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How much difference could a simple Banana plug make?

Well - I've tried several different types of Banana connector over the past 8-10 years and although there were subtle improvements from one plug to another, there was never any "remarkable" improvements.

That was - until yesterday !

My - how things changed :-)

If you search the forums, you'll find several posts and reviews by me touting the benefits attained by using products from KLE Innovations. I like them a lot and consider them among the best products in the market.

The  KLEI™Classic Harmony Banana Connector/Adaptor is not just "another Banana Plug"

https://kleinnovations.com/kle-innovations-klei-products/klei-harmony-banana/klei-classic-harmony-ba...

To start with, it is designed to be multi functional - you can use it as...
- A single Banana Connector
- A stack-able Bananas Connector - e.g. it allows you to easily attach jumpers  when connecting a single cable to a bi-wired speaker 
- A Banana Adapter - e.g. as a temporary connection of bi-wired cables to a single wire speaker i.e. without leaving one set not connected.

There may also be other uses that I am yet to discover.

What makes these plug so special
1. they boast an impressive IACS conductivity rating >101%  - that's impressive for a copper product
2. they are engineered to allow another banana plug to be inserted into the insulated housing
3. they have perfectly round spring pins - most spring pins are not completely round
4. they fit into all of the banana terminals I have tried with an unforced "snugness" that grips the speaker and amp terminals securely.
5. they are dead simple to connect using solder
6. removal is also very easy if you want to try them on a different cables

KLE Innovators state they can be crimped, but that's not something I would personally try - perhaps that have a special crimping tool?

So how did this unassuming looking little banana improve sound quality ?...
1. the most noticeable improvement was the width and depth of the image - much bigger than my room
2. overall clarity was front and center and added some nice "sparkle" in the high end
3. instrument placement and isolation within the image was improved
4. The dynamics were noticeably faster.
5. additional texture in bass lines were very nicely reproduced

I think the best genre of music that shows off the full capability of these bananas is classical - even my worst recording sounded very spacious and allowed be to discern the distinct boundaries of first/second viollins, violas, cellos and double bass sections within the orchestra and the added depth placed brass, woodwind and percussion in equally isolated spaces front to back within the image

"Is This Love", by Bob Marley was cavernous and sounded like it was being performed in a stadium!

These connectors also excel in allowing micro details such as subtle venue reverberations and reflections to be more noticeable than with any other banana connector I have used in the past.

If the speaker cables in your system utilizes a more standard Banana plug -  I'd highly recommend replacing them with the KLEI Bananas.

Cost is $135 Aussie Dollars (about $100 US)

What did I use before these?

The most recent was a spring connector from ebay like this
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/4x-Acoustic-Copper-Silver-Plated-APS5-Speaker-Cable-Banana-Plug-Connector/30...

Other "named" products included Spring Banana plugs from Neotech and a pure copper connector from Furez - none of which performed to the level of this plug

There are not many products that improve sound this much for $100 - go on - give em a try!

Back to the tunes :-)

Steve
williewonka
williewonka OP
3,082 posts
 
OK - so I have had the opportunity to try these connectors more as an "adapter".

Yep - I simply inserted the bananas into the binding post of both amp and speakers and then inserted the existing bananas installed on my cables into the KLE bananas.

Here are the bananas currently on my cables.
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/8Pc-Copper-Silver-Plated-APS-5-Speaker-Cable-Wire-Banana-Plug-Connector/3023...

RESULTS: there were discernable improvements in...
- larger image with more precise locations of artists throughout image
- more clarity
- fuller more complete sound
- better reprodction upper registers of violin, woodwind and percussion (namely cymbals).

Are they worth it ($100US for 8) for using simply as an "interface" between amp and speaker cables?
- that’s subjective and your call :-)

However - you can use them, WITHOUT degrading sound quality, for...
- connecting bi-wire cables too non bi-wired amps and speakers
- creating bi-wire jumpers

I performed this audition n my A/V system...
- Bluesound Powernode 2
- Tannoy Mercury Fusion 4 speakers

A solid performing system but not what most people would consider "hi-end".
- However it is "tricked-out" with some excellent power and speaker cables , which improve performance considerably :-)

Would there be more significant improvements on a higher end system?
- I would have to believe there would - but listener ears might play a factor :-)

NOTE: - it takes around 125 hours for burn-in

Regards - Steve
jb0194
476 posts
 
I had to re-terminate the amp sides of my loudspeaker cables with banana connectors  for Naim gear that has only this connector type. VH Audio had Furutech CF-202R on sale (still expensive at just over $300 a set of 4), so I got them. Very easy to install, and they connect solidly to the amp outputs. No complaints with these.
yping
351 posts
 
williewonka, have you tried the Furutech CF-202R.  on sale for 8 of them, they are 6 times the price of the KLE.  wonder how good they are. 
williewonka OP
3,082 posts
 
@yping - no I have not.

But from my own llistening observations - I would find it hard to believe they provide anywhere close to 6 times ther perofrmance of  the KLEI Banana

But they do "look the part"

The trouble is, as Keith Louie Eichman has explained to me a couple of time - all that fancy plating heavy duty look and carbon fibre finish actually detracts from the actual perofrmance.

Unfortunately - Audiophilia can sometimes be all about the "wrong thing" :-)

Thanks for the heads up though :-)
yping
351 posts
 
williewonka, I have found them to be great used as you have used them, as an adapter.  It is great that they work sensationally well when used this way.  I have used them inserted onto MC bananas.  The sonic improvement is quite noticeable, even dramatic.  How about that.
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