Spades vs. Banana plugs ??


What's your preference and why?

Spades or banana plugs?

mabonn

Locking low mass banana plugs for me.   Locking is important as it improves the connection and makes them less likely to get pulled out.  I use the WBT-0610Cu bananas.   I understand their newer version is better, but I’ve not tried them.

devinplombier posted 

"- What happened to old-fashioned ring connectors and nut-and-bolt posts? They provide superior clamping force, and ring connectors aren't slipping off or pulling out ever. Seems they would make sense when cable gauge, stiffness, and weight are on the rise."

Curious if folks using the bare wire method ever loop bare wire and twist itself into a loop similar to a hangman's knot.  Then tin it.  Seems like the wire would never fray and no worries about a loose strand shorting out.  Also the complete ring would give contact all the way around the post.  Never done it, but this post got me to thinkin'.  -John

 

Well made tight fitting BFA bananas are the way to go for me. They make very good contact, don’t come loose like spades can, and are just easier. 

Most of my connections are spades but my little Cyrus Amp will only accept BFA... it's the only thing I don't like about it

Based on the discussion here, more seem to prefer banana connectors than spades. 

I find that interesting in that banana connectors are almost always made from a much less conductive metal than copper due to the inherent lower stiffness of copper yet, in this case of connectors, a group of audiophiles (known for believing something as small as a power line fuse makes a large sonic difference) choose utility over conductivity.  Not judging at all, but I do find it interesting.