Speaker terminal Loose

You can’t always blame the banana plug. Different manufacturers used slightly different binding posts over the years. I have gear where the same plug fits tightly in one component and loose in the other. Some plugs also fit deeper in some of my speakers. While close, there is no industry standard on the exact dimensions and there is nothing wrong with doing some minor fitting to get a tight connection.
I have tried locking plugs like the WBT.  The knockoffs I tried were made with extremely hard brass and I cracked one when I accidentally bumped it.   I am sure WBT uses a better alloy but it still has to be a relatively hard brass alloy.    I also became concerned with the amount of contact area with some of the expandable plugs.   If you out it in on oversized plug and expand it till it is tight........what is the actual amount of surface contact?  


I have had better luck with the BFA syle banana plugs.

Soldered-on low mass BFA Style Banana Plugs for me, every time! I've been using them for more than 20 years and never had an issue. Never had one loosen. No problems, ever. I started with Nordost Z-plugs, but later changed to less expensive options that were functionally the same.

@Dan

You are proving my point. You don't need to with WBTs.

;-)

Whatever you buy, something other than Furutech is my suggestion.

I found on my Furutech expanding bananas, if you remove the screw expansion pin, you can take a small file, and file down the area on the plug where the pin threads in, you can get more tightness due to the pin going in a bit further in, making for greater expansion on the banana plug. 

Works for me.

Dan

erik_squires   I try to open one Furutech end of the banana and broke one of the piece ! I think I would use BFA gold over brass crimping banana. Thank's.  I think Furutech are fragile with some  of their parts.

Millercarbon.   You are correct about sacrificing spring action and sonics.  Having a pure copper base is always better than less conductive brass.  But copper is soft and difficult to machine.  That is why you still see most "high end" speaker connections and RCAs made with some kind of plated brass.
The only banana plug I know of that is pure copper are the Furez connectors.   They are soft but they have a plastic insert that helps with holding them to shape.  They grip good but do need an occasional expanding when they are plugged in and out a number of times.  I have not noticed them losing their grip if they remain plugged in.
I do like spades.......just wish they would fit on all of my amps.

Right. Pry them open for a snug fit.

This will work, for a while. Does nothing to address the fundamental problem, that banana connectors rely on the spring of the metal for contact. At best this means sacrificing sonic characteristics in order to get enough spring action. At worst it means losing all contact. Its just an awful design. Buying convenience over functionality never does work out as beautifully as you imagine, does it?

Live and learn. Next time, spades.

Are your Furutech bananas the kind with the split hollow tube at the end?  If they are just get a small screwdriver and open them up a bit. 

I’ve had exactly these problems, with Furutech. I’m sorry, Furutech kind of sucks in general for bananas. I’ve also found them super easy to deform.


WBT’s bananas are slightly tighter fitting, and if you can avoid Rhodium you’ll have a better connection. Rhodium is beautiful and far too hard. Gold plated is going to be a better long term connection.  If you used the copper crimping sleeves, you'll find they slip right on.


Another alternative is the WBT spades. The built in spring loading makes them keep good contact even with very hard plugs like nickel plated.