Banana Plugs: Closed Screw Type vs Open Screw Type?

I don't know what you mean by closed-screw vs. open screw, and I've seen most kinds of banana plugs. I like to get the kind with plastic insulation around everything but the tip, makes for easier color identification and less chance you can accidentally short them together. The best I have seen are from Solen. They have a nice long insulator and two set screws to hold the wire. They fit nice and tightly in any jack I've tried. The length may be an issue for some people. They're cheap, too. But, I don't know how it is ordering from Canada these days. They have a $25 minimum order, plus some miscellaneous customs fees if you're outside Canada. Their prices tend to make it seriously worthwhile though, if you're ordering a lot of stuff.

http://www.solen.ca/pub/cms_nf_catal...2=2&niveau3=43

I think I know what TechFire is referring to. For example, on Monoprice.com, there are two kinds of banana plugs (sorry I could not post URLs):

Closed Screw Type

Open Screw Type

They look very similar - what is the difference?

What you're refering to as "Closed Screw" is rear entry, i.e. the cable is inserted through a hole in the back of the plug that isn't visible in those pictures. What you're calling "Open Screw" is side entry, i.e. the cable is inserted through the hole in the side of the plug. I use the rear entry purely for aesthetics... to me, side entry just looks like you've made your binding posts longer. Remember, there's no sound quality to be gained by using these plugs, only the aesthetics and ease-of-use when connecting/disconnecting.

Stephen is right, I see it now. Side entry of the cable vs. rear entry is the only significant difference. I still prefer the kind I have due to the insulation and much larger color coding, but to each his own. The price for those Monoprice plugs is excellent. In my opinion, rear entry would be easier to use on the crowded rear panel of a receiver, depending on how your speaker output posts are arranged. Either should be fine at the speaker end.

Bingo. I grabbed 7 pair of the closed type linked above for my 7.1 install a few weeks ago on sale and they're easily worth it if just to avoid the aggravation of jamming my mitts into the back of the AVR trying to get to the forest of binding posts. Much cleaner in back, also. Bare wire at the speaker end as my surrounds are flush on the wall.

Thanks for the help, everyone! Now only if my receiver would get here. *glares at UPS*