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Looking for Help with Speaker Jumper Cable Choice

I have a pair of Dali Helicon 800 speakers that I purchased used a year ago but they did not come with the factory cable jumpers.  And the speaker cables I'm using are not a bi wire setup.  

I've been using a cheap set of Audioquest Type 2 or Type 4 jumpers I had the local audio store create for me 20 years ago for the speakers I was running at the time.  

My current speaker cables are a set of first generation JPS Labs Superconductor.  I've been thinking surely I can do better than the AQ jumpers.  

I've read here that the jumpers should be as good or better than the speaker cables.  I see recommendations for Peachtree and Maze which are affordable but would they be a good fit for my system?  I do need bananas on the woofer terminals so I can clamp down the Superconductor spades on the woofer terminals.   

What would be a good affordable synergistic suggestion for replacement jumpers for my system?  
pinball101
14 responses Add your response
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,836 posts
 
I use DH Labs jumper cables for my JBL monitors but if you want to save some money you can try these from Maze Audio: http://www.mazeaudio.com/speaker-jumper-cables.html
and from their site you can access their eBay store.

I haven't tried them but they look to be as good as any other out there for a price you can't overlook.

All the best,
Nonoise

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Why even bother with jumpers? Pull the speaker terminal plate, connect them internally, close it back up. If you want to sell some day another 5 min worth of soldering and they're back the way they were. 
pinball101 OP
61 posts
 
I never thought about soldering the leads directly other binding posts what with all the discussion about jumpers that goes on.

I assume WBT 4% silver solder would be the best choice for solder?


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Right. And your choice of flux. Which isn't required but when you use it and see how sweet it is.... 
If yours is like the photo on-line a couple screws and the terminal mounting plate pulls out. Look around inside. Often times the crossover is zip tied to a piece of MDF. There should be enough slack for the stock wire to reach. Or if not then to move the crossover enough to reach. Then, not that this is necessary but as long as you're in there, if it is the normal choke and cap strapped to MDF then its pretty easy to improve by putting the crossover board on cones. Or whatever. The crossover sits inside the highest vibration environment in all of audio. Just about anything you do will be an improvement!

Soldering it like this will be a lot better than any jumper you could buy. Heck you could even solder the speaker cable directly, plug the hole and set the whole terminal plate aside for in case you eventually want to sell the speakers.
mooglie
101 posts
 

Here's my observations. I’ve been playing with speaker jumpers the past three weeks. My speaker cables are quite good – Von Gaylord Chinchilla.

Pulling the brass jumpers, I tried three different jumpers. I also tried all the various jumper configurations. Jumpering up from the bass terminals was the best in my system

The three jumpers (all bananas) were: simple Supra Classic 1.6 , Wireworld Platinum Eclipse, and Duelund tinned copper (12 ga-Acoustic BBQ). My observations are the jumper will cause the speaker to sound similar to like the speaker cable used was the jumper only. Or heavily weighted that way. So, in other words, if I put in the Supra jumper, the system sounds much like I used the Supra wire as the speaker cable.

The WW Platinum Eclipse and the Duelund jumpers were clearly better in regards to accuracy and imaging. The Supra tends to bass heavy and lower resolution. The WW probably beats the Duelund by a bit in all regards, but they are pretty close. I haven’t critically listened yet. These are just my quick observations. For the money, the Duelunds are probably a bargain.

This is just what I hear in my system. Based on my observations, I would tend to think jumper as good or better than the base speaker cable should be used.


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
What this shows is even a short length of wire is enough to impart its character on the signal. That's why I recommended soldering to eliminate the jumper. Otherwise even a short jumper can change the sound from what you know you like to.... who knows what.

mitch2
3,968 posts
 
AQ Type 4 is actually a pretty good cable (better than Type 2) and should be a good choice as a jumper. The solid core LGC copper, foamed polyethylene insulation, star-quad geometry, and aggregate 15.5 awg gauge (when connected with one larger and one smaller wire to each polarity), should work just fine for what is essentially a 6-inch speaker cable.

