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To terminate.. or not

Greetings everyone,
As I sometimes like to move speakers to different systems/locations in my home, I am considering terminating some new cable that I plan to purchase.

What is the wisdom around here regarding termination? Is bare wire that advantageous to terminated? Spades have any inherent sonic advantage to BFA's?

Do most audiophiles use bare wire?

Thanks in advance. I'm not interesting in obsessing on this one. Rather, I want to order some stuff and listen to some music on my new speakers!
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rja's avatar
rja
2,112 posts
 
Kijanki,
I had those Cardas on my amp. They drove me crazy. I had them removed.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
3,575 posts
 
Rja - Why? They are the best invention since sliced bread. My cable is very thick and heavy but it cannot get unscrewed. Traditional post can get loose with rotation of the wire but Cardas Clamp cannot - it is very strong and secure. I also love big knob I can tighten securely without any tools.

Are we talking about the same connector? Check second picture: http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2007/rowland_capri-102.shtml
rja's avatar
rja
2,112 posts
 
I'm sure they work great for most and they are a nice design. I was hooking up 4 spades into each one which I found to be a hassle, much easier with standard type binding posts.
c1ferrari
464 posts
 
Hi Axle,

I believe one rational for spade connection is it affords greater surface area for electrical contact.

Regards,
Sam
axle
49 posts
 
Yes, surface area makes sense. But do you really get contact over the entire surface? Both the spade and the binding post are probably not as flat as they may seem to the naked eye. The result is contact only on highest spots of the top surface and the lowest spots of the bottom surface. But if you add a lock washer on top of a star washer, now you are guaranteed surface area coverage plus tension force.
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