GLS Banana Plug

polkatese

FYI

A couple of nights ago, while listening to my system, the left front speaker sounded odd, lower volume compared to the right speaker, and scratchy. So I started to troubleshooting in trying to pinpoint which gear is acting up. I tried several sources SACD and the problem persist. And then my multichannel amp started getting into protection mode. So I pulled out the amp from the wall unit to do more troubleshooting. As I pulled out the amp, I noticed that the GLS banana plug for the LF cable had a piece of aluminum strip hanging off the red plug. As it turned out, it was the GLS label from the plug came unglued and loose. It was made of some sort of aluminum paper strip (label on one side, shiny aluminum strip on the other side). Apparently, somehow it came loose and shorten the positive to the negative plug. GLS banana plug body is made of metals, so I can see this to be the case. It could have been an expensive problem with shorten out amp problem. Who knew a piece of label could caused this? Btw, GLS Banana fins are also a problem. After repeated ins and outs, it could flatten, thus causing them to come loose. I had replaced them once on two sets with a new pairs, and the replacements had the same problem after a few months.

I have replaced the plug with Audioquest BFA Banana. Pricier but it has a lot better grip and design.

Bottom line, it's better to spend your money on better quality banana then having to spend time troubleshooting or worse yet, an expensive mistake.

Ern Dog

Well shoot, that's good to know. Thanks for the heads up. Good thing it didn't fry your amp.

zingo

Never had any problems with their plugs in four years of using them, but it's a good thing to keep an eye on. Thanks for the heads up.

Face

You get what you pay for, glad you didn't fry anything.

polkatese

It is a 90 lbs. multi-channels Gemstone amp. So you can imagine it would be a major effort to ship them back. It was even quite an effort to get it off the wall unit. (note to self: in-wall unit setup without a behind-the-rack walkthrough is bad)

comfortablycurt

Wow...I've never heard of that happening.

I've been using GLS locking nanners in my 2 channel for a couple years now...I've never had any issues like this. Thanks for the heads up, I'll be sure to check on mine periodically.

I've been very happy with the GLS nanners though. The locking ones I've got provide about as firm of a connection as you're ever going to get...they're very well built IMO.

polkatese

Those label perhaps are better off be removed since it doesn't serve any purpose. From the 2 sets that I've taken out, two had already came off partially, thus dangling off (which had caused the problem I had mentioned in the original post). The third one was peeled off. Perhaps the heat and dryness behind the power amp caused the glue to dry off and loosen. I would not have suspect that at all, without pulling out the power amp completely. The metal casing is not helping. Afterwards, I read a couple of reviews from the web about this, someone had wrote that the chances of these plugs to short is conceivable on a long run cables. The metal casing, under the weight of the cable (if you have heavier gauge such as Signal Cable double run bi-wire setup) can touch. But I would suspect it really depends on the distance between your +ve and -ve posts.

Echosphere

I've got the exact same AQ banana plugs and really like them! More surface contact and you can rebend them out if they get compressed, which you can't do with normal style banana's like the GLS.

Though, still not a fan of the torx screw, or any screw, design. Actually I still prefer screw on spades.

dane_peterson

Thanks for the heads up, as I too have these plugs.

As for the plugs themselves flattening out, I've found that prying them open slightly with a very small flathead screwdriver helps. But with that said, I'd rather own nicer ones if my gear was equally higher in quality.

polkatese

Echosphere, which one do you have (AQ)? the reason I am asking is I got mine from Magnolia/BB and that's what they have. However, everywhere on the net they have the chubby/rounder kind. SKU is exactly the same on both. So I am just curious whether the version that I got is an older model (the OCD part of my personality). Btw, on mine, there are 4 screws for each plug (two metals, 2 vinyls to crimp the cable sleeve). Pretty neat design, if you asked me, as opposed to 1 screw on the GLS.

Dane, I tried to do that, the issue with doing that is really the lost elasticity of those fins. If it loses the grip and became lose again over time, I am screwed. On my other system, I have spades MIT connector at the speaker end, and overtime, it came completely lose and detached itself. One would imagine that on a system that has been setup in a while, things like this don't happen. It gave me a heartburn when I thought I lost my LSi15 tweeter when it happened. Suddenly the right speaks has no mid/high. When I checked, the spades on the top post +ve were completely detached from the post (I bi-wired) which explained the loss of mid/high. And the Right LSi15 is placed in the corner that it's in zero traffic area (system setup has been in place for over 4 years in that corner). I guess the morale of the story is, I'd do anything to avoid having this kind of false alarm since the stress and troubleshooting that need to be done are not healthy for my heart and psyche.

Echosphere

polkatese wrote: »

Echosphere, which one do you have (AQ)? the reason I am asking is I got mine from Magnolia/BB and that's what they have. However, everywhere on the net they have the chubby/rounder kind. SKU is exactly the same on both. So I am just curious whether the version that I got is an older model (the OCD part of my personality). Btw, on mine, there are 4 screws for each plug (two metals, 2 vinyls to crimp the cable sleeve). Pretty neat design, if you asked me, as opposed to 1 screw on the GLS.

Your OCD is going to like my answer.

You have the older, better made, better designed model.

The newer barrel design is cheaper and crappier and ONLY has TWO screws on it. The plastic is cheaper quality and fins are less thick. The only good thing is that it accepts slightly fatter wire.

You got a good pair!

Now, does that calm your OCD?

polkatese

Thanks for that OCD video. It made my morning.

Btw, I am very sorry about your dear friend. He is in a better place for sure.

Echosphere

polkatese wrote: »

Thanks for that OCD video. It made my morning.

Btw, I am very sorry about your dear friend. He is in a better place for sure.

Thank you, I think he is now... Been trying to keep busy and upbeat...

Thanks to you I found it last night! Had been looking for it ever since I saw the commercials.. "You down with OCD? Yeah, I'm germ free!"

It'll get stuck in your head, and given your OCD, probably stay there for a week or so. It did for me.