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Best Banana plugs and type for the money? Please read and kindly advise. - Page 2

post #31 of 46
2/8/13 at 2:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by addictaudio View Post

Regardless of brand, by by twisting the cables together as described, there is a decrease in wire gauge size, correct?

Yes.

I wouldn't have suggested buying it, but If it's in your walls, you might as well use it.
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post #32 of 46
2/8/13 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JD in NJ View Post

Yes.

I wouldn't have suggested buying it, but If it's in your walls, you might as well use it.

Yes, unfortunately it is already, so it is too late. You would not suggest, because it is overpriced, or because of what was done with the twisting at the end to decrease wire gauge thickness, when connecting to the banana plugs?
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post #33 of 46
2/8/13 at 2:55pm
Just price. Using two conductors for each pole in and of itself is not going to cause any problems, I promise you. The only way you could have an issue is if someone connected black/black at one end of a wire and black/red at the other. This would of course create a short circuit situation and the best case scenario is probably your AVR shutting itself down for its own protection.
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post #34 of 46
2/9/13 at 8:34am
I picked up my banana plugs at lowes. I've also been wondering how good they are. They've got two screws to hold the wires in place and seem reasonably well built.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_248214-60784-364827-V5_0__?productId=1070635&Ntt=banana+plugs&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dbanana%2Bplugs&facetInfo=

I've been pretty happy with them. But don't really know what to compare them to.
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post #35 of 46
2/9/13 at 8:45am
One plug is not going to make your speakers sound better than another plug. As long as it holds the wire in place with the two set screws then you're fine.
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post #36 of 46
2/10/13 at 6:32am
Which is why I just picked up set of 6 for $15-
Sewell Pro Maestro Banana Plugs w/Gold Connectors
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post #37 of 46
2/10/13 at 11:15am
I'm almost positive that the Sewell, GLS Audio, and Blue Jeans Cable plugs come from the SAME Chinese OEM. The Sewell Harpoon would be similar to the BJC and GLS Audio locking banana plug but the barrel wall on the Sewell and BJC look thinner than the GLS Audio. GLS changed their locking plug barrel because they were originally designed for up to 4 gauge wire in their Generation 1 plugs. The Generation 2,3, and 4 plugs will take up to an 8 gauge wire, which would be a better fit for 18 to 14 gauge wire.

I owned a set of GLS Generation 1 locking and the screws were really too small for 12 gauge wire unless it was folded once. The screws are about twice the length of the Generation 1 screws.

I got out the micrometer and took some measurements rounded to the nearest 1/1000th.

Barrel thickness = 0.09"
Wire hole diameter = 0.25"
Screw length = 0.215"
Plug diameter = 0.158"
Plug length = 0.625"
Edited by jevans64 - 2/10/13 at 11:34am
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post #38 of 46
2/10/13 at 11:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jevans64 View Post

I'm almost positive that the Sewell, GLS Audio, and Blue Jeans Cable plugs come from the SAME Chinese OEM.
Could be. There aren't hundreds of factories cranking out plugs. There may be a dozen, each supplying dozens of clients.
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post #39 of 46
2/10/13 at 11:09pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jevans64 View Post

I'm almost positive that the Sewell, GLS Audio, and Blue Jeans Cable plugs come from the SAME Chinese OEM. The Sewell Harpoon would be similar to the BJC and GLS Audio locking banana plug but the barrel wall on the Sewell and BJC look thinner than the GLS Audio. GLS changed their locking plug barrel because they were originally designed for up to 4 gauge wire in their Generation 1 plugs. The Generation 2,3, and 4 plugs will take up to an 8 gauge wire, which would be a better fit for 18 to 14 gauge wire.

I owned a set of GLS Generation 1 locking and the screws were really too small for 12 gauge wire unless it was folded once. The screws are about twice the length of the Generation 1 screws.

I got out the micrometer and took some measurements rounded to the nearest 1/1000th.

Barrel thickness = 0.09"
Wire hole diameter = 0.25"
Screw length = 0.215"
Plug diameter = 0.158"
Plug length = 0.625"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Fitzmaurice View Post

Could be. There aren't hundreds of factories cranking out plugs. There may be a dozen, each supplying dozens of clients.


If so, and if BJC are known for offering good quality products at reasonable rates, why would their loocking banana's cost over $5.00 for a pair, if they are of the same quality and type as the much lesser expensive ones, such as Sewell?
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post #40 of 46
2/10/13 at 11:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by addictaudio View Post


If so, and if BJC are known for offering good quality products at reasonable rates, why would their loocking banana's cost over $5.00 for a pair, if they are of the same quality and type as the much lesser expensive ones, such as Sewell?

There could be plenty of factors including larger quantities ordered from OEM or less materials ( thinner barrel wall ) required to make them.

