About Audio Trends Banana Plugs
The Audio Trends Banana Plugs are available in Red & Black and provide a nice solid connection between speakers and amplifiers and work with 12 gauge to 16 gauge speaker cable. They are a part of our 'top-value' range of products - good quality, reasonably priced.
The Audio Trends 4mm Banana Plugs are the ideal finishing connection between your high-quality amplifier/receiver and speakers to ensure you get the best from your speaker cable
Designed for use where price, speed and convenience are the paramount concern, these connectors make the most of the screw style termination providing a twin screw clamp to suit cable diameters (actual strands) up to 3.25mm. The Audio Trends plugs are 24ct Gold Plated which has a resistivity almost as low as copper but more importantly does not oxidise in air.
High Contact: The Audio Trends banana plug is designed to maximise contact area throughout the wide tolerance range encountered in 4mm amplifier and speaker sockets. Some can be quite tight whereas others may be loose, so the spring loaded blade is designed to fit into smaller and larger sockets with equal insertion force. This means that the contact area is maximised and the connection remains uniformly tight.
Solid Construction: The banana plugs are made of brass which has roughly twice the resistivity of copper. For this reason the plug was devised so that its cross-sectional area would be at least double that of the cable to which it was connected effectively cancelling out the extra resistance of the plug material. The connector is then plated with high purity gold which has a resistivity almost as low as copper but more importantly does not oxidise in air. Construction is completed by a solid metal screw on body that gives the plugs the toughness and resilience to last for many years.
A Short History of Speaker Cable Connections
We just thought it would be a good idea to write a little about our experience with speaker cable and terminations which dates back to the mid 1960's as well as the reasons why connectors like Banana Plugs and Spade Terminals are no longer considered a luxury.
Of course, speaker wire or cable has been and will continue to be an important part of the audio video chain for the foreseeable future. You need speaker cable to connect between your Amplifier or Home Theatre Receiver and your speakers. You can use bare wire, but this is the # 1 contributing factor in causing expensive damage to your Amplifier/Receiver. How so?
Up until the mid 1980's, most Amplifiers had a spring-clip connector and speaker cable was simple 18AWG to 24AWG (thin) stranded cable. It wasn't difficult to get it right although many did get it horribly wrong. Note: AWG stands for American Wire Gauge a USA standard for cable thickness.
We've seen plenty of people strip back even 50mm (should only be 8-12mm) of the insulation thus exposing lots of bare wire and danger! When the positive and negative "touch" disaster is only micro seconds away as well as a nasty burning smell from your precious Amplifier/Receiver!
As speaker cable came under the spotlight as a way of improving sound - Bob Low from AudioQuest was one of the first - and thicker cable was the first theory, a better way had to be found for connecting this thicker speaker cable. The first idea was thin brass pins that were crimped to the cable, and although an improvement, were tricky and often popped out of the spring connector - voice of experience here!
Spade Connectors: These had been around for many years in the electronics world and so the "smarties" among us started using these, particularly at the speaker end which often had thumb screws. However, these still only suited thin cable. So, not long after the brass pins came to market, so did some decent Spade Connectors.
Banana Plugs: Today, even entry-level Amplifiers/Receivers have provision for Banana (4mm) plugs and although Spade Connectors and Banana Plugs are still optional - yes bare-wire is also still a choice you have - quality connectors are chosen by most of our customers because (1) they keep everything a lot tidier (2) are easier to remove and relocate on equipment that needs to be moved (3) they minimise the risk of damage to your expensive electronics (4) they're easy to install and (5) both Spade Connectors and Banana Plugs have a larger surface area than bare-wire alone and so more of the 'electronic' signal passes from Amplifier to Speaker.
Note: Please don't conclude that all Banana Plugs are equal! There is an abundance of absolute rubbish and junk on the Internet. The 'external' springs lose tension in no time thus defeating one of the primary advantages of buying plugs in the first place. Sure, they're only $2.50 each, look like the real deal with Gold plating etc but you are wasting your money.
The quality 24ct gold plating on these Audio Trends plugs also provide corrosion resistance which prevents poor signal transfer and potential damage to your equipment. They have been designed to work on all brand speaker cables within the 12AWG to 16AWG size. In fact, using the right cables is the easiest way to instantly upgrade the sound quality of your system. The insulated "barrels" ensure correct phasing and help prevent accidental amplifier damage. They are robust and easy to install.
Main Features & Specifications
- Outer Cable Diameter: Suits up to 4mm or 12AWG, 14AWG & 16AWG Cable
- Construction: Gold Plated Brass Plug with Solid Metal Jacket
- Design: Strong spring for a good tight fit
- 24ct Gold Plating: Delivers optimum signal transfer
- Two Screw Anchor System: Provides secure cable connection without need to solder
- Covers: Colour coded threaded covers also assist with correct phasing
- Length: Overall plug length including cover is 48mm
- Quantity: This package includes 5 Red and 5 Black Banana Plugs
- Please Note: Plugs may be labelled differently to what is shown in the images
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE