jumpers versus golden plates


Does anybody have experience with kicking out the golden plates connecting the (bi-wiring) terminals on speakers and put in jumpers instead? I was told that if you don't bi-amp or bi-wire and subsequently have the plates in place you are accepting a major sound deterioration. Jumpers would be the solution.I checked with Kimber Select and the jumpers are extraordinary expensive regarding their very short length....Opinions please?
aida_w
I've owned a couple different monitors that had gold plates in place for biwiring. I have a pair of Analysis Plus Silver Oval jumpers, but run my monitors in biwired configuration 99% of the time so never really use them much. From past posts it seems pretty unanimous people that have compared both methods extensively seem to favor biwiring with quality wire as opposed to the factory supplied jumpers. DH Labs has a silver biwire jumper and Cardas also makes a terminal jumper that seems very popular. I believe Merlin uses this one. Good luck.
A simple solution is to replace the factory supplied jumper with short section of wire. This costs next to nothing and is typically a step forward. One could change gauges and materials ( copper, silver, etc... ) or even swap between solid and stranded to see what the differences were. You could do this for pennies on the dollar compared to what many of the "wire bandits" charge.

Personally, i would connect the speaker wires to the woofer section and then use a piece of solid copper 18 gauge to feed the upper section. If it sounds too bright on top, go to a 16 gauge wire. If it isn't bright enough, go to a 20 gauge wire, etc.. Hopefully, you get the idea and can extrapolate from there : ) Sean
>
Aida, Sean makes a very good and economical point. When I first tried replacing the gold plated jumpers of my Sonus Faber Concertinos, I used cheap copper car stereo wire and even that was an improvement. Buying the AP silver jumpers was just to appease my audiophile-gadget-jones.
One other idea you might consider. Remove the box that
houses your binding posts, connect the high and low freq.
wires together on the lower binding post. (BE sure to mark
which wire goes where.) Depending on how the wires are
terminated, relatively easy to do.
Positive + (high/low) to lower positive binding post. Negi-
tive - (high/low) to lower negative binding post. Eliminates
one set of binding post and any jumper wires. Will sound
different, better or worst...your call! Many ways to experi-
ment. Bill
Mapleshade makes a ribbon jumber that comes in about a 3-inch strip. You only need a small section touching each post. I believe a set of 4 is only $20.00. I have not tried wire jumpers but have obtained excellent results using the Mapleshade ribbons on first, PSB Stratus Golds, and now Silverline LaFolias. Jim
I had Analysis+ jumpers for 6mos or so, then I got an extra run of the 9's.---WOW---Save up for that second run. Jumpers just aren't the same a two runs.
Priz, I also, use the mapleshade jumpers. I have them on the newform ribbons and between the peerless bass, midbass drivers. They would appear to make the speakers more integrated IMO, always a challange with cones and ribbons. They just look like thin copper foil but can they every pass musical info....
Thanks folks for all your input so far!
I think I will take a couple of inches from the speaker cable's end (KS 3035) to terminate as jumpers. It will just be an experience to cut into that pricey cable in the first place :-)