Since I used a micrometer to measure my GLS Audio Locking plugs, I used the same micrometer to measure the close-up picture Sewell has for their Harpoon plug. It is quite simple to determine the barrel wall thickness with three of the four values needed. I basically divided the ratio between the GLS Audio outer diameter vs. the Sewell picture OD and divided it by the picture measurement of the wall thickness between the two screws.

I determined that the barrel wall thickness of the Harpoon is roughly 0.06" vs. 0.09" for the GLS Audio but that assumes the other dimensions are the same between both plugs. I'm betting the Harpoon screws are shorter as well. It takes less material to make the Harpoon. That still doesn't explain the $9 difference ( for 8 plugs ) between the Sewell and GLS/BJC. I'd say GLS/BJC are gouging a little bit until someone with the Sewell plugs compares them to the GLS/BJC.
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post #41 of 46
2/10/13 at 11:57pm
Thread Starter 
OK fellas, so for MY applcation and with the type of wires that I am using, which one will work best for the replacement of the ones that I have now? Does the GLS, Sewell, and BJC all work the same way, or does the wire have to be stripped or placed any differently in the banana (clamped, soldered, etc...)?
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post #42 of 46
2/11/13 at 1:39am
Wow...this is getting entertaining...cooking popcorn....keep it coming. I don't understand why this is getting to be so complicated. At least I am having fun reading it!
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post #43 of 46
2/11/13 at 4:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by addictaudio View Post

OK fellas, so for MY applcation and with the type of wires that I am using, which one will work best for the replacement of the ones that I have now? Does the GLS, Sewell, and BJC all work the same way, or does the wire have to be stripped or placed any differently in the banana (clamped, soldered, etc...)?

The diameter of the GLS tube is significantly LARGER than the BJC. If you get anything smaller than 10 gauge (like 12AWG) , it will NOT FIT TIGHTLY in the GLS.
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post #44 of 46
2/11/13 at 10:56am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GusGus748s View Post

Wow...this is getting entertaining...cooking popcorn....keep it coming. I don't understand why this is getting to be so complicated. At least I am having fun reading it!

Because my situation is unique in the way that they turned the four conductor Audioquest Type 2 cables into two conductors, and the current bananas did not work out properly, so I want to make sure that the new ones will work without a snag before ordering, and not have to to waste any more money to do this a third time around. You are in Visalia, so I assume that you want to help?

Quote:
Originally Posted by AcuDefTechGuy View Post

The diameter of the GLS tube is significantly LARGER than the BJC. If you get anything smaller than 10 gauge (like 12AWG) , it will NOT FIT TIGHTLY in the GLS.

Andy, any idea on the wire gage thickness for my wires when they combined the two positive conductors and two negative conductors into one of each?
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post #45 of 46
2/11/13 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by addictaudio View Post

Because my situation is unique in the way that they turned the four conductor Audioquest Type 2 cables into two conductors, and the current bananas did not work out properly, so I want to make sure that the new ones will work without a snag before ordering, and not have to to waste any more money to do this a third time around. You are in Visalia, so I assume that you want to help?
Andy, any idea on the wire gage thickness for my wires when they combined the two positive conductors and two negative conductors into one of each?

I wouldn't say that your situation is unique. However, if you are near Visalia, I'll help out out if you need help. That being said, I would suggest, soldering the two strands together to make one strand, and buying the Sewell Harpons, or something similar to those for the AVR connections, and Sewell Spades for the speaker connectors.

Yes, I do live in Visalia, CA 93291. Like I said I will help you if you are close. I can't really drive far away since on Saturday a 19 year old girl decided to play on her cell phone while driving in the freeway and broadsided me...pretty much totaled my car and her daddy's new SUV mad.gif
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post #46 of 46
2/11/13 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GusGus748s View Post

I wouldn't say that your situation is unique. However, if you are near Visalia, I'll help out out if you need help. That being said, I would suggest, soldering the two strands together to make one strand, and buying the Sewell Harpons, or something similar to those for the AVR connections, and Sewell Spades for the speaker connectors.

Yes, I do live in Visalia, CA 93291. Like I said I will help you if you are close. I can't really drive far away since on Saturday a 19 year old girl decided to play on her cell phone while driving in the freeway and broadsided me...pretty much totaled my car and her daddy's new SUV mad.gif

Sorry to hear than man. I am a novice at this, so that is why I ask so many questions. I am in the Fresno area. Are you in the audio/video installation business? According to my research, the four conductor Type 2 Audioquest cables are 16 gage, but when combined, as they did in my case, they are now 13 gage or so. There are so many recommendations and opinions, that it is crazy. I believe that the wires will now go from the speakers to my Emotiva XPA-5, versus the Denon 4311. I was going to order 10 pairs of the BJC locking bananas, as no one seems to have issues with them? Nakamichi is being recommended on another Forum as well?
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