Bananas rule, spades drool. End of discussion.


I just checked my speaker connections. All using bananas, all nice and tight.

The number of times I’ve had spades get loose instead though.....

Point is, and it really is kind of a tongue in cheek thing, bananas beat spades for long term reliability in almost all setups.  If you have to use a Cardas or Mundorf speaker terminal to ensure your spades stay tight it kind of proves my point.

erik_squires

Both bananas and spades are useful to me, depending on the given connection/reconnection need(s). One’s for eating, one’s for gardening, so to speak.

I think no need for absolutism in this area. 😉

I checked my spades (2 spades on the amp end in combination with 2 bananas and 4 spades on the speaker end) tonight, and they were tight.  It's been at least two or three years since I messed with them at either (amp or speaker) end.

Hmm….  Not if it’s the type of banana plug that spins.
Then one always has a loose compression connection. 
 

if you tighten your spades enough so they don’t loosen it is a much tighter connection then a banana plug. If the spades loosen this is a poor user issue.  

@horstmann I didn't mention low mass since most here don't consider that.  Since you do I'll share that I make my  own low mass binding posts by pressing an OFC copper tube through the center of a bored out 3/8" threaded nylon rod. Perfect match for the low mass BFAs.  PM if interested in the details.

I also agree the simple BFAs seem indestructable.

Jerry

@carlsbad2

I actually just ordered a few gold plated copper wire ends - if that’s the proper English term - to experiment with that.

Great minds think alike, and all that. 😉

Thank you for the advice!