Spades vs. Banana plugs ??

That's the rub - when they're screwed down tight. But what about next month? Still tight?

@mitch2   a group of audiophiles (known for believing something as small as a power line fuse makes a large sonic difference) choose utility over conductivity

Just how conductive is a loose silver connection? Or a corroded copper connection? You should see a stranded copper cable which is mostly terminated by copper sulphate.

Not my experience at all. My high end connectors on Scanspeak drivers and Bryston amplifiers all come loose with spades or bare wire, on their own, without mortal assistance. Poltergeist?

Of course, when loosing is a serious problem, lock washers are invariably used.

@mitch2   I see that I misunderstood your post. I thought you were choosing theory over practicality - and a loose spade connector may not be detected as it gradually looses conductivity, leading to poorer sound over time.