Remove plastic shroud from WBT binding posts?


If you own any recent amps or speakers of European origin, you probably have binding posts encased in plastic, with "guides" that permit spade or bare wire insertion from one position only. These are a royal PITB. Some models may be removable, but the WBTs on my Dynaudios do not appear to be. I want to get them off so I can properly install Walker HDLs, but I'd like to have them off anyway to make speaker cable connections easier. Any ideas?
Ag insider logo xs@2xdrubin
I've already spoken to several dealers all of which replyed, get the jumpers custom made to fit the WBT posts.
Go to the WBT web site and check out the construction diagram for the WBT speaker posts. The plastic covers appear to be integrated into the post and the short answer is no you can't do it without compromising the binding post.
There's no saving them, but you can get them off. Unthread the binding post nuts as far as they'll go - the "shroud" should be able to be moved slightly if you start twisting it with a rubber jar opening grippy thing; you may even be able to carefully pry them upward using a small flatblade screwdriver. I then carefully snipped away the guide slot area with a pair of sharp diagonal cutters and then with gloves on, simply snapped the remaining part of the shroud into pieces. Not pretty, but they're are off, and the rest of the connector is completely undamaged.

I agree, these are a PITA. While I have nothing against WBT's products, this sort of thinking simply irks folks who would prefer to use whatever type of connector they choose, not WBTs ONLY. And while they may offer some further degree of safety to the novice, I think most folks buying a product with WBT connectors should pretty much know that shorting the positive and negative together is a bad thing.

-Richard
Thanks you two. I'm afraid you are correct, there is no non-destructive way to get the little buggers off. Do you suppose it will hurt resale value if I remove them permanently?
Unknown - from what I've read on the WBT site, the shroud exists solely for EU electrical safety code compliance. That said, if you are in the US and have no interest in selling them elsewhere, I don't see why anyone would really care. Then again, some folks can be overly sensitive about stuff like that...you could always buy another two pair of the posts, and keep them around for potential future resale. This way, you have a speaker that can actually be wired with any cable, and also have a plan for future contingencies.

-Richard
Good points. Replacing the binding posts would require major speaker surgery, however, which I would not want to undertake.

>"Then again, some folks can be overly sensitive about stuff like that."

That's the key thing, I think.
Do a search. One member sprayed something on the plastic that made it crack for easy removal.