Terminal ends are for convenience, they are pretty and they cost money.
Now, the reason I use them, to fine tune the sound. It's as simple as that.
Copper, Red copper, Copper with silver clad or pure silver, nothing else.
Y spades, bullet banana with a knife edge expanding clip or expanding saw tooth bullets. Teflon tape in leu of shrink tube..
BIG Nugget, teflon tape sounds better than shrink tube by a mile. THIN is the key..
Regards