Hi Folks
Supernait 3, Kef R3’s, got 4m Nac A5 on ebay, good upgrade, amp end Naim double plug, speaker end 4mm plugs are a bit loose, working their way out due to stiffness of cable, will be replaced.
Any difference speaker spades vs plugs?
Angled spades look like a better option with the stiff Nac A5
I’ve always had better results with bananas than spades, they just seem to be more secure although spades still do the job.
I like Naim plugs because the cable hangs straight down which minimises stress on the plug and socket, so that would be my first choice. Soldering skills required, of course.
I advise banana pins over spades every time. Spades are good when their binding post is tight, but not when it becomes loose. Banana pins don’t have that problem.
I would also not go with the Naim banana plugs as a first choice, they’re a really good plug & also the 90 degree angle will make for a neat install on your KEFs, the problem is the pins are nickel plated & the Kef binding posts are gold plated - this is dissimilar metals & is not ideal.
I would go for a set of 90 degree angled gold plated banana pins - lots to choose with a www search
Cheers Chris
My cousin had a pair of Kefs and I’m pretty certain they had nickel plated sockets - perhaps they have changed them recently?
Hi Chris, I looked at a pic on www & they looked gold coloured, but your post prompted another look & other pics looks like a silver coloured plating.
Whatever, its not a big deal, but banana over spades every time.
This Thread is Bananas… 
You always call a spade a spade.
But never a Banana… 
Deltron banana plugs soldered with a MultiCore Crystal 505 tin/lead solder from a Weller Marksman SI175 watt iron - eating a banana (or) two beforehand is a very positive energy before taking on this task.
Milk and sugar?
And facing Salisbury… 
My own choice is pure copper spades as they hang very naturally from the contact point with minimum strain on the wire, speaker end of course with naim or kle bananas at the amp end.
Of course i check and re-tighten my spades every month or so.
90 degree bananas hang very naturally as well, but unlike spades, they don’t have the loosening connection problem.
Right-angled Naim plug bananas are fine on my SBLs, but a right buqqeration at the 250s, where there’s only about an inch in which to bend NACA5 through ninety.
I gently warm the NACA5 up with a heat gun/hairdryer until it becomes a little easier to bend in the direction I want. I then hold it in that position until it cools down. Seems to work well enough for me and I’ve heard of others doing similar. Might be worth a try.
Will give that a try, cheers.
Yeah, I’ve done that, which helps, but you cant go too far coz it is well known that electrons do have trouble negociating 90 degree bends…………
That’s only true if it’s an exact tight right hand bend. If you keep it a little loose, the electrons bounce off the outside curve and get a bit of a Sonic (the hedgehog) speed boost.