I suggest varying how you have them connected and listening for differences to determine which you prefer. If your main SCs are connected to the LF posts with jumpers connecting to the HF posts, then try it the other way around with the main SCs connected to the HF posts and jumpers to the LF posts. Some folks report improvements by cross-connecting the main SCs with the positive SC connected to the positive HF post and the negative SC connected to the negative LF post and then connecting the jumpers. However you connect them, I doubt you will hear much (if any) improvement when comparing other speaker cable jumpers with the AQ Type 4.
68pete
1,001 posts
 
High Fidelity level 2 jumpers replaced my  Transparent Reference xl jumpers.


pinball101 OP
61 posts
 
I went to solder the high frequency leads directly to the low frequency binding posts last night and found the wires are terminated with a female flat spade connector which slides onto the male spade tab that is clamped/nutted to each binding post.  I'm not inclined to cut and solder the leads on.  

High Fidelity jumpers are out of my price range but thank you for the recommendation.  I actually stopped into their shop in TX last March to look at some used speakers they were selling.  They have some nice equipment and are very nice people.  

As Mitch2 suggested, I have already tested the speaker cables connected to the low frequency posts versus the high frequency posts.  It sounds better connected to the low frequency posts.  I haven't tried positive to low and negative to high and vice versa and will give that a shot.  

My goals were twofold with my original post.  
1. upgrade the jumpers
2. obtain jumpers with spade on one end and banana on the other.  

It sounds like I just need to find four decent banana plugs and replace one spade end with a banana on my current jumpers.  


millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I went to solder the high frequency leads directly to the low frequency binding posts last night and found the wires are terminated with a female flat spade connector which slides onto the male spade tab that is clamped/nutted to each binding post. I'm not inclined to cut and solder the leads on.

So you found out they used the cheapest fastest crappiest connector and want to leave it that way, in order to spend more money on the best wire in order to have it connected to the crappiest sounding connector. Is that right?

Are you sure?

I have yet to see one of these things that couldn't be removed by pushing a nice sharp pick into the crimp and prying it open. With the wire out you solder it and then if you want to keep the crappy connector for the next guy tape it inside there somewhere.

Just realize you're looking at a situation that for absolute dead certain could be improved more with some Total Contact on the connectors than you could ever get from any jumper. 

Once again I am amazed at how cheap parts are used in expensive components. Mods rule.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Does JPS make jumpers?  Normally, it's optimal to use the same wire in the main cable and the jumper.

Wireworld, for instance, makes jumpers at the different "levels" and can provide any mix of banana + spade.

But I lie awake at night worrying whether jumpers are directional.

pinball101 OP
61 posts
 
"But I lie awake at night worrying whether jumpers are directional."  
Agon needs a "like" tag option on posts like other forums offer.  I like your comment.  

As for going for some JPS jumpers, I struggle with spending $400 on a set when the cables cost half that.  

MillerCarbon - I'm totally capable of cutting off the female spades and stripping and soldering the wires direct to the male spades of the clamp tabs.  So far in this hobby I have not been a "modifier" other than trying different cables to optimize the sound so it didn't cross my mind.  These speakers were a craigslist scratch and dent purchase so it's not like I'd be compromising them any more than some of the scars they already have.  

I'll lie awake for a night or two pondering cutting and soldering direct and report back if I decide to take this approach.  
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Just to do my part to prevent insomnia jumpers are directional. All wire is directional. 

Bonus quiz: What’s the cure for insomnia? A - Get plenty of sleep. 🤗
pehare's avatar
pehare
835 posts
 
mike_ostradick I lucked out and got a new set of JPS jumpers from Alan at Audiowaves he was clearing out last fall.  Keep an eye on his website for JPS cables on sale.  No affiliation - just got a couple great deals there on JPS which is my cable of choice.
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