HOW CRITICAL ARE JUMPER CABLES


When using jumper cables instead of biwire speaker cables, do the jumpers need to be as good a quality or better than the actual quality of the  speaker wires? The jumpers need to be 6” to 9” long. Also is it better to hook the main speaker wires to the low end and then run the jumpers to the high end or visa versa?
 

128x128samgar2

You hear a difference, there important.Made my own this summer using aeco banana plugs and neotech 12 gauge teflon wire...i tried mundorf 14 g/s and was detailed,sweet.The stranded neotech won out over solid... just a tad smoother i guess.

My Tannoy manual suggests wiring to the HF side first...but had to try all options and they were right. It is a small difference but the section that gets wired first sees a little more presence in my system at least.

 

My experience with jumpers is as follows. My current speakers are Vapor Audio Nimbus Blacks with WBT bi-wire posts. My current ("not going anywhere") speaker cables are Tellurium Black Diamonds with bananas at the amp end and spades at the speaker end. Initially, my first foray with bi-wire speakers were the Legacy Aeris towers with bi-wired posts. With the Aeris, my speaker wires were the Cerious Graphene Extremes and Cerious Graphene Extreme banana/spade jumpers which with what I felt were good results having nothing to compare the jumpers against. Sold the Legacy's, sold the Graphene speaker cables after acquiring the Black Diamonds, kept the graphene jumpers to use on the Nimbus. Of course, "upgraditis" and curiosity bested me to try a pair of Analysis Plus Big Silver Oval with spade/bananas. Wow, the difference was startling...the Analysis Plus jumpers clouded the sound and crushed dynamics. Yanked that junk out and back in went the Cerious jumpers and all was well... until...a pair of "as new" Tellurium Black Diamond spade/banana jumpers popped up for sale of which I jumped on them like a banshee monkey in heat! I can attest that this change absolutely elevated the level the performance across the board exponentially and although I have been tempted since to try other jumpers I have not bothered as my sensibilities convinced me that there is that magic synergy happening with matching the same brand and model of speaker wires and jumpers....

Here are my thoughts on bi-wiring.  I guess if you are going to do it, use the same type of cabling that you have from the amp/amps. From there, you now have to deal with what type of connectors (or lack of) and be ready for all the opinions that one brand/type/termination sounds better.  Use good copper and make sure all the connections are tight/secure.

Over my years, I have not seen any discernible differences other than long ago running custom wiring from Chris VenHaus.  True bi-wire runs of silver (mid/highs) and OCC copper (bass) to my 802Ds from a Levinson amp.   That was several years ago and with much better ears.  Still trying to make myself believe is actually sounded better...

Do you have the ability to modify your speaker and internally connect the wires to one binding post.  This way you can pick your speaker cable of choice and not have to worry about jumpers?

If not, then I would look at bi-amping.  Although, probably not a topic the OP wants to pursue.

Still love the power cord analogy and how it pertains to speaker jumpers.  How does the last 6'/6" really make a difference.  I guess that is why we love/hate this crazy hobby.