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But why even risk it - or use a cable that will only have a limited number of times you can put it in and out.
DJ, the risk here is over a $1 connector for pete sake.
I've had banana plugs for years with no problems. I've used them with my Axiom setup for over a year and a half with no problems and i was switching speakers around rather regularly (couple times a month) for awhile there during some auditioning.
Granted the Axiom plugins are not as deep as some other speakers, but since the speaker and cable should not be moving on a daily basis or during playback, how is is that your banana plugs kept popping out?
In reply to:
Then please run a few hundred watts of power through wire that thin (the size of a pin's head). Please remember ohms law.
This is an extreme example for which we both know is not what is occurring. Besides, you do not constantly run several hundred watts of power to speakers. Most power ranges under several watts. If they did not, then tube amps would be pretty much a waste of time.
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my comparison was between bare wire and spades (since I had already ruled out banana's because they are prone to falling out). I should have made that more clear.
I understand where you were headed with that now.
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Then why in digital data transfer with optical lines is bending the cable a 'no-no' ... I'm aware that with more than one wavelength of light it's necessary to keep it straight, but I'm pretty sure that with only one, it's still better to keep it as straight as possible.
Optical cable was not meant to be bent in shapes that can be attained by metal conductors, that is true. However, optical cable is designed for curvature of the cable. It has to in real world applications and for those that are not so sure...light does bend. Curving an optical cable does not change the signal especially when we are talking about a distance typically less than 3 feet. If optical cable could not be bent at all then consider why companies like Nortel would be producing and running hundreds of thousands of kilometres of optical cable for world communications.
Did you know those high capacity optical cables can carry in excess of 400GB per SECOND of data!?? (I have a relative that works for Nextel).
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Eh, I guess. But mine has gotten tugged a few times and it doesn't work right anymore - it gets really noisy once in a while. It could, however, be the add-on card I got for my sound card; I don't know.
My old Technics system had a similar problem. The fault was in the connection of the optical cable to the unit itself. Cheap plastic ends from the original boxed cables must have become worn down and became loose. Switching to a new cable fixed the problem.
I have also had subwoofer cables with somewhat questionable RCA terminations causing odd noises if the cable was not placed in a certain position. There is such a thing as 'too cheap' cable. Heck, it has to at least work properly.
As for the sound card, my Turtle Beach spits out the odd sound drop and pop now and again. Sometimes i play a song twice to be sure it was not a recording flaw.
