I needed to biamp my speakers and my amp has single connectors for each channel, requiring that I double up on the connectors and wires at the amp side. Therefore, something flat, like a spade, was required. Also, since I'm using 12 gauge wires, I needed a connector that would accept wire that large. The Monster Cable spade connectors fit my needs, are heavy duty and, after some careful assembly, they did work for my application.
Pros: the connection is solid and if the wire is stripped to the length suggested in the instructions, they fit is secure. Stripping too little will result is a poor connection and stripping too much will make it difficult to assemble the barrel. The connector is well made and has gold plated surfaces for good conductivity.
Cons: The barrel is wide. That makes it easy to tighten but makes it clumsy for biamping two barrels on one amp terminal. I had to offset each connector almost 45 degrees to get two on one terminal on my amp. Since the spade part is also large, this leaves about 1 mm free space between the edges of each spade on the channels. Consequently, I had to be very careful not to short anything out. The serrated surfaces of the spade make for a great grip and tight connection but that same grip makes it more difficult to unscrew the nuts on the speakers without spinning the connection.
"Quick but know your cables"
2007-12-27
- Reviewed By User: A14ZW4QGSNLCMC
I bought these to attach my Audioquest type 8 cables to my Pass Labs amp. If you have very stiff or thick cables I would not try to use these, too difficult to bend the strands down for the crimp lock. These are designed for multi-strand with many thin strands.
Second, do not try to bend the spades to get a different angle. I tried cause they were sticking up too far to clear my amp's cable connection wingnuts. They snap off.
Know your equipment and cables before you buy these, would be great for typical Monster cable.
"Dissapointed with spade style, returned for banana"
Audiophiles seem to prefer the spade style, but I found that the slightest movement of the speaker cable will loosen the nut on the speaker binding post. I returned these connctors for the banana style of the same monster model, and am very happy with these.
I own a set of older Martin Logan speakers. Their quality is legendary with a price to match. So I was interested in maximizing performance. When I called their office for advice, one of the tech guys (excellent service, by the way) told me the Monster banana plugs were great, not the best or most expensive available, but a good value. That was enough for me. My speakers are bi-wired so I purchased two sets of four plugs. Installation was a snap and the sound is wonderful. Add to that the free shipping, no tax and a total price saving of $12.00 and you can't do better than Amazon!
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