In reply to:
you could just use bare speaker wire, but it is not recommended..
Umm.. I recommend it. Only reasons I can see using any sort of connector is for ease of changing them out (but I'm assuming your HT isn't going to come with you when you go visiting) or in a case where, due to big meaty flanges (guys with meathooks for hands, like me - fine motor skills are not my forte) it might be hard to work in the confined spaces of the back panel of your receiver.
It amazes me how somehow terminated speaker wire is considered "normal" with the extra solder or screw-down connection at each end, but no one would ever
think of running two shorter wire lengths and using a marette/wire nut to cinch them together. Advertising has a strange way of making you see one splice as good and another splice as bad.
Does either make an audible difference? Nah. Does either provide more protection from oxidation? Nah. You'll end up touching the bare copper and putting finger oils on it quite a bit to get it in a screwdown banana plug. It's a matter of convenience.
Bren R.
