Nakamichi or Monoprice (banana plugs)

I have the Nakamichi ones. Speaking from an electrician's point of view, there will be no difference between the two assuming you use 16AWG wire or bigger. The Nakamichis will spread out the wire as you smash it down with the screw.

I'm using the Nakamichi right now but it's purely for aesthetic purposes. Personally though I like the Monoprice head screwed type better and I'm in the process of replacing all the bananas I've got with that type.

I've always liked the looks of the Nakamichi plugs, but for ease of use and excellent price, I've used these "Safe Connect" GLS plugs for years....

http://www.speakerrepair.com/Merchan...e=safe_connect

As porksmash mentions, as long as the wire is of sufficient AWG and you have a tight connection, there will be no real difference from an electrical POV.

I like the set-screw style.

Monoprice has their banana plugs on sale for .94 a pair. What's not to like!!!!!

I like my Monoprice plugs, but the lug end (what goes into the binding post) has lost compression/spring-retention over roughly 2 years. They still hold, but I can feel play in the connection that I don't remember noticing when I firt installed them 2 years ago. I'm not planning on replacing them, but I am adding some heatshrink over the barell to ensure that a loose plug doesn't contact its mate and cause a short. I really wish Monoprice would come out with a version that has a non-conductive barell.

Exactly the style of bananas I like. Cheap too...

If monoprice comes out with a safety type banana for $2.50/pr or less, I'll likely replace all 11 pairs I have in my setup (5 pairs at the AVR, 6 pairs on patch cables going from L/C/R to wall-plates). Actually, I might only replace the 5 pairs at the AVR since the L/C/R and wall-plate are well spaced with little chance of accidental touching, while at the AVR they're pretty close. At the AVR I'm currently using these Dayton plugs which I got 4-for-$1 with water-damaged packaging from their tent at the Dayton Hamvention... they have a black coating of some sort on the body, but I'm not convinced it's non-cunductive or that it would help if two inadvertantly touched.

Nakamichis look better IMO, but I use monoprice for all my connections.

The closed type at monoprice are on special today for .94/pair I guess I'm kind of late with this news...

what's the advantage of the banana plug over the regular wiring method?

Ease of use mainly.... just plug in and forget it. No binding post to come loose and need to be re-tightened and no bare wire to oxidize over time which can degrade the sound.

http://www.parts-express.com/heat-sh...TOKEN=82532456

Yeap, there's no advantage to ultra tightened spades either as far as SQ. Choose whatever is the safest and easiest to connect.

Oops.... sorry about that. Any electrical wiring type wholesaler will have heat shrink. You should be able to just walk in and buy it off the shelf. It may be in three or four feet pieces (way more than you might need) but it will be cheap and no shipping.

Here are a couple of electrical/wiring business I fount in Montreal doing a quick and rudimentary Google search. I probably could have come up with more if I could read French....

Good luck.

http://www.montreal.servpro.ca/listc...lectronic.html

Easily fixed without dismantling your speaker cable; The compression fitting unscrews seperately from the barrel and retainer.

I didn't notice they were a 3-piece unitl I accidentally unscrewed one.

That will still require me to order more... since they still hold, but now with a little play, I think I'll just hold out until I can get a good deal on some safety type lugs, and possibly some with a screw set.

To those with the Nakamichi plugs, does the plug end have 4 or 6 spring leafs?

I've noticed the same thing that Stephen Hopkins has - the 4 spring leaf end of the monoprice plugs tends to lose it's tension over time.

A 6 spring leaf plug might provide a firmer contact.

I checked with the seller...and it is 6.

I had bought some Lowe's banana plugs that are basically the same style at these Nakamichi plugs - double set screw with 6 leafs on the plug...

The Lowe's plugs definitely gave a tighter connection than the Monoprice plugs I have. The downside is the Lowe's plugs cost approx $4 per pair when buying the 5 pair pack, so I returned them.

These Nakamichi plugs can be had for approx $2 per pair shipped, so they're much more appealing.

I'd say it comes down to personal preference.

So far I've worked with both the closed screw and open screw type Monoprice plugs, the Lowe's set screw type plugs, and the Blue Jeans Cable compression type plugs.

For connection to the speaker wire, I like the set screw style (I've connected them to 14 and 16 awg wire), but I think all of the plugs I've tried work just fine. The BJC plugs are a nicer style of compression plug because they have a "slug" insert that tightens down on the folded wire.

My biggest gripe with the Monoprice plugs is that plug end not connecting as firmly to the binding post as others. I think the BJC plugs were the best for this, followed by the Lowe's plugs.

I am thinking about getting some of the Nakamichi plugs since they seems to be just like the Lowe's plugs, but cheaper.

The same ebay seller has these Nakamichi plugs as well:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=180318796175

Just like the 0534B, but with a plastic barrel - so non-conductive outside and no need for heat shrink.