[maia]

Hi guys.
I have 2 x 2 runs of QED Silver Anniversary XT speaker cable. I didn't get the Airlocks as they're overpriced IMO.
Instead, I opted for WBT-Like locking bananas. They allow a cable to be secured with 2 screws. I'd like to know if I'd be fine just stripping the cable down and securing it with the screws or I'd be better of plating the exposed wire with solder and then securing it.
Thank you.

 

[Pars]

I would think just strip the wire and screw them down bare. Plating it might make it tend to loosen up. All just my opinion as I havent used this type of connector. I do have compression type locking bananas in my system and these are on unplated bare wire.

 

[silmaauki]

I have been looking at the QED silver anniversary xt as well. My local dealer suggests to use the cheaper bananas (A4P/2.5) from QED. He said that the cheaper ones are actually better ones tha the airlock models. He said that they are sounding the same but theses smaller (and cheaper) ones are more durable. He does plug and unplug a lot, so I quess he knows what he is talking about. And this dealer is no wall mart salesman. He is selling Dynaudio, Bow, Wilson-Benesch, Pathos, Densen, Meridian,...

If you use only the screws, please note that the connection might become oxidized after a few months. You should be unscrewing the plug, cleaning the surfaces and srewing it again after a while to be sure that there are no problems.

There is a point in using solder in there as well.