Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions What type of connectors

I am getting ready to run wires, but while I was getting the wire situated, (I am still in the construction phase) I thought about connectors.

What do people use with their Axiom speakers? Banana? Spade? And why?

I have time to plan this out yet, but thought that I would ask now while I was thinking about it.

Thanks!

I use bananas, just for ease of plugging and unplugging. They have no bearing whatsoever on the speakers sound. However, with the QS series surrounds, if you use the enclosed bracket to hang the speakers, there isn't enough space for bananas. I just do the bare wire thing.

Spades at the speaker end only because I like as much contact as I can get. I use bananas at the amp end for pure ease of it all.

I use banana type connector for ease.

For my stereo set up I use spades at speakers and amp.
On the HT system I just use bare wire.

On the end that's connected to my receiver, I use a banana on the positive wire and a spade on the negative wire of the cable. On the end that's connected to my speaker, I use a spade on the positive wire and a banana on the negative wire.

This configuration confuses the electrons, so they end up spending more time trying to find their way out of the receiver. This overcharges them, resulting in my receiver being able to deliver more than its rated power. This configuration also results in the electrons having difficulty leaving the speakers. This gives them a fuller sound.

Nick, except in a case here you'll be frequently connecting and disconnecting(then use banana plugs), there's no better connection than bare wire.

"This configuration confuses the electrons..."

Too funny....

Thanks everyone. I think that I will go with bare wire just because 1) cost effective, 2) "best" connection, 3) I won't be moving things around (no need for quick disconnects/connects), and 4) because I don't want to "confuse the electrons" (I still think that is hilariously funny...)

I'll second JohnK's barenaked response...

I'd also recommend bare wire into the speakers, but I would differ and use banana plugs going into the reciever because it is usually a pain in the butt to get bare wire into the limited space on the back of a reciever.

Depends on your fingers... I use bare wire on both ends at home. It is a bit of a pain if you've got a set of meathooks for hands like I do to tighten the ends at the receiver, you'll need a smoke or two, your face will turn red, your butt crack may become sweaty, but it will go... to 3rd and 4th the QSs - bananas won't fit... spades might?!?

Bren R.

"you'll need a smoke or two, your face will turn red, your butt crack may become sweaty..."

I could have gone all night without having that image put into my head. How am I supposed to sleep tonight? I was already going to have trouble sleeping wondering if I should force the electrons out of the speaker by changing the connections - or would that "color" the sound too much - and now this?

I agree with that one. If the H/K had proper 5 way binding posts on it, I'd use bare on both ends, but since it's got those POS posts that take bananas and theoretically bare wire (no hole in the middle, wrap it around the little screw bit and pray...), I use bananas on that end.

I could of done without that visual myself . But it's very funny.

That was freaking hilarious. Confuses the electrons....sounds good to me!

I’m not an audiophile however, I am slowly finding myself becoming one. In the meantime, my wife can rest at ease as I am still not enrolled to The Klingon Language Institute. Anyway, I have read that a spade connection is better however, I haven’t actually taken the time to test this allegation with my own two ears for an audible difference. I do concur that for ease of use a banana plug wins hands down and I should know since I am an a/v installation tech by trade. Additionally, I’ve also read that a bare wire connection (to binding posts) doesn't always provide the ideal surface area contact and that it is also prone to oxidation. But, As far as what you’ll find behind my a/v receiver or RBH MC616 Towers you’ll find spades. : )

What's the difference between oxidation of a bare wire on the posts and oxidation of the wire inside the spade? Answer: You can't see the oxidation in the spade. Add ends to your cables, you add one more point of failure. Besides, if you can short out a speaker with one millimeter long, infinitesimally thin wire touching the wrong post, I'd say that the bare wire will do just fine in the post. Me, I use bananas on my reciever for the same reason you cite. But my speaker connections are bare wire.