banana plugs and music

[audibleconnoisseur]

Is and "H59-1 Brass" which is gold plated a good plug to go with or should I be using a solid gold plug, or another? Advice?

Lastly, what are some GREAT tracks or cd's that are very good for showing the range and depth and detail the 340's are capable of producing? I really enjoy all types of delicate musical instruments that you would find from the orient, Ireland, in orchestras, acoustical, non-electric guitar, etc. Things similar to Cassandra Wilson or something like this. Prefer a little slower than mainstream music (i.e., no rock or soft rock... but male or female solos with slower style music - example is I have all the Sarah McLachlan and a lot of the Josh Groban cd's. Some of Yanni's work is good...). It can have singing or solos in it as well if the supporting music is detailed and quality. Thanks, guys, for your help .

[BradJudy]

There aren't any solid gold plugs - they are mostly gold plated brass and some (mainly nicer spades) are gold plated copper. A solid gold plug would be extremely expensive and too soft.

[JackT]

There aren't any solid gold plugs - they are mostly gold plated brass and some (mainly nicer spades) are gold plated copper. A solid gold plug would be extremely expensive and too soft.

Unless you have the gold speaker wires as well...

[debo]

If you don't plan on disconnecting the speaker why use a plug at all?

[audibleconnoisseur]

That is a good question!? Mainly I would use them b/c if I need to pull the system out for some reason, it would be easier for me. Also, if I could find the plugs at a reasonable price, I would prefer to have the ends of the wire covered as much as I can to help prevent oxidation.

I heard that having the wires locked down without any plug would make the wires oxidize more and quicker than the plug style shown above. The ease of use while testing speakers is a plus since you can unplug and plug quickly! I know that if you have a set and they are not to be moved... there should be no need for them but I would like to know about oxidation and why they are recommended as much...

[debo]

Then there would have to be a air tight seal around the plug. The only wires I have seen oxidize where my outdoor wires, moisture, humidity. I'd go with a desent set of plugs, your not going to gain anything from a twenty dollar set plugs. IMO

[BradJudy]

Copper does slowly oxidize indoors (different rates depending on the conditions). If this is a major concern, then you'll want plugs that are soldered on rather than attached by crimping or set screws. A really good crimp will not provide any air gap at the point of contact, preventing oxidation.

Banana plugs and spades do make it easier to connect and disconnect things. I use banana plugs on the amp/receiver side because it's usually a pain to get wires into the posts on amps on the back side of a rack.

[audibleconnoisseur]

There is an air tight seal with a rubber grommet at the base so they should be fine. Basically, they are just like the Monster ones you would see at Best Buy for $21 for 4 plugs. I paid around $40 for 20 plugs! I figured at $2 per plug, it would be worth it to have ease of use for the life of the system if needed. So I have used 10 of them and am saving the others for a friend or future use. I actually have the ones that are talked about above in my mains b/c I bought them first and I like them a lot - so I am going to leave them there since I use them the most.