PinoyDVD: The Pinoy Digital Video & Devices Community
Home Theater => General => Interconnects => Topic started by: stereophile on Nov 26, 2002 at 04:56 AM
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Hello! I'm a new member of PinoyDVD. Does anyone know where I can get spade lugs for speakerwire termination? Banana plugs are usually available. I read somewhere that spade lugs offer the best contact. I've been looking at some hardware stores, electrical supplies including Radioshack. Most have small spade lugs (aluminum like in material) which have to be crimped. Are there brass or goldplated ones locally available for a reasonable price? I ask because these can be soldered. Will crimping offer the same conductance as soldering the termination? Please help me out. Thanks. :)
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Banana plugs are usually available. I read somewhere that spade lugs offer the best contact.
Actually, I think bare wire termination is best. I know someone who had brightness issues with his speakers. Changed tubes, tried wires, moved placement, etc. In the end, the solution was he took out the wire terminations on his speaker cables.
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stereophile, you can buy spade lugs at radio shack. depending on your speaker wire, and all the components in your system, bare wire or spade terminated is something you have to hear for yourself.
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Sorry, Russell but I disagree. I think spade connectors are still the best. Also, crimping is actually better than than soldering. Soldering is good if you can use lead-free silver solder.
I'm not very good with technical explanations so I did a quick search. I think it's best if we hear directly from the experts. Below is a link from Audio Asylum:
http://db.AudioAsylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=cables&n=58079 (http://db.AudioAsylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=cables&n=58079)
Have a look at the reply of Jon Risch. He is well respected in the audiophile world. I'm sure with a bit more research we'll see a general consensus that spades are best.
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Thanks for your inputs guys. I'll check out Radioshack again. Hopefully they'll have the right size spade lugs I need. Will try first connecting the speaker wires bare , then with spades and see which offers the best sonics. I guess in the end its what sounds best to my ears. :)
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I agree that bare wire makes a lot of difference than using banana plugs or spade. I agree also with rtsy that it adds brightness in sound. I am using a Yamaha RXV800, Musical Fidelity X-10D and X-PSU, with Mission M74 with IXOS Gamma Geometry 6006. With bare wire, the sound obviously becomes warmer. In fact, I am disposing my used 3 pairs of banana plugs and 4 pairs of spade lugs because i believe in bare wire.
BUT STILL, let your ears decide for it. Reviews of specific AV equipment and accessories are meant to be just reference and not as the sole parameter in deciding. It is still your taste that shall prevail afterall.
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hi guys,
so far, i'm still doing a lot of experimenting with my speaker placements that's why i'm still using banana plugs. eventually, however, i'm bound to settle for a more permanent setup so deciding between bare wire and spades will soon be an issue for me too (at least for my front and center speakers)
have a few question about spade connections:
are the crimping tools fairly standard? do they come in sets? what are some of the reasonably priced brands? will they fit with most types of binding posts?
thanks!
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put em' bare, screw em' tight. :) may loss pa rin kahit gold spades gamitin, also the way it was crimped will make a big difference. if its machine crimped baka pa.
in network cables for example, you can't use hand crimped cables, its mandatory to use machine crimped cables para maiwasan downtime.
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Earlier, I asked which was better, crimping versus soldered connections for the spade lugs. Personally, I would lean more to silver soldered as superior--if you can get hold of silver solder. I couldn't find any locally. They just sell the standard 60/40(?) solder. If not crimped tightly, like by machine, then I expect some loss of conductance.
I'd like to mention that there is another way of attaching the spade lug. A month or so ago, I saw at Audio Visual in EDSA Shang some imported, robust, gold-plated spade lugs which have set screws built in. Simply slip in the bare wire, tighten the set screw and your done. Neat and classy. So was the price when I asked how much the pair was. I don't remember anymore, but I just had to admire them from a distance. That was why I started the thread in the first place, to find a cheaper solution, yet maximize the conductance of the speaker wire.
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bump
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Bare wire rules! :)
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Bare wire rules! :)
yup! ;D
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took you 4 years to agree..hehehe
yup! ;D
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took you 4 years to agree..hehehe
started with barewires but got used to banana plugsnplay now back to basics trying to squeeze to the last drop every minute improvement i can with my entry level setup ;D (& tnx to a fellow member whose experience with bare wire prodded me to give it another try.)
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better conductivity pa rin pag bare wires - basta maganda yung clip ng amp ha.... :D
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better conductivity pa rin pag bare wires - basta maganda yung clip ng amp ha.... :D
Agree, bare wires pa rin ang da best, the materials & the bonding quality use for termination have effects on the sound especially with speaker wires. However, using known termination such as Cardas, WBT etc. can almost match the quality of bare wire but with convenience, elegance & class ;D Of course it will preserve the exposed speaker wires from damage due to stress from our speakars & amplifier terminals during connection.
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bump !
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Where can you buy audiophile quality spades?
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Try the mcs stores
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sir saan ang MCS store? any particular addy?
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Sir sa Makati Cinema Square, punta sa ka basement maraming audio shop doon :)
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;D...ahhhhh Makati Cinema Sq pala...MCS...huh, mahina talaga ilong ko. :-[
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Huling punta ko dun yung spades nila eh puro mga crimp and solder type. Wala sila nung mga de-screw. :(
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(http://www.xloelectric.com/products/LGS/1.jpg)
Available at Audioworld, P150/pc. call them at 7426843
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They have Furutech cables where you can order this
(http://furutech.com/items/FP-201(R)%20B1.jpg)
(http://furutech.com/items/FP-201(G)%20B1.jpg)
(http://furutech.com/items/FP-218(G).jpg)