WBT Banana Connectors

Yes, I like the tightening feature.

I used to run 3 amps, 3 sets of speaker cables with male bananas to female banana pigtails from my speakers I could easily reach.

McIntosh SS MC2250 (mid 80’s);

Fisher 500C Tube Receiver, 1964

Fisher Tube Mono-Blocks, 80Az, 1958

everyone preferred the 500c to the mc2250, and preferred the 80az to the 500c.

and, same content: preferred LP to CD, and preferred R2R tape to LP.

I've had Furutech and WBT and WBT was by _far_ the better quality connector.

Having said that I've switched to inexpensive brand below for my latest speaker cables.  I have 2-way monitors with external crossovers, so 3 cables per speaker. Very pleased with the results. The spring action makes them stay very tight even in larger openings when pushed upwards (long story but my crossover's connectors face straight down).

Keep an eye out on sales at Parts Connexion for WBT. 

I listed out of stock items but these are in stock:

https://amzn.to/3Z6nwgM

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the helpful links and getting them on sale would be great. I'll check out the Viborg, and also looked at the DH Labs bananas, they seem nice too. it's been a bit of rabbit hole to decide between spades, or bare wire, etc!

Look at BFA style.  many options but make great contact, are one peice, and low mass.

Prong seperation is one of the main reasons I like BFA.  Most people don't realize how many pieces there are to a traditional banana plug.

Here are my favorites.....low mass

Those z plugs are what I call BFA.  I'm just going by what I've seen them called.

I have a set of those KLEI bananas.
They are very very nice. Much nicer than about anything else.

but...

They have serious issues with coming loose if you have heavy cables.

They are pure copper, which is probably the worst possible choice one could make for a spring. You can tighten them up by inserting another banana inside them.

If you insert them at even the smallest angle, they will compress, and since they are copper, they will not spring back fully. My cables are fairly stiff and the leads are fairly short, which meant that both bananas had to be inserted square at the same time - which was awkward.

The outputs on my Manley Snappers angle up at 45 degrees, and the weight of the cables would compress the bananas and cause them to become loose unless I wire tied the cables to the legs of the amp stands.

The manual for my Snappers was very clear - never disconnect the speakers while the amp is one or you might have to buy a very expensive output transformer.
I replaced them with spades.

They are really awesome bananas, but the issues I had made them not worth the risk.

Thanks @carlsbad and @mbolek . Those look interesting too!

@joshua43214 this is exactly why I've been going down this rabbit hole. I'm worried about the weight and stiffness of the cables too, and also managing what to do on the back of the Marantz with the small spring connections. Was thinking banana but I'm not changing out frequently, maybe I'll give spades another look. Fun to learn, thank you again everyone for all the good leads.

Hi jtg_ts!   Go silver if you can afford it. Some other brand might be cheaper. Test (with a magnet) all the connectors in the speaker path (amp and speaker box connectors and be sure they are not magnetic (contain iron). I just switched out some connectors on an amp with all copper ones and there is a definite difference (improvement). You've got pretty good cables now. Be sure other connectors aren't  preventing you from hearing how good they are. Happy Listening!

This thread is bringing out the technical challenges  of banana connectors.  Traditional bananas are often gold plated steel (yes steel) as springs are needed to make them expand in the "banana" section.

Solid silver and copper (such as ofc) are very soft.  KLEI is one of my favorite connector manufacturers.  they make low mass, high conductivity connectors.  but solid copper won't be strong enough with a heavy cable.  

I like the tellurium copper with heavy silver plating (tellurium alloy copper is not quite as conductive but much stronger than pure copper).

Jerry

Go Spades.

+1 @majew001 

And lets not forget about the AudioQuest Binding Post Wrench

+1 @dabel 

My bad. Thank you! Many things are better when tight!!

I’m worried about the weight and stiffness of the cables too, and also managing what to do on the back of the Marantz with the small spring connections.

@jtg_ts

Pin to Spade or Pin to Banana. Leave the backend of that Marantz alone (original) unless you’re eager, willing, daring and have the technical know-how for such a mod. Reconfigure your rack to where the 2270 could / can be set close to the floor in order of cable support, or support cables with various technics. You’ll want to relieve sag! Trust me, I have a Marantz 2270 ....

@majew001 ;-)

I have always preferred bananas over spades.   AECO make an interesting spade that may be a good low mass option.  I remember the years ago loving the heft of an expandable WBT banana.  Thought it enhanced the audio performance.  Come to realize, it was just connector jewelry.

I have transitioned to solid core conductors and with proper cable routing, provides less strain at the banana.  

Fun hobby...right?

I was thinking to trim a strand or two away from the copper and just go bare into the Marantz. (is that a crazy idea?) I was lucky and found a 2270 with no mods and clean, I’m going to leave it original for sure. Great ideas about strain relief on the cables. @dabel – what cables and speakers are you enjoying with your 2270?

@mbolek - yes it is! 😄

Appreciate all of the info above! Lots to think about + excited to get these speaker cables to work.

1+ debel

@jtg_ts

Remember, you also have pre-out as an external amplification option. Opens up the world for cables! Something to think about.

I’m not dodging your question, and will answer later when “the coast is clear”.

Past tense @jtg_ts 

Marantz 2270 > Outlaw Audio M200 blocks (stock) > Polk Audio LSi9 (modded)

Speaker Cables ... SignalCable Silver Resolution Reference (single-wire, Spades)

2nd set ... SignalCable Ultra (single-wire, pin to spade)

Pretty sure counterfeit nakamichi banana plugs. Work ok, need better

barely fit my speaker wire

need some that will fit 8 ga speaker wire.

can’t find descent ones. 
 

thick 8 ga speaker wire. 
been through several, need good ones

The KLEI Classic Harmony Banana Plugs work very well and sound very good.

My experiences with the KLEI Classics is the same as several others’ here: they simply are too fragile to use with any long or thick cable, period.

I use a 5m speaker cable pair and have my amp at chest level in a cabinet on the side wall of my living room. They aren’t especially heavy cables at all, yet the connectors sagged visibly very soon after I installed them. Then, two of them broke off when my painter moved the cables further away from the wall to get better access to the wall. While that was unusual stress, I believe the painter when he said he simply moved the cables further out at floor level.

I acknowledge that the connectors were destroyed through human intervention, so promised myself that I would be more careful with the cables. I had them re-terminated with the same plugs because my cable fabricator recommended them so highly. Very quickly, however, maybe within days, the weight of the cables again bent the spades downward.

That scared me, so I sought a more robust solution. When I pulled the cables out of the amp’s binding posts to ship them for re-termination, the KLEI’s had 45 degree bends in them.

I Iost patience at this point and had the cables terminated again, this time with Viborgs. If I am honest, I think the KLEI’s do sound better, by a surprising amount, but they are hideously expensive for such a fragile part. The peace of mind the Viborgs give me is worth the loss of perfection and I appreciated the price difference, as well.

My amp’s binding posts are standard issue WBT’s, so nothing weird there.

Anyone using these should go in with his or her eyes open. More than the usual pre-purchase suitability assessment and, then, care in use are required. (I note that I have had four different 5m cable sets, always banana to spade with several brands of connectors, from no-name to high-end WBT locking posts, in the 30 years that my equipment has been in the same places in the same cabinet in my living room, and I never, ever have had an issue with any other connector at either end of the cables.)