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Your thoughts please

I have a 10 year old Acurus a250 amp...great amp...with plastic screw-down caps on the speaker connection posts. An audio salesman told me not to get spades because the connection would not be good.....is this true? The banana "hole" in the plastic cap doesn't accept the full length of my bananas so I had to get a step down plug....is this not a desireable way to connect cables to the amp? Should I just go with bare wire? Am I making too much of this? Thanks.
rbfletch
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
You don't need neither spades or bananas. Them only for convenience. For performance use naked wire.
musicallyinclined
62 posts
 
@ Maraknetz: I have often wondered about this: "For performance use naked wire". In other words, the bananas or spades are simply for ease of use? I thought the ends made for a better contact but perhaps you are right.
You have to be careful though, when you say "You don't need neither" it is a double-negative which technically means you are saying that you need both! You don't need EITHER is what you meant to say! (I'm not the grammar police but I thought I should point that out!)
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 

Simple math:

Wires connect to Spades or Bananas either crimped or soldered and than last connect to binding posts.

If no spades or bananas Wires connect to binding posts Directly with no additional crimping or soldering.

... Could argue with anything, but math that is always true and have to agree that double-negative is actually positive(ONLY if multiplied and NOT subtracted).
jtcf's avatar
jtcf
1,620 posts
 
Bare wire treated with a little ProGold to prevent corosion is best IMO.I have found that plastic screw downs do not stay screwed down on spades,they must constantly be re tightened.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I had plastic screw-downs on my Sunfire SRA, but figured that base under them is metal and they're simply for color purposes. I removed them leaving only the metal caps which I colored with permanent marker and if I ever need to tighten stronger than hand-tight, I can use pliers or small vise-grip.
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