2. speakers
  3. 174734-87782

Why terminate speaker wire?

I'm apparently missing the point so can some knowledgeable person please explain why speaker wire termination is used?

It seems bare wire directly connected to the speaker / amp inputs / outputs would provide better current transfer than inserting two /  four  connections (one on each end) into the stream..  If the wire is to large to go into the connector or the speaker wire is being changed out all the time I could see it  and if bare wire is too hard to use couldn't just tinning the ends with silver solder be the best connection?

 

128x128danager
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 

Tinned wire cold welded to a low mass spade = gas tight.

danager's avatar
danager OP
948 posts
 

so it's an oxidation issue?

 

ditusa's avatar
ditusa
1,883 posts
 

I run bare wire at the speaker ends and amp ends, it sounds best that way.

 

Mike

fiesta75
1,378 posts
 

No oxidation would not be an issue in my opinion because silver oxide is a very good conductor. I think your initial thoughts are on track.

dekay's avatar
dekay
5,563 posts
 

I've used bare wire ends with 47 Labs OTA 26 gauge solid core copper (used a speaker cable) for almost 20 years now without any problems.

In the early stages I would strip/replentish the ends every year, or so, but as I noticed no oxidation when doing so I abandoned the procedure.

This was on the amp end as I generally soldered the cables directly to my various single driver speakers.

The few  times I tried soldered or screw type connectors the SQ went South.

However this would most likely be dependent on the cable/connectors used as well as the system itself.

My rational is that reducing large metal masses in the signal path is a good thing and with this thought in mind my 47 Labs RCA connectors contain zero metal aside from the copper cable used in the interconnects.

DeKay

 

 

 

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