Grizzog Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Has anyone here tried replacing the stock metal jumpers on their speakers and seen any results? It seems a lot of "audiophiles" swear by replacing the metal straps with high quality cable. Since I have some extra 12-gauge speaker wire, I figure I'll give it a try and just make jumpers with that. ...Not sure this will make any difference whatsoever since the straps are probably the same material as the binding posts, but it's free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Free, try it. I'd be astounded if you hear a difference. Better yet, make a pair, have a friend swap one set out on one speaker while you're not looking and see if you can figure out which one it is by listening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 easy for you to substitute some copper wire and then listen for yourself. Your ears are the only ones that matter to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivervalleymgb Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I did that for my B&W Diamonds, 802 and 805. They don't come with metal plates since they are supposed to be bi-wired. I can't tell any difference between the bi-wired and the jumper. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete H Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Has anyone here tried replacing the stock metal jumpers on their speakers and seen any results? It seems a lot of "audiophiles" swear by replacing the metal straps with high quality cable. Since I have some extra 12-gauge speaker wire, I figure I'll give it a try and just make jumpers with that. ...Not sure this will make any difference whatsoever since the straps are probably the same material as the binding posts, but it's free. You know that some audiophiles are freaking nuts right? but crazy is personal so give it a whirl but if you can't pick it out consistently and repeatedly blind, well, you know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 (edited) When I got my AK-4 x-overs, replaced the lesser Monster Cable jumpers with Siltech wire I was using in the rest of the speaker. It made a difference! Yes, I know the jumpers are very short, but it was audible in my level of very transparent equipment. Edited April 1, 2016 by LarryC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzog Posted April 1, 2016 Author Share Posted April 1, 2016 There is a lot of snake oil out there, that's for sure! I know I'm already breaking "audiophile" rules by having horns in all my systems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I have tried this and could not hear a difference. I am hard head and have to try things for myself. One day, maybe I will learn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete H Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I removed my jumpers and it sounded really bad so I put them back on. I'm not trying that again. LMAO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I use jumper cables 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I have tried this and could not hear a difference. I am hard head and have to try things for myself. One day, maybe I will learn? In my case, Siltech makes silver speaker wire that is known for having a brighter. less full sound in the bass, Maybe for that or some other reason, the highs stand out more. But, for whatever reasons, Siltech has become insanely expensive, and I doubt that I could now afford what I have bought in the past. I assume income inequality has taken its toll on what's affordable for the middle portion of the income scale. (The editor of Stereophile or TAS has made this very point, with some regret, as middle income buyers can buy less and less of what the industry offers.) So, I am offering my qualified opinion that different jumper wires can make a difference in some systems. But, you have to be able to hear a difference in ordinary applications of the different wires, to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I use jumper cables But I promise not to start anything! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I have tried this and could not hear a difference. I am hard head and have to try things for myself. One day, maybe I will learn? A lot of things can affect hearing. Studies have been done to confirm this, For instance, a biologist was interested in studying how far bullfrogs can jump. He brought a bullfrog into his laboratory, set it down, and commanded, "Jump, frog, jump!" The frog jumped across the room. The biologist measured the distance, then noted in his journal, "Frog with four legs jumped eight feet." Then he cut the frog's front legs off. Again he ordered, "Jump, frog, jump!" The frog struggled a moment, then jumped a few feet. After measuring the distance, the biologist noted in his journal, "Frog with two legs jumped three feet." Next, the biologist cut off the frog's back legs. Once more, he shouted, "Jump, frog, jump!" The frog just lay there. "Jump, frog, jump!" the biologist repeated. Nothing. The biologist noted in his journal, "Frog with no legs - lost its hearing." 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldred Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I replaced my jumpers with glass fiber optic cables..... Didn't like the digital sound.... So I went back to the jumpers now it sounds analog again. G.E.M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 I replaced my jumpers with glass fiber optic cables..... Didn't like the digital sound.... So I went back to the jumpers now it sounds analog again. G.E.M Your problem is you were supposed to use the plastic fiber not glass. It is more flexible. Seriously if you used something like silver wire instead of copper or the bars, you may hear a slight difference. I usually replace the bars with silver wire just out of principle and as with all other things, placebo effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivervalleymgb Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 I used silver wire for a while on my Belles. Hated it. It was way too bright. Sold it and never looked back. That was the only time I have ever heard a difference in wiring. I am staying with high quality copper. I don't know why the silver would have made a difference, but it did, and not for the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 You know when removing jumper cables make a difference... when you route them to separate amplifiers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wstrickland1 Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 use 2 awg welding cable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 I used silver wire for a while on my Belles. Hated it. It was way too bright. Sold it and never looked back. That was the only time I have ever heard a difference in wiring. I am staying with high quality copper. I don't know why the silver would have made a difference, but it did, and not for the better. For a short run like jumpers, it would barely matter. Also a lot of people that use silver, use very thin pure silver. Can't do the proper transfer with a speaker cable with that. I bought up the last I could find of 14 and 12 gauge silver plated copper. Old Carol cable silver over ETP copper. Sounds much better, not as muddy as copper. Pure silver in thicknesses and lengths needed to drive woofers, probably bad idea. Used as a jumper cable to mids / highs connecting the main speaker cables to the woofers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Has anyone here tried replacing the stock metal jumpers on their speakers and seen any results? It seems a lot of "audiophiles" swear by replacing the metal straps with high quality cable. Since I have some extra 12-gauge speaker wire, I figure I'll give it a try and just make jumpers with that. ...Not sure this will make any difference whatsoever since the straps are probably the same material as the binding posts, but it's free. Can you show a picture of what metal jumpers you are speaking of? Never heard of metal jumpers. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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