Banana plugs, Spades or a little of each?

The material is more important than whether it is a spade or banana. Bananas usually sound like s--t, as does gold plating, etc. The banana spring tension goes south and the sound goes with it. Go with Cardas Rhodium and you will notice that when you clean them there is no black grunge like there is with gold. The Rhodium also sound good today and a year from now. I like spades which fit good, or a banana which is very tight, not the ones with the spring which twirls...gives you another contact area to bridge. Use quicksilver cleaner or the like.

I have found spades to be the most secure termination. They would seem to have the best contact area due to their size.

Sound wise I wouldnt like to say which is the best as each set of cables I have had have changed brand/geometry as well as the type of connectors.

What I would say is as long as you have a tight and clean connection you should be ok.

The type of metal and constuction is important too. But if you have a good cable, usually the manufacturer has looked into this within reason.

I do prefer gold, but it needs to be cleaned regularly. Though my latest speaker cables use Cardas rhodium spades and I cant complain!

There is also a school of thought that says keep to the same type of metal as the binding post as its not good to mix metal contacts.

Best to use your ears

For a combination of convenience, contact area and secure fit I like the BFA-style bananas, also known as Z-plugs. It's easy to adjust the tension, either tighter or looser depending on your binding posts, they're very quick to connect and disconnect, and the entire length and diameter of the plug makes contact with the inner surface of the binding post.

Audioquest makes a version of it and the Knukonceptz brand available online are good quality and inexpensive.

06-05-08: Unclejeff
"I have a hard time getting my spades to stay on the speakers. Whenever the maids come over I need to chech that they have not come off while cleaning.
Unclejeff "

AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHHH, You let maids near your equipment!!!

I don't even let my audio buddies that close. I have Gold-velvet rope across that end of the room. And just in case they are tempted, I have pictures of blood-dripping hands with severed fingers (and more blood). Can't be too careful.

Bananas for ease of use. I use both WBTs on Crystal Cable and BFAs on DIY cables and both work well. Cardas copper spades on the end of jumpers between sets of speaker posts.