Re: Choosing Bannana Plugs

Richard Crowley wrote:
"Barry Mann" wrote ...
I am not a fan of banana plugs for fixed applications. By "fixed" I
mean that the connection is made once and then sits for months or
years. In my opinion bananas are OK if the connection is broken down
regularly, otherwise there is oxide build-up and slow degradation. Gold
plating of both the jack and the plug can help keep the oxides from
forming, but gold is fragile and if the connection is broken down too
many times, the gold wears away, leaving a not so great base metal at
the point of contact.

Soldering is great for fixed connections, but not a good idea for
frequently flexed connections because the solder creates a stress point
at the transition between the soldered and not soldered area that will
work harden very rapidly and cause a complete break in the wire.

Banana plugs are familiar and relatively inexpensive (unless you
purchase the "audiophile" grade). I prefer bare wire connections or
crimped spade lugs or pins.

All electrical connectors rely on metal-to-metal contact.
I can't help wondering how Mr. Mann deals with other
kinds of connectors. Go back and substitute "RCA/phono"
for "banana" and see what you think?

Lets not forget that banana plugs were used in laboratories
for test equipment for decades before they became popular
for speaker use. Banana are still the overwhelming first
choice in these critical applications. I have a difficult time
sharing Mr. Mann's pessimism for banana connectors.
Laboratory test equipment that is setup and changed around fairly often.
banana plugs do not provide a gas tight metal to metal contact. Nor do RCA type plugs, but RCA type plugs do provide much more contact surface.
These plugs will, eventually, develop thin films of corrosion, said corrosion products being less than good conductors of electricity. Unplugging and replugging them in wipes the metal surfaces clean and restores the unimpeded flow of electrical current.
Gold plated connectors will much better resist this problem, but the gold is less mechanically robust, so will, over time wear off from plugging cycles and being plugged into connectors plated with other, harder metals.
The banana plug was used because it was readily available, inexpensive, and well understood by the design engineers. Professional audio companies have overwhelmingly converted to the Speakon line of connectors from Neutrik. Good for your application, but a bit overkill, and not cheap. For a long term home speaker, it is hard to beat a pair of terminal screws and crimped on lugs. Not as good as a soldered joint, but removable with a screwdriver. Gold plating is nice, but only in a cosmetic sense with screw terminals. Inexpensive, even if you have to purchase one of those crimp terminal kits at the dollar store.
Now if you are one of the audiophooles who brags about buying two hundred bucks a foot for helically wound oxygen free copper gold plated cables from overpriced marketing companies, buy the platimum plated connectors with diamond highlighting.

--Dale
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