Noob jumper questions...

I'm trying to hook up new speaker cables to my (biwirable) B&Ws. I am not biwiring them.

The spade is so thick that the only way to attach it is to remove the stock B&W jumper plate. I'd use the bananas that the cables came with, but they make the heavy cables stick straight out the speakers' back side, meaning the speakers would need to be moved out a few more inches to accomodate them, making me nervous that someone would bump into them. I'd also be concerned about stress on the cables and the posts.

I've read that stock jumper plates are junk, but I seriously doubt I'd notice a huge difference if i replaced them. My system (will be) comprised entirely of an Arcam Solo (CD) and an iPod. I don't even have many CDs, so the main source will be the iPod, stocked with songs with a wide variety of bitrates. Not exactly audiophile quality stuff.

So, a couple of questions...

1. Is it absolutely neccessary to use a jumper if not biwiring?

2. If I must use a jumper, can I just cut a bit of my old (relatively heavy) Monster wire and thread it through the holes like a normal bare-wire connection?

3. If I do use the old Monster wire, would this be considered a sonic upgrade to the gold plated brass plate?

Thanks!