5 way binding posts

[iwillwalk]

what are the 5 different ways?

i was the onnly one that got all 5 back in school (FULL SAIL)

but cant remember what the 5th way is

any guesses?

[Islander]

Yeah, I wondered about that 5-way idea. They'll take bare wire, bananas or spades. What are the other two "ways"?

[Daddy Dee]

an alligator or other clipped lead end to the shaft is one way.

They count bare wire twice. Bare wire can be wrapped around the shaft (like a spade lug) and tightened down or it can be put through the hole in the shaft and secured there.

[Mighty Favog]

So it's:

Bare wire (wrapped)

Bare wire (through)

Spade

Banana clip

Alligator clip

[Daddy Dee]

Yep. IMO anyway.

I have seen some probe looking ends on leads that are used "through" the post, but don't know if those are excluded or not.

[fini]

What about pins?

????

[CECAA850]

Wouldn't that be through?

[colterphoto1]

On many binding posts, the holes through the posts are so large that you can actually insert a banana plug through the hole. Engaging the banana plug to the end of the binding post makes the wire hang out from the cabinet a bit. But be very careful to not put pressure on the wire and snap the post.

In my opinion most of these have too large gauge of hole through the post, leaving precious little metal for the nut to thread onto.

[wuzzzer]

Is there any disadvantage as to sound quality/performance from using cheap banana plugs as compared to bare wire? I bought some el cheapo bananas from Parts Express just for the convenience of being able to unhook and re-install everything quickly.

[Groomlakearea51]

Gotta' be very careful with "cheap" banana's. They have no insulation around the barrels (which conduct...), and if you ever pull one loose, etc, and it touches something else (like the other plug...) you will find out, real fast, if your fast blow fuses are fastblow..... The "better" banana's are the "dual" bananas that prevent that from happening, but you have to make sure the duals have the same center to center width as the female plugs that you are going to stick them in. 19mm or 21mmm comes to mind for some reason on alot of female banana receptacles. (I'm laughing at how that sounded, but I can't bring myself to describe it any other way)

[wuzzzer]

Female banana receptacles.

Best line ever! [H]

[Daddy Dee]

Fini,

Yeh, that's the proby looking thinghie.

The gentle reader might wonder if it would work o.k.

I'd say, "Yeh, proby so."

[Ray Garrison]

Guys, guys, guys...

There's this thing called the "internet".... it has this thing called "wikipedia"... if you go there and type in "5 way binding post" you get:

Commonly designed in a style called five way or universal, such binding posts allow the connection of several different types of connections:

• Banana plugs, inserted into the open end of the binding post
• Pin connectors, inserted into a hole drilled through the metal post and clamped by the screw-down portion of the binding post.
• Bare wire inserted through the same hole and clamped, or
• Wrapped around the metal post and clamped.
• A lug terminal inserted around the metal post and clamped.

[Daddy Dee]

Is there any disadvantage as to sound quality/performance from using cheap banana plugs as compared to bare wire? I bought some el cheapo bananas from Parts Express just for the convenience of being able to unhook and re-install everything quickly.

wuzzer,

My take, there's no problem with cheap banana plugs in terms of sound. Once the contact/connection is sufficient sound won't be improved. It's noticeable moving from inadequate connection to adequate or vice versa. Bare wire actually offers the best connection, but as you mention, banan plugs are really convenient.

Marshall makes a good point about the possibility of a short from the metal barrels touching each other.

[dougdrake]

.

[fini]

Marshall makes a good point about the possibility of a short from the metal barrels touching each other.

Right. Make sure shorts are non-existent before fiddling with the female banana receptacle.

[Mighty Favog]

Oh, we're delving into Friday humor now!!!![]

[HarryO]

"Is there any disadvantage as to sound quality/performance from using cheap banana plugs as compared to bare wire? I bought some el cheapo bananas from Parts Express just for the convenience of being able to unhook and re-install everything quickly."

The only problem I've had from the Parts Express banana's is that they lose tension against the wires and the wires can fall out. When/if I use them I check them regularly to make sure they're tight. They loosen up every 3 or 4 days. I put "O" rings on them to keep them from backing off but they still loosen up and the constant tightening quickly cuts the "O" rings. I've tried 3 different wire brands and they loosen up with all 3. It's not the wire. The PE bananas are the only ones I have this problem with.

Harry

[Mighty Favog]

#242 Loctite. A little hard to unscrew but it will hold.

[colterphoto1]

I got some single banana plugs from Orange County Speaker Works- GLS audio brand. ( I needed some singles because some speakers have unstandard spacing so duals don't work) Very heavy duty, nice metal shells, set screw against wire in metal socket.

One problem- the long metal barrels could contact each other causing a dead short as Marshall has mentioned. Solution? I put a short (1/2") piece of heat shrink tube around the negative barrel to insulate and further identify it. The red stripe shows on the positive banana so there are no mix-ups.

Be careful on the PE types, get the ones with the tab on the side for pos/neg identification (guys- the tab is the NEG, they used to be labeled as such in the good 'ol days), and have 4 leaves to the spring. Some have 'gold' leaves and they have 6-8 which are too thin and don't give any friction in the socket.