Best way to terminate speaker cables ?

I won't bash anybody. The only way to clean the ends is to use an oil free eraser followed by an isopropal alcohol bath. My 2M certification has expired but. Use a good solder if you tin the ends, atleast 60/40. Silver takes a high tempeture to melt therefore a heat sink is needed before the insulation.

Eldartford,
I value Vodka much higher than Pepsi, occational ingestion of such can only make you feel better or even cure a desease while Pepsi can slowly kill you...:-)

Take a look at tweakaudio.com. He has a lot to say about this type of thing in his tweak section.

Tim

Marakanetz...Of course you are correct that there is no need in the home audio situation for the extra connection involved with using termination devices, spades, bananas, or whatever. Minimal bare wire, solder tined to avoid strands unraveling, is next best to soldering the wires to the drivers (which is what we did in the good old days). Termination devices are appropriate for audio shops and pro sound use, where frequent connection/disconnection is necessary.

In that context, how do we feel about Speakon connectors which have taken prosound by storm? I have amps with these connectors but no matching cables as yet. I gather that they have a twist-to-lock feature that provides a wiping action to give good contact. They have four-contact models that would work nicely for a neat biwire setup. (I go bare wire at the amp end also).

Surely you jest about cleaning the wires twice a month using Pepsi! Reminds me of the old TV program, "Candid Camera" where they convinced women at an auto repair shop that the air in their tires should be changed regularly like oil in the engine. If you do think this periodic service is necessary, I suggest that Vodka would work better than Pepsi, especially if you listen to a lot of Tchaikovsky. I find that Pepsi imparts a sickly sweet midrange quality :)

All things being equal, you'll get better dynamics and better frequency extension if you use bare wire.

I have found connectors on speaker cable tend to limit dynamics, etc. Also do you crimp or solder? Each introduces its own sonic signature into the mix.

In my opinion, rhodium introduces a strange sort of coloration into the sound. When I have to use a speaker connector I use gold over OFC with little or no nickel, such as those made by Vampire.

Q10 are silver plated. Silver can oxidize. The oxide is conductor too but I wouldn't count on that.
I suggest you use good quality Cardas Silver/Rhodium spades($5 to 15 pr) or Luminous Audio Silver spades ($5 ps).
I was thinking of doing this because Q10 silver "needs" silver plated spades, I guess.

If the binding posts on the speaker have holes for bare wire that you don't need to terminate them. Just you clean them twice per month with contact treatments. Someone mentioned Pepsi as one of the best ways to get rid of oxidation and corrosion.