help with spade connectors


I recently bought speaker cables, no make that expensive speaker cable, after I got it I found that the spades are too small for my speakers posts. Any suggestions? do they make some kind of adaptors that would convert from small spade to say medium spade?
thank you in advance.
myoussif

Showing 2 responses by valueaudio

It's really the duty of a good dealer to make sure your spade lugs are sized appropriately...yet few will bother, as it takes time and sometimes work on the customer's part to check their post dimensions. I'll put my customers through the check, but they don't end up with the problems you are having now. On the used market, it's sort of 'buyer beware'.

If they are a light enough gauge or soft enough metal, you can gently bend the prongs outward enough to make them wide enough to slip on your posts. Keep the prongs flat so they don't buckle. Heavier duty spades might have enough metal on them to be filed open a little bit...just 1/32" on each side should do it.

If you change your spades. I wouldn't use the vise grip method...better to use a real crimper designed for the job. Then you also have the issue of shrink tubing, if you want them to look neat. Many people find their first termination job alot trickier to do well then it might appear, so before you hack the old ones off, think it over.

There are some pretty good adaptors sold by AudioQuest & Apature...it's the same part, and sold perhaps under other names as well. It is a banana that bolts on to 1/4" posts. Could be a good way to go.

Jeff Delman
Value Audio
Mohamed, This could be a good alternative for you, offering you not only a fit with your Transparent cables, but a permanent upgrade to your speakers. You could go with all copper posts from Cardas or Eddison-Price, which I believe come in 1/4" diameter. The all copper posts should be a good sonic upgrade over typical brass posts with nickel plating under gold.

Jeff