Retro and budget home hi fi

General Discussion Forums Life, The Universe and (almost) Everything!
441

It looks VERY professional Barrie!

442

This is my first attempt at making some better speaker cables for the HiFi. Until my other bits arrive, these are direct from the AIWA amp (bare wire connections) into the new banana plug sockets installed in the LEAK 2060 speakers.

Both 5m lengths comprising of;

16g OFC twin cable

Braided expandable sleeving

Wireable 4mm banana plugs (+/-)

Various size heat shrink sleeving

I just tinned the bare wire ends and put heat shrink over the braided sleeve to prevent fraying. Once I get the pedestal box delivered and work out where that will finally be situated, I can custom make some lengths to suit. I was just itching to have a go  I guess I could upgrade the cable and the plugs but everything will work fine as is. Not expensive either, the braid was a fiver for 100ft, etc.

Barrie

443

Done a couple of bits, finished off the cables which I have to say, I really enjoyed doing  . The banana sockets on the rear of the LEAK 2060’s, was completed but no picture so here’s one, used the original back plate, swapped out the screw in type cable connections for the new banana sockets, utilising the same holes.

Then, the pedestal box arrived (linked to by Roadie) very heavy item with a grained leather type finish, very nice. So I wired all the inputs/outputs and switches together and put it all together.

Ive mentioned before that electronics are not my thing, so I wired it all up wrong (well, what did you expect  ) Anyway, pulled it apart and rewired so that all is now good  Very pleased with my handiwork.

Barrie

444

Looking good Barrie, looking good!!!

445

Very nice Barrie. Judging by how quickly you put it all together you must have one of those rare oblong hole drill bits for the switches.

446

 Yes I have one Paul, a DREMEL! TBH, even though they’re quite small openings, I put a brand new 38mm quick change cutting disc in and the steel is that heavy gauge, I used the entire disc to do the openings! Thank you for that link, as I said previously, I didn’t know these things were available and bring quite heavy, with 6 lots of cable connected, it stays more or less where you put it 

Barrie

 

447

Presume You have put some little rubber feet or similar on the bottom.

448

  

Pervert!

449

Turn my back for 5 minutes and look what happens!  You lads crack me up 

Barrie

450

I resemble that remark.

 

451

15 minutes and we’ve got “bottom” and “crack” into the conversation. Good going even for us.

 

452

  

453

It’s because we’re all paid up members of the COG group!! 

Barrie

454

That banana plug and socket arrangement looks great Barrie.  I’ve never heard of them before.  It certainly all looks like a very tidy, and quick to operate set-up.

 

 

455

Hi Chris and thanks. I guess it provides a more positive connection than bare wire push in or screwed terminals and it does looks cool too!  Just another bit of the jigsaw puzzle and I really enjoyed doing it.

Barrie

456

Just going to throw in a thought. Happy for anyone with greater technical knowledge to shoot me down in flames.

With spring clip connectors when inserting a multi-strand copper wire the strands will tend to spread out and the spring will make contact with a number of strands. If the strands are tinned with solder making one solid wire the spring will contact one point. As well as this the surface of bare copper will oxidize less than a soldered wire.

If wires are going to be chopped and changed multiple times with spring connectors then tinning would be my best option. If it is a fit and forget situation I would suggest loosely twisting the wires and inserting them bare.

Probably the best option would be a crimp pin connector.

There you go Barrie, sorry for p*ssing on your chips.

457

Fear not Barrie! 

In my humble opinion, banana plugs are far better with relatively enormous contact area and no fear of the copper wire becoming oxidised or frayed.  Soldering is excellent if done properly.  Remember the hammering those very basic banana plug leads endured in the school physics and electronics labs; yours are a big step up on those.

Spring clips are almost a point contact cutting into the wire, possibly OK for a couple of watts going into a rear surround speaker, but potentially bad news for reliable sound from the main speakers, especially if they might be disturbed during vacuuming etc.  I hate spring clips, and they are creeping into domestic mains wiring fittings from non standard sources in the far east, OK just maybe on tinned solid wires but a no-no for any flex.

Crimps can introduce fatigue fractures at the end of the crimp because of the copper work hardening, and are bad news unless the insulation is also held by a secondary crimp, AND the correct crimp and tool are used for the particular gauge of wire.  Not so long ago I had to replace the terminations on the wires going to my cooker’s induction hob specifically because of that fatiguing.  Crimps are very good on a production line where all these parameters are under control, and they are then the quickest and cheapest way to do it, although maybe not ultimately the best.  Over the years I must have crimped tens of thousands of connections, but only where appropriate.

 

458

Agree with you RichardFX. Banana plug and sockets are much better than spring clips.

I’m talking about the spring clip connections on the Aiwa receiver to which Barrie is connecting with a tinned multi-strand wire. I’m suggesting that either not tinning these wires or adding a crimped pin might be better.

459

Ah I see.  Yes, you are right, tinned is the way to go for these if no room for a proper connector. 

Even the cheap and nasty wires for my (surprisingly better than expected) surround system came with tinned ends where they go into the cheap and nasty spring clips on the satellite speakers and amp.

460

Thanks guys  it’s nice that even this small part of an overall component system can receive attention. It’s all about (for me) getting the most out of what you’re working with and attempting to improve without spending a fortune. So what’s the definitive answer then? More than happy to leave the tinned cable ends as they are, or snip that bit off and start again with bare wire. I’m sort of stuck with the Spring clips on the AIWA amplifier, it’s so small in size, not much room to alter the connections to banana sockets, unlike the speakers which have loads of room 

Barrie