Solder vs No Solder on banana plugs

Zaigrith
Zaigrith Posts: 42
edited April 2011 in Electronics
I recall that in ac 120v connections solder can cause hotspots leading to poor power transmission and excess heat built up(read fire). Does anyone suspect that this same problem could happen on audio cables? I calculate 34.6v @ 8.66amps for my 300watt 4 ohm configuration, but the 4ohm value is largely frequency dependent.
HT:
TV: Samsung UN55C8000 | Player: OPPO BDP-95 | Games: Xbox360 / PS3 | Party Music: Squeezebox Duet
Mains: LSi15 | Center: LSiC | Surrounds: LSiFX | Sub: SVS 20-39pci
Pre-Amp: Outlaw 990 | Power-Amp: Outlaw 7700
Cabinet: Salamander Synergy Twin 30 | Speaker Wire: Lowes 12AG w/ monoprice banana plugs
Post edited by Zaigrith on

Comments

  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited April 2011
    If you anticipate any vibration issues, I would solder:

    2010-10-10_10-09-57_70.jpg

    This was vibrated almost all the way out when I noticed distortion~
    TNRabbit
    NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
    Sunfire TG-IV
    Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
    Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
    Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
    Carver AL-III Speakers
    Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer
  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited April 2011
    Never seen it happen. Soldered bananas are as common or more common as screw bananas, and I have never seen them fail except when the solder joint was poor initially. Remember also that your amp is not always if ever outputting 300w to your speakers. If you have a volt meter, run a 1kH tone through the speakers and measure the voltage at your regular listening volume; I think you've be surprised at how little you're using. If it really worries you, Cardas now offers their speaker cables with solderless, Compression Die Forged connectors.

    http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=insights&content_id=43&pagestring=Compression+Die+Forging+%28video%29

    img28
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 20,119
    edited April 2011
    Nope.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • Zaigrith
    Zaigrith Posts: 42
    edited April 2011
    That compression forged terminal just took a giant dump on my home depot wire crimers :) . Now that I am thinking about it, the solder hotspot warning may have been for 12v car battery cables and not 120AC applications (any electricians want to chime in here?). I believe the concern there was that because its such high awg wire it is very difficult to create a good solder connection. Ill try and find my source and get back on that.
    HT:
    TV: Samsung UN55C8000 | Player: OPPO BDP-95 | Games: Xbox360 / PS3 | Party Music: Squeezebox Duet
    Mains: LSi15 | Center: LSiC | Surrounds: LSiFX | Sub: SVS 20-39pci
    Pre-Amp: Outlaw 990 | Power-Amp: Outlaw 7700
    Cabinet: Salamander Synergy Twin 30 | Speaker Wire: Lowes 12AG w/ monoprice banana plugs
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited April 2011
    Zaigrith wrote: »
    . I believe the concern there was that because its such high awg wire it is very difficult to create a good solder connection. Ill try and find my source and get back on that.

    Get a 70 watt iron and 12AWG won't be a problem:smile: I solder all my banana jacks.
  • jbooker82
    jbooker82 Posts: 1,627
    edited April 2011
    If you couldnt use solder then how would they connect the binding post to the circuit board for the crossover?
    AVR: Onkyo Tx-NR808
    Amplifier: Carver A-753x 250 watts x 3
    Fronts: Polk RTI A7 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Center: CSI A4 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Rear: FXI A4
    Sub: Polk DSW Pro 660wi
    TV: LG Infinia 50PX950 3D
    Speaker Cable: AudioQuest Type 8
    IC: AudioQuest Black Mamba II
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited April 2011
    Zaigrith wrote: »
    Does anyone suspect that this same problem could happen on audio cables?

    No. I would file that idea in the garbage.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.