Those pesky linking strips

I’ve not created a thread before, so here goes.
Despite many comments to the contrary, is there anyone else like me (in this respect, that is)?
I have tried replacing the manufacturer’s speaker terminal linking strips on my speakers with banana to spade alternatives, only to find that:

  1. The sound does change;
  2. …but to the detriment to the sound and the music.
    My conclusionis that the manufacturer gets it right, presumably in the design of the XO.

The speaker crossover is still in circuit, what you are doing is swapping out bits of brass for very short links of speaker cable. I’m a little bit surprised you think it sounds worse and prefer the brass. If anything my expectation would be either you’d hear an improvement even if slight, or no difference, but not worse.

I do not know what metal is used for my linking strips…they are silver coloured. I had assumed that the linking strips contribute to the overall parameters of the XO, rather than that the XO is by-passed.
But, whatever the explanation, the music falls to pieces when the linking strips are replaced. The best way to describe the sound might be 'the mid range seems to be vastly diminished.

What are the speakers?

As Robert_h (and you!), I would be surprised to find it worse, suggesting something amiss with the links you’re trying.

What exactly are the links you are trying? (you say banana to spade, but what wire, and how is the wire fitted to the banana plug and the spade? How well fitting is the banana in the socket and how well clamped the spade? Have you tried the amp connected both ways round? (i don’t mean phase, but which connectors get the speaker cable.)

I suppose it is possible that the original links are simply particularly good, e.g. silver plated copper, pure silver, etc., but even tgen I wouldn’t expect a well-made alternative to sound worse, or if so only almost imperceptibly.

I think its nothing more fancy than a simple way of allowing a single set of terminals to be used, when not biwiring or biamping. Of course some speaker manufacturers insist on providing only single terminals, and others even 3 sets, depending on their design philosophy.

Akubariks (so 2 x 5 terminals/channel)
Chord cable + jumpers (cannot remember the specific type)
Then QED XT40 cable + jumpers
…in both instances, collapse of the sound/music with the jumpers.
Now TQ Silver II…no more experimenting with jumpers!

Are you able to take and post a photo showing the terminals/connections?

Google finds…

I think id leave the links in place!

I do wonder whether the OP is linking all the positive terminals together for the positive connection and linking all the negative terminals together for the negative connection when the strips have been removed.

I have had this experience also. It is a mistake to assume that speaker cable jumpers are always an improvement. For me, the worst case scenario was with a speaker that had three sets of terminals–the stock strips sounded more coherent, by a considerable margin.

  1. Yes I am;
  2. Always in phase.
    …been doing this sort of thing for 40 years!
    …and it’s nothing to do with the complexity of the 2 x 5 terminals/chanel of the Akubariks. I (effectively) bi-amp (Klimax Twin) the centre chanel which involves one stereo set of jumpers for the super tweeter to tweeter and the other side of the stereo amp to the bass-mid once again, using the jumpers collapses the sound. Perhaps Linn make great linking strips.

Just checking !

Given so many terminals and what you’ve found sound wise, leaving alone sounds the best bet.

…agreed just what I am doing.

2 Likes

Sounds like dodgy jumpers to me (the wired ones), whether the crimping/soldering, the wire or the connectors.

…chord and QED?

How made up?

Personally if I was trying to replace a single metal busbar linking 5 connectors I wouldn’t use a serial run of cables/connectors, but either: 1) splice and solder the speaker cable wire end to five equal length flying leads (ideally the same composition as the speaker cable), each with its own plug or spade on the end, or 2) In the unlikely event that the connectors have the capacity, make the joint between the speaker cable wire to 4 flying leads within the shank of one connector.

But I doubt I’d bother, instead make sure the busbar is tightly clamped at each point (which may benefit from re-checking periodically), and use a resistance meter to check tesistance between any pairs of connectors on the same busbar, which ahould read zero unless the meter reads to 100ths of an ohm or better.

I will watch this with interest, as I’m just about to make up some jumpers. Will use the same cable ( chord epic x) as the main single run from my amp.
My PMC 20.26 have 3 sets of binding posts, so added buggeration.
But, I am expecting an improvement over the brass ( unlikely to be 24cwt gold) straps.

…Over time, I have indeed concluded that the best solution is to use the strips and to ensure that their connections are tight.

…will be interested in how it sounds.

My PMC ones are gold plated copper rods, maybe 2-2.5mm diameter, (the connectors also gold plated). When I was running passive I felt no need to even consider replacing them.