Securing spade connectors

@jsqt I have had some Transparent Ultra G5 for a couple years and am currently comparing to some Shunyata.  I have swapped them about a dozen times over the past few weeks so definitely feel your pain.  I would kill for some bananas haha.

I get them snug with my fingers and then hold the cable with the spade as close to vertical as I can while carefully tightening the terminal with a wrench.  Be very careful to not over tighten as breaking the terminal off would be a major mess to fix.  I do it a little at a time and then test the cable gently to make sure it is secure and then come back a few min later to make sure it didn't loosen.

My accuphase has a hex nut had to go to harbor freight buy pliers with rubber over the jaws.works great.my krell and pass have no bananna so need spades. Enjoy the fun and the music.you have to retighten the spades every so often.

Can't go bare wire with RSC cable unless the factory did it. 

"The TARA Labs RSC Master Gen 2 cable features a unique structure with multiple small, rectangular, individually insulated Consonant Alloy (a proprietary blend) solid-core conductors helically wound around a central air tube or tube".

I think cutting the cable would indeed be terminal!

@winoguy17, I agree!

Mike

I just tried the cables on my Technics SU-R1000 last night and man what a night and day difference versus the Vampire binding posts on my Adcom. 

The Adcom had the short Vampire brass binding posts that I was finally able to use a wrench to tighten down…

But the Technics has big grippy plastic knobs that twist up, revealing a slot on the side of the binding post apparatus. The ends of the spades fit perfectly into that slot and then you just twist the post back down with the grippy knob when you’re done. 

I am curious though, what is the point of spade connectors on high end cables? The only real purpose I could see for them would be the vintage screw type speaker connectors where it’s literally a screw. 

 Cut the spades off and go bare  wire

Coincidence - I was about to post about issues connecting spades to Elekit binding posts, the combination of 81 year old, arthritic fingers and slippery plastic circular knobs does not work well with stiff heavy cables.

In the dark ages (pre 2014) binding posts had exposed brass nuts that could be tightened with a wrench.  The EU mandated insulation in 2014 - EN 60065:2014.  It seems rather ridiculous to mandate the insulation of terminals on a 3.5 watt amp!

Voltages less than 50 are not dangerous, though 20 volts can be felt with damp fingers.  50 volts into 8 ohms is 50x50/8 = 312.5 watts.  The 2A3s would have melted (evaporated!) long before that!  Being super cautious the regulation might make sense for amplifiers of 100 watts or greater.

I hate to write this but what about the exposed brass connectors on speakers, are they next?  If the amp terminals are dangerous what about the other end of the cables?

To hold the spades into the binding posts I have to use pliers.  Why not have the plastic "nut" hexagonal rather than limply knurled?  Kimber's Postmaster spades do click into place, also my Pass Labs amplifier's speaker terminals have greater leverage, there is a a 1" or so handle.

I am considering building my own Furutech cables with Postmaster spades.

Mcintosh provide the plastic wrench it's a short handle as to not over tighten.. I just use black round foam to make the  bridge. To take the weight off the binding post..I bought a set of 30 foot the other day used at a great price.happy listening.parts express sells a bananna that has a threaded nut on the end and I sometimes put the spade on that.

Spades can be a PITA.  If you have the room maybe set up the cables so the spades are coming from the top not the bottom of the binding post so gravity is working in your favor????

Sounds like spades aren't a good match for the speaker. I just went through this with Transparent speaker cables and YG Sonja 2.2i's. I am going to have the spades changed to banana plugs. I bet you have a poor connection with the spades, as I did.

Found this 

https://www.audioquest.com/products/binding-post-wrench?srsltid=AfmBOooXZJ2OuU2lNyJWsn1WtdIG692XiE5rLIMnBGROZy7KalY99BPW

Binding posts are not designed to support weight so there is a possibility those cables can cause the posts to come loose or even damage the speaker cabinet.

You could point the spades down, wire tie the two cables above the post and loop down the cable boxes. But that still exerts a force and moment on the post.

Best to configure some kind of pedestal behind the speaker to rest the box and relieve all the cable weight.

Thanks everyone yes the wrench worked well and everything is secure!

I carefully use a box wrench to gently snug them. I have one just for my system. You don’t want to crank them down. I have heard over cranking will hurt the sound quality... but I have never substantiated that claim. 

Also, I use electrical insulators from power lines to support my speaker cables. That helps support the weight of the cables and keep them aligned. You can probably see in my main system photos under my virtual systems. 

I own Transparent and have for decades. 

Wrench time.  And it’s free!