferior material, etc. into the signal path. But, us "consumers" want the convenience and flexibility of connecting things "easily."

While there is nothing "wrong" about connecting raw cable to speaker terminals, it’s not very convenient to do so, but certainly more convenient that direct soldering internally. And, depending on the number of predicted connect/disconnect events you see in your future, a direct connection (to the speaker terminals) may, in fact, be the most efficient connection method. The time spent terminating a cable so that it will be convenient to disconnect/reconnect later may be more time (and money) consuming than just connecting the cables directly IF you don’t foresee the need to move the cables for any reason.

 

@ktarver

"Why on god green earth would anyone run solid conductors for cables that transmit frequencies?"

It’s been know for some time that "skin effect" becomes a non-factor at a given cable diameter. Well-designed "solid core" cables can pass signals greater than 20kHz. In theory, ALL cables are "solid core". Some are just smaller than others. Even most miniscule cables have "solid cores." The differentiator is that "stranded" cables have muliple smaller cables grouped together to form a single larger gauge cable, and "solid core" cables have conductors that are individually insulated, thus not "talking to each other" until the sound arrives at the other end.

We can debate the pros and cons of the sonic attributes of "stranded" vs "solid core" (and, have for decades). The "skin effect" factor of well-designed cables is not one of them.

I've yet to see anyone run the numbers on skin effect on speaker cables and show a significant difference in audio frequencies.