Spades vs. Banana plugs ??

If you can hear the difference, you have better ears than I do! That said, I like neat and tidy. I use banana to the speakers and spades to the amp.

If you can hear the difference, you have better ears than I do! That said, I like neat and tidy. I use banana to the speakers and spades to the amp.

I doubt many have actually gone to the trouble of “A/ B ing” the same wire in the same system w/ spades & bananas & I know I haven’t. My experience is that good quality bananas stay put & spades often don’t & require regular tightening. Also depending upon the amp connection, spades can necessitate a tight right angle turn of the cable which can be tough w/ thicker cable & probably the cause of the connection loosening. Unclear which method has more contact surface area. 

Bananas are much safer 

Actually a dab of Loctite, tightening with a wrench works great and Kimber does make an expandable spade.

Kimber

Banana plugs are easy, neat and mine stay plugged in. When I used bare wire once in a great while one would disconnect. 

Locking bananas are my preference, then spades. Why they don’t spring load the clamping for spade connections I do not know. They have to be checked regularly to ensure they remain tight. 

After discovering bananas I never looked back. Used them ten years in both systems and never the slightest issue. Fit is snug and has remained so. Recalling the bad old days of bare wire & spades is just an unpleasant memory.

Surprised there isn't more love for the BFA style banana plug:

1.  More surface area to make good contact, more than a spade.

2. No spring steel needed (yes, traditional bananas are often gold plated steel, put a magnet on them). 

3. Crimpable for an excellent contact with the wire. crimp then solder, 2 layers of shrink tubing is the ultimate joint.  

4. Low mass.

5. Available in pure copper or silver plated.

Jerry

Banana plugs, easy and neat. 

Michael Borreson says bananas are the best. More surface area than spades.

Interesting conversation. Just bought a Boulder 2160 which only uses spades. Had to have my cables reterminated. 

Banananananananananana plugs.

Apparently you bare wire guys don’t have a cat or an elderly maid, both of whom will periodically unplug things by means completely unknown or illogical.

Whatever gives me a secure connection is my choice.

Mine are plugs, make a bit of a 7, and have a crank on the back that expands the plugs to make them secure.  Silver if I recall. So far so good.

I use the "el squisho" (perhaps not the actual name, but they're designed to stay tight) spades from Kimber into my speakers, and Kimber bananas into the amp as everyone knows bananas provide potassium.

You're Banana's if you use Fork Lugs/Spades ! Some Amps and Speakers will start twisting the Binding Post causing the nut inside the Cabinet/Chassis to come loose.

I'm Banana's anyways. So Banana Connectors Rock while Spades just plain SUCK !!!

Bananas or go bare by situation, bare gets tinned to forgo fraying....

+1 Bare wire.

By adding bananas or spades you are doubling the contact issues: between either and the cable and between either and the speaker plug. Way better to go bare wire into the speaker using something like Mad Scientist’s contact enhancer. Spades get tightened and then loosen and bananas need good crimping.

All the best,
Nonoise

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

Mr. Vandersteen swears by spades, as they have the best contact. Given his experience and knowledge, I would have to agree. Banana's are more of a friction fit, spades will have contact over a larger area when screwed down tight.

Bob

Spades seem to always come loose. Bananas for ease of use.

Banana plugs for me they are just easier.

Banana plugs ... idiot proof connectivity.  I had a receiver short out when bare wire ends touched each other.  

Rich 

I like spades because I perceive better contact area from a properly positioned and compressed spade and because spades are more readily available in high conductivity materials like copper, which is generally considered too soft for the structural demands of a banana connector where the wire hangs perpendicular to the connector. Banana connectors are often constructed from a copper alloy that is in the ballpark of 40-60 percent as conductive as basic copper.

Bigger isn’t always better. Cardas makes nice copper spades for soldering but one of my favorites is a fairly minimalist gold plate over high conductivity copper spade from Furutech (FP-203) that I crimp using a hydraulic die crimper that can almost achieve the level of connection that Cardas gets with their Forged Spade connections. I also will not argue with the benefit/performance of direct wire connections, assuming you have suitable binding posts, although I find that option better with solid core wire than with stranded wire.

@antigrunge2 Wrote:

Naked wire, neither spades nor bananas add anything

I agree

Mike

Naked wire, neither spades nor bananas add anything

spades can twist and short, killing your amp.  My main concern.

I use low mass connectors for both binding posts and banana plugs.  So I use BFA style bananas.

Jerry