Hi John!
->      Now we are at the interesting part for me. While I agree with
-> NOT using connectors on the interior of the speaker, but instead
-> using the very best electrical solder you can buy, I have often
-> wondered about the terminations and hookups between the amp and the
-> speakers. Most of the better five way binding posts will handle a
-> plain wire termination, and do so without worries of accidental
-> disconnection. I have done it both ways. I have used large gold
-> plated spade lugs from Apature. These are easy to connect and lay in
-> the cup just right. These have a simple crimp connection that holds
-> very tight and can easily be soldered afterwards if desired, although
-> I never have. When tightened down they have an exceptionally solid
-> feel with excellent contact. They are also quite inexpensive compared
-> to the others I have tried. Kimber Kable makes a layered spade lug.
-> It is slightly more difficult to use withing the binding post cup on
-> many amps and speakers. The layered spade is thought to allow more
-> pressure and better contact as a result. I could detect no
-> difference. They go for almost $8.00 a pair the last time I looked.
-> The pin ends by Monster Cable are well made and easy to use, but have
-> always made me a little insecure with the connection. Surface contact
-> within the binding post is minimal. And banana plugs, of which I have
-> a couple different yuppie brands, scare the bejesus out of me, with
-> the thought of accidental disconnection. I also noticed that although
-> quite heavy in weight and gold plating, that where the expandable
-> termination is fastened to the base of the connector itself, there
-> isn't one hell of a lot holding it together, and it is actually quite
-> flimsy. As much as I fool around with my system, I was always worried
-> I would pull one all or part of the way out by accident, then fire up
-> my system.
 In an ideal situation, it would be one piece of wire connected directly
to the output device on one end and directly to the driver's terminal on
the other end, soldered with a good grade of solder to keep down
corrosive influences.. Of course, everything in the real world
contributes to mess things up, like equipment warrantys and such. Ever
notice what crappy the cable is inside those expensive speaker
cabinets between the cabinet terminals and the actual speaker that
there is the cabinet terminals to the skimpky wire to the speaker
terminals, then the speaker terminal has another wire connected to it
that goes to the voice coil.. Add to that all of the solder joints and
traces that have to be backtracked from the amp output terminals to the
output devices themselves and you have a crime in progress if you listen
to the wire freaks that can hear massive differences in cables. Most of
the time, a wire is just a wire. Other than watch resistace, capacitance
buildup and such,just keep the wires short by placing the power amps as
close to the speakers as you can.
 You mentioned a digital cable that worked better than another one,
digital audio has to be loaded and terminated correctly, too.. or you
can have difficulties with echos in the line and strange digital things.
 Bonnie *:>
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