Spades vs. Banana plugs ??

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. 

It's not fair to generalize.  Not all banana plugs are made the same way.  Audioquest banana plugs, particularly in the 500 and 1000 series, are made from high grade copper with a heavy silver plating.  They are made in the identical fashion as the 500 and 1000 series spade connectors.  They are strong and very conductive.  Of course, these two series cost more than lesser quality connectors.  But you get what you pay for.  I assume that other high-quality brands, such as Cardas and Furutech, will have the same approach.