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Do binding posts really affect sound quality?

Onebean

Onebean

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
I'm preparing for another speaker build, and every time I get all wrapped up in binding post selection. I read things saying no Ferrous material, copper is better than brass, silver is a better conductor than gold, don't get silver because it tarnishes too easy, and folklore continues on. I'm sure the expensive binding posts are "better", but have you heard a difference between a gold coated brass post, and something way more expensive? What is your reason for spending more on binding posts?
 
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It depends....they can if you upgrade from something like ferrous junk to good copper. Much depends on the other bottlenecks in the system, and how revealing it is. It's one of many small steps in the right direction. How good do you want this build to be? My view is that it's not worth intentionally installing a possible bottle neck...I'd get some decent copper connectors with no ferrous, use good caps, non-inductive resistors, air core inductors, bracing, rounded corners, etc....it all makes d difference at some level, and once dialed in, you could build a nice system around these.
 
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It seems to me that binding posts are fairly low down the list of things that actually matter. If the posts are capable of making a tight oxygen free connection, tightening them enough to achieve that connection may be more important than what kind the post are - I'm not talking about cranking away with a wrench, but making sure the metal surfaces have been wiped by the opposite surface and a bit compressed.
Keep in mind that most of the world, including quite a few actual live music listening audiophiles use banana plugs and spring clamps, so you are probably okay as y ou as. But in the giant list of ways to spend money on audio, binding plugs are pretty cheap and easily justifiable. As long as you know how to solder well...
 
Other connectors and connections have audible effects ..

Different RCA connectors sound different from one another on the same Canare interconnect wire that I mess with ..
Differing speaker connectors or connections affect the sonics of my Snell's .. (bare wire sounds best) ..

They're part of a signal chain so it seems likely that different binding posts could affect the sonics of the speakers ..
Every connector that differs in size, shape or materials certainly has differing signal propagation characteristics than every other connector ...
 
The binding posts aren't much of a problem, but there are some variations in banana plug construction that make some better than others, at least from a mechanical perspective. For example, I have found that this type sucks:

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The little metal springs tend to collapse and the plugs fit loosley in the binding posts.

This old-school UST type is far more reliable:

1781219205233.png

I don't know about the reliability of these BFA type plugs- they look a little flimsy to me, but I haven't tried them:

1781219434488.png

I suspect the best possible connection to a binding post is a lug, with the nut on the binding post cranked tightly down on it. I suspect a crimped connection at the cable is better than the screw connection that these have:

1781219627324.png

In the end, any differences in the performance of these things is probably dwarfed by almost anything else in the system.
 
Low ohm's is low ohm's. I like the Amazon Basic connectors. Not sure how they loosen, I haven't experienced that, without fooling around with them, but either way you can screw the speaker connector out for a tighter fit.
 
There are things I obsess over in my systems, but I'm not going crazy with wire and termiinals. A good tight copper connection should be ok. I don't lose sleep over chromed copper or brass terminals. It may or may not sound different, but does it sound better? I think our perception of sound quality is as much subject to mood as it is to a quantifiable small change in the systems response.
 
They do work to help silence that voice inside your head that's saying "are my binding posts a limiting factor in my system?"

Do they really help? I dunno. The MSRP of my main speaker binding posts is more than I paid for my first stereo. I figure they are probably good enough.
 
Onebean said:
I'm preparing for another speaker build, and every time I get all wrapped up in binding post selection. I read things saying no Ferres material, copper is better than brass, silver is a better conductor than gold, don't get silver because it tarnish's to easy, and folklore continues on. I'm sure the expensive binding posts are "better", but have you heard a difference between a gold coated brass post, and something way more expensive? What is your reason for spending more on binding posts?
Click to expand...
In my experience, as long as you have a solid and tight contact, a good steel alloy is fine.

:thumbsup:
 
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