Whew. That's a relief.
At -10 to -15, it's "pretty loud" right?
How long are your wire runs? If they are not too long, going to 12 or 14 probably won't make a noticable improvement in volume. I tend to use 12 gauge on everything, but the generic kind at partsexpress.com, not the esoteric kind. I'm not a believer.
I think bare ends are fine. [insert bawdy witticism here].
Banana plugs will probably only help you if you plug and unplug things a lot. Other than that, I am personally not convinced they make a quantifiable improvement in the sound. But I will be burned at the stake for audio heresy eventually, I suppose.
