We’ve talked at great length about the importance of using high quality cables in your hi-fi. Interconnects, mains cables and even digital can all have a significant bearing on the clarity and quality of the signal – which ultimately effects the quality of the sound. And the higher end your system, the more of a difference you will notice. This is just as true with speaker cables – the better the wire, the better the sound that is transmitted between your system and the speakers. But have you spared much thought towards how the termination of your speaker cables with plugs will effect matters?
Seeing as we’re writing about it, you’ve probably guessed it: yes, terminating your speaker cables – and how you chose to do it – matters. But before we get into the hows, whats and whys, let’s give you a brief overview.
History & Explanation
Speaker cables are, quite specifically, the cables that connect your speakers to your power amplifier (or integrated amplifier if you don’t have a separates system) which will be connected by interconnects (or audio cables) to the source of your choice – be that the phono stage of your turntable, your digital streamer, your CD player or another source of your choice. A speaker wire is – in its most basic terms – a passive electrical component, the specs of which are described by its impedance, which is the measure of opposition to the alternating current, or AC. What determines the performance of impedance is condensed into three properties: resistance, capacitance and inductance. A low (or non-existent) resistance, capacitance and inductance is the goal, which means the ideal speaker wire has none of the above, but what really affects the performance of a cable is ultimately its resistance.
In the olden(ish) days, speaker cables were constructed out of simple copper – either solid or stranded – insulated with cloth tape, rubber or even waxed paper. Copper has always been the most common base material, owed to its naturally low resistance The make-do insulation would be stripped away, with the bare copper wire connected directly to the speaker. Termination was sparse, and when it was used it would typically involve the likes of binding posts, spade lugs and terminal strips – which would enable the wire to be attached by the tightening of a screw.
As effective as this method of termination was, by the 1930s, an increase in the mobility of sound systems called for a less fiddly option. The use of tipped phono jacks – 1/4 inch versions – became commonplace in loudspeakers especially, which paved the way for the style of termination we use to this day.
Why Terminate?
Although many would argue that bare wires are best – we would beg to differ! Termination of cables is beneficial for a number of reasons, in terms of both practicality and convenience and even sound quality. Plugs of all shapes and sizes offer a greater surface area which means there is a better contact area between the male and female plug. A better contact area means a much clearer signal, which impacts upon the overall sound quality. Not only that, but termination means that the cable itself will be significantly less prone to oxidisation – which copper wires are prone to. And oxidisation impacts upon resistance, over time.
There is, of course, more to it than just sound quality and longevity. Termination enables the user of the cable to fiddle with the system without fear of damaging the cable – and utlimately stripping off more and more of the casing in the process. It’s much easier to plug in and pull out a cable with a terminated plug, which means moving you system – or swapping and changing its components – need not be a headache. Whatsmore, terminated cabled look much smarter.
Termination Options
The options you have are fairly straight forward, and will be good for use with most amp and speaker systems. Remember, if you’re unsure about which option to go for, just give us a shout.
Banana Connectors
Most commonly referred to as a banana plug for the male and a banana jack for the female, the banana plug is typically a four leafed spring tip that enables a single wire to be connected firmly to the equipment. These have been in common use for speaker-to-amp connectivity since the mid to late 1920s.
Spade Connectors
Shaped like a crab claw, the spade connectors – commonly referred to as spade lugs – are the next most common type of speaker cable termination. Spades are a popular choice, owed to their tight fit, and expansive surface area. They not quite as easy to swap around as banana cables, but still offer heaps of convenience over bare wire.
BFA Connectors
Much less common – but still worth a mention – are BFA connectors, also known as Deltron plugs. Although use of these connectors has gradually fallen out of favour, you will still find them in use in Cyrus and some older Linn units.
Some brands, such as Naim, offer their own specially designed connections and terminations on their products too, which is certainly worth looking into if you are the owner of such a product.
Wiring Options – Single or Bi?
Cables are highly customisable (lets face it, they have to be!) and in order to adhere to the high demands of the systems the connect, there are a few wiring options too. When selecting your wires, you can chose from either single-wired, or bi-wired.
A single-wired wire is, as the name suggests, a single wire consisting of two cores, typically. Bi-wired wires typically consist of a four-cored wire with two wires at the amp end and four at the speaker end, each feeding the drivers separately from their own insulated conductor.
Bi-amping is the next step up from bi-wiring, and is only of use to those who have two separate power amps in their system. A bi-amping wire involves four wires on the amp end and four on the speaker end, each their own insulated conductors.
What Do We Offer?
As with everything else in the vast and expansive hi-fi realm, we can help with your termination needs too! As with anything as complicated as cables, we would always advise you to get in touch to discuss your orders first. But until you make that call, here is a little food for thought.
Off The Shelf
We have plenty of plugs in stock ready to send out to anyone who either needs a replacement or fancies a little DIY – just have a browse through our connectors category and keep your eyes peeled. And for those who want to steer clear of the DIY altogether, we offer lengths of pre-terminated cables from trusted brands such as Chord and Ecosse.
Termination Kits
Coming back to those who love a little DIY we can also supply a Chord Termination Kit which includes everything you need to terminate your own – including instructions and four of the plugs themselves.
Termination Services
If we don’t sell the cable you want pre-terminated, and you don’t want to do it yourself – we’ve got it covered. We can offer termination services for Black Rhodium, QED and Chord – all of which can be ordered online. We can offer this service for others too – including Naim – but you will have to call us to discuss that.
Achieving the perfect hi-fi system – for you – is a process. It’s far more than just buying the biggest and best units you can find – it’s about the details, fine tuning and customising everything to your exact personal taste. Correct termination may seem a little trivial on the surface, but it is a part of the building blocks of your perfect hi-fi. The tiniest detail makes a huge difference to the overall sound and feel, so consider termination when you upgrade those speaker cables!