Are the insulated binding posts worth it? I'm looking at some long ones on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/5Pair-Speaker-Banana-Terminal-Long-Binding-Post-RBL-/320708589351?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aabb8b727#ht_3170wt_1279) and I'm wondering if they're worth it. Madisound also has long binding posts and so does PE, but $9 per pair seems a bit much.
Insulated plugs are a good idea if they're going to be used in an environment where there are lots of other wires or dangers from shorts, however if you're planning on screwing them into the back of a wooden speaker or into a plastic cup on a speaker and you take care that all the strands on your wires are tinned / in a connector it probably doesn't make much difference.
Agreed, Apex Jr has some good deals on these parts.
Agreed, Apex Jr has some good deals on these parts.
I'd love to use those, but unfortunately they really haven't been adopted widely in home audio.
I suppose we could start a trend for home audio speakers that used them and then just terminate our speaker leads with them.
Edit: Afterthought: How difficult is it to reverse the polarity on these connectors? I do sometimes mess with stuff that required polarity tinkering...OP might as well.
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My thoughts exactly.
Since I discovered them (not being pro audio guy) I've never considered using anything else in my own projects.
Not sure why that's relevant, given that
a) the speakers are being DIY'ed.
b) male connectors are both readily available and easy to use (set screws)
c) they're cheaper, and better (positive locking, gas-tight, more compact).
It's relevant due to the fact that you could potentially be dealing with speaker leads that have been terminated already with spade lugs or banana plugs. While I might be willing to re-terminate my leads (and then stop my leads from working with any other speaker) someone else might not be.
Seriously? Such a person shouldn't be engaging in DIY audio.
And how hard is it to go from a Speakon plug to a banana/spade? Unscrew one set screw, remove wire, insert wire, clamp down set screw. Whoo hoo.
(Yes, there are people who seem to think that things such as solder or whatever can affect the sound. Or that wires generally can. Decorum prevents me from expressing my opinion of such people's hearing acuity.)
Yeah, I've got my wires terminated - soldered and heat shrunk with banana plugs, due to the fact that they fit into every home audio speaker that I've come across.
I'm not against trying better connectors, or for a better standard being adopted. I'm not attached to bananas and I think the Neutrik connectors might actually be better, however I probably won't re terminate any speaker leads until the consumer audio industry at large does the same thing.
Such is my thought exactly. It's possible I would want to sell these in the future and the odds that someone else will have speakon connectors is very slim. Those ones from apex jr look like the ones from ebay.
What about these from Madisound? Look to be almost exactly the same as the daytons from PE. Posts: BG-POSTB Binding Post Black: Madisound Speaker Store
Actually, speakons look pretty interesting. The two pole version should be the same as two binding posts, right? And the 4 pole would be 4? Having only one connector for the whole speaker would be pretty nice, and quite cost effective.
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They call 'em 5-way binding posts for a reason. The odds are good that one has a bare wire, a loop of wire, a spade lug, a soldered pin or maybe even a mating banana plug. I like 5-ways for versatility, but IMO a banana isn't the ultimate connection. It has however, stood the test of time since General Radio Corp. invented the banana plug back in 1924. Sometimes I build with a big brass screw, a couple washers and a big brass wing nut!
You haven't been at this for long, then. The resale value of finished DIY projects rarely amounts to much. Basically just the resale value of the drive units. Sad, but true. People who DIY want to do their own projects, and people who don't DIY want brand names they've heard of.
And besides, in the event of a sale one could just throw in a set of Speakon ends, or for that matter the whole speaker wires.
Yes all around.
Yep, this is my first build. I didn't assume I'd keep the speakers but being a college student, I may decide I need the money back at some inevitably desperate time and I'll have to sell the speakers for face value. Looks like I'll be using speakon, though. Cheap and effective.
My 2 cent: If you are not using wire thicker than 4 mm2 (which is adequate) then the right way to go is Speakon .... you simply don´t get a better connection, and it is just so easy to use .... (but don´t use any copy products .... Neutrik is the best quality by far and not expensive at all)
Neutrik - Audio - speakON Lockable Loudspeaker Connector
Neutrik - Audio - speakON Lockable Loudspeaker Connector
Which should I go: 4 connector cable or 2x 2 connector cable with sleeving? High quality, large gauge, 2 connector cable is cheap. 4 connector cable is not so.
I'm thinking this is a possibility: http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/bulk-speaker-cable/10g3-49150.htm with http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=082-320
Or I double up this and use the same sleeving above: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=109-160
I'm thinking this is a possibility: http://www.cablewholesale.com/specs/bulk-speaker-cable/10g3-49150.htm with http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=082-320
Or I double up this and use the same sleeving above: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=109-160
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In the first place it depends on whether you need to bi-wire/bi-amp. It is made with 4 (or 8 poles) to allow very easy bi- or quad amping in the pro segment.
For home use, you can just opt for using the 2 polse for normal connection.
You can actually get not so expensive 4 connector cables. Look in some pro shops on the net. The connectors are also sold in a 2 pole versin (NL2).
Pa Speaker Cables SPC-540/SW Stage Line PA Speaker Cables SPC-540/SW 4 Core Black 129720 - Stagebeat - 4 Core Black 129720 12.9720 speaker speakers cable cables lead leads wire wires 4 four core cores speakeron speaker-on speak-on neutrik newtrick me
For home use, you can just opt for using the 2 polse for normal connection.
You can actually get not so expensive 4 connector cables. Look in some pro shops on the net. The connectors are also sold in a 2 pole versin (NL2).
Pa Speaker Cables SPC-540/SW Stage Line PA Speaker Cables SPC-540/SW 4 Core Black 129720 - Stagebeat - 4 Core Black 129720 12.9720 speaker speakers cable cables lead leads wire wires 4 four core cores speakeron speaker-on speak-on neutrik newtrick me
I used speakons for my speakers as I housed the crossover in a separate cabinet, so needed four cores to the speaker cabinets and have worked with them in pro-audio equipment. When I do my amp build I'll be fitting speakon sockets on the back for the outputs and I have an 8-way speakon prepared ready to supply power for the amp! 
Couldn't be happier with them.
Couldn't be happier with them.
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