Speaker wire connections/terminals for use with ML's

[Sonnie]

Now that I have my ML Ascent i's in place, I'm having to terminate my bare speaker wire wrapped around the terminal. There are no holes in the terminal for threading and the metal part of the terminal end is recessed too far for my banana plugs to reach and connect solid. I am also using a small jumper wire since I'm not bi-wiring or bi-amping the speakers at this time.


I suppose I could contact my closest ML dealer for some better jumper pins, but what are you guys using for speaker wire termination? Spades or maybe a banana plug with longer pins or something else... and where can I buy them?

Thanks!

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Sonnie,
Either should work. I have both. For my main speakers I have spades but the others are bananas. As far as jumpers, I did have the original jumpers which came with my rear speakers (Sequel II's) but I have changed for a cable which I made from some extra I had. If you choose to do this it will work fine, I would try and get some "scraps" of some good quality cable of your liking. I had some extra length of one of my Tara Labs cable which I used. I would think any good quality cable should be fine.

Just an opinion and my 2 cents.

Jeff

 

[theWB]

Sonnie,
For what its worth I use spades. No jumpers I bi-wire, hopefully someday bi-amp.

 

[Sonnie]

I wish the wing nuts would screw off so I could put rings on.

 

[Audioseduction]

Sonnie,

I also use spades and use the Bi-Wire topology as you can see in the image below of the rear of one of my Odyssey's.

 

[Sonnie]

Where can I get the spades like that... some that will fit. I looked at Parts Express, but they look too small and reviews also stated they wouldn't fit anything.

 

[Bernard]

Try the Cardas spades from www.partsconnexion.com. Cardas makes some big, sturdy spades.

 

[nsgarch]

Cardas

Although I dislike their cable products (especially for electrostats) I love their beautifully crafted accessories. Use one of their many spades to terminate your cable and their adjustable jumper is a work of art:
http://www.cardas.com/content.php?a...ng=Jumpers+(closeup)&content_id=13&part_id=61
You can clamp both the jumper spade and the cable spade together in the binding post(s).

 

[Bernard]

Although I dislike their cable products (especially for electrostats) ............

What do you dislike about their cable products? I quite like their Neutral Reference cables, which I use with my MLs.

 

[nsgarch]

I was too general,

What do you dislike about their cable products? I quite like their Neutral Reference cables, which I use with my MLs.

because I'm not familiar with Cardas' IC's. I suppose if I never heard anything else, I'd think their speaker cables sounded OK. But for air and ambience, sparkle and detail, Cardas doesn't get it for me. Sort of like canned spagetti compared to homemade pasta and fresh sauce.

The other thing, about Cardas and many other speaker cables is that they employ finely multi-stranded conductors. I recently learned this is to be avoided when driving electrostats. Why? Because stats don't produce a reactive load back to the amp like electrodynamic drivers do. Therefore, when used with stats, highly stranded cables tend to build up a lot of capacitance, since they're mostly providing a strong static potential, but not much in the way of current flow back and forth. So fewer, or solid conductors are said to be preferred for use with stats to avoid high frequency rolloff.

I reprinted this info somewhere in these forums, in connection with a speaker cable that MartinLogan made at one time.

 

[Bernard]

............. Because stats don't produce a reactive load back to the amp like electrodynamic drivers do. Therefore, when used with stats, highly stranded cables tend to build up a lot of capacitance, since they're mostly providing a strong static potential, but not much in the way of current flow back and forth. So fewer, or solid conductors are said to be preferred for use with stats to avoid high frequency rolloff.

I reprinted this info somewhere in these forums, in connection with a speaker cable that MartinLogan made at one time.

Something is escaping me here: I always thought that stats behaved like giant capacitors, i.e. reactive loads, hence the impedance change with frequency. Also, if there is not much current flow, it stands to reason that you do not need a high power amp to drive them, i.e. even a SET will drive them. But, it is well-known that you do need higher-powered amps to drive MLs, and yes, I do realize that those woofers do require more power. Has anyone driven the CLS with a SET?

 

[theWB]

Sonnie,
This is what I use on my ML's
http://www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=1062

 

[Sonnie]

Yeah... that is similar to what I found at Orange County Speaker... 10 for $17.49

They look close to the same...

 

[Sonnie]

Hmmm... looking at the Monster spades via that link... it looks like you get 50 for $10.

EDIT: Maybe not... it is confusing. It says 1 pr and then out to the right it has (50 packs).

 

[Bernard]

Yeah... that is similar to what I found at Orange County Speaker... 10 for $17.49

They look close to the same...

I'm not sure I like those anti-slip grooves as only the ridges make contact (instead of the whole surface of the spade) with the surface of the binding post.

 

[Bimotarich]

interconnect free!

I just say no to interconnects.. its just another thing in your signal path. I connect my bare wires directly to the terminals. Sure its a pain to remove them or swamp them but how often do you do that. The only other thing I do is occasionally trim off the exposed end of wire and restrip it to make the contacts clean and oxidation free.

Save money and get the same or better sound.. skip the spades and banana plugs...

By the way I bi-wire with Tara Labs Prism Bi-wire... I like the sound (first wire i ever really heard any difference with) but they are stiff as all hell and hard to work with in limited spaces...

 

[theWB]

I'm not sure I like those anti-slip grooves as only the ridges make contact (instead of the whole surface of the spade) with the surface of the binding post.

The Monster Cable connectors have a flat underside for that same reasoning.

 

[Kaboomnash]

Since we are on the subject of spade termination, and screw on types. Has anyone tried the Belkin Pure AV spade sets?
http://catalog.belkin.com/pureav_detail.process?product_id=178642

Because of my degree in Diamonds, I have a goldsmith that works for me to set stones and size bands. I am thinking of dipping my bare speaker cable ends in pure gold or silver before adding the termination devices. Anyone tried this? I had heard that if soldering to find the highest silver content available, this seems like a step up from that suggestion.

Lee

 

[Bernard]

.............. I have a goldsmith that works for me to set stones and size bands. I am thinking of dipping my bare speaker cable ends in pure gold or silver before adding the termination devices. ...........

I assume you would do this with gold to avoid oxidation, but I thought that pure gold was too soft.

 

[Kaboomnash]

I assume you would do this with gold to avoid oxidation, but I thought that pure gold was too soft.

I would agree in jewelry use, but my idea is to tip my cables with it to fill any voids in and around the few strands of my Audioquest cables. It is more to coat against oxidation and to make a better contact with my termination spades. Once assembled and positioned it should hold nicely.
I could always use silver as well.

Anything is better than my "Bare ended type 8's" that connect my Vantages to my amp currently.

Lee