# connections on 4 terminal speakers



## legion1capone

I am running my B&W 705's with an Emotiva XPA2 and USP1. I was just messing around while watching the Batman The Dark Knight. I can actually hear a difference between hooking my speaker cables to the top two posts on the speaker vs the bottom posts. Having them connected to the top two posts let much more detail come through. Tiny micro details from glass breaking, guns firing, bullets wizzing, everything is more detailed. I don't find much benifit at all having the speaker cables hooked up to the bottom posts. I notice that even with vocals you can hear the difference between space in an empty room vs a living room in a house. Such as when the Joker and Gordon are speaking in the interrogation room, you can here the room acoustics have an effect on his voice when he moves around and talks. Maybe it's just me but this is a big difference. 
Has anyone else noticed these differences?


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## jackfish

Attaching the speaker wires to the top terminals might just give the tweeters a bit more juice to the tweeters to make it sound different.


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## Guest

Are you using banana connectors? I don't think I've ever read for sure what having 4 binding post (really) does. I've read bi-amping, but what is the point in that?

Another thing that I read, and this makes the most since to me anyway, is that they are for insuring a better connection. Actually using two wires instead of one.

Every crossover I've seen has power going to the woofer first and working its way up depending on how many speakers are in the total design, so changing post shouldn't change how the power goes to the tweeters. I guess technically, if the top post has a shorter distance to the crossover and less resistance, then it might make a difference, but I don't see how it could possibly be heard.

Is it possible that during the test, one connection was made better then another? I always use banana connectors now because bare wire wasn't always tight, when it seemed to be. If bare speaker wire is being used, I think it would be more likely that the connection that sounded better was just a better connection.


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## legion1capone

I am using Banana Connectors. I really didn't believe little things like this made much of a difference. But tonight when my girlfriend wasn't home I had a chance to sit down and really listen. I should note that most people probably wouldn't notice the difference, the difference is very suttle. Since I know my system inside and out I can tell the difference betweent he two.


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## Guest

Do you see connector jumpers on the outside of the binding post? Like this, as an example. 

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=260-304

If so, the only difference should be the extra resistance from that short of distance (a minute change). Unless maybe the part is defective and the whole terminal has a weak connection on one of the binding post.

I've also heard that hi-fi stores play with resistance to make more expensive stuff sound way nicer then already really good stuff, so maybe changing the resistance is more audible then I thought.


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## legion1capone

Yes the jumpers are like that. They are the factory jumpers that come with the 705's. I took them off and looked at them, they are thick and look to be very good quality.


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## ccdoggy

legion1capone said:


> Yes the jumpers are like that. They are the factory jumpers that come with the 705's. I took them off and looked at them, they are thick and look to be very good quality.


that bar is used to send the one signal you are sending to the speaker to both the woofer and tweeter's crossover. So with it there it should not matter at all if you plug into the top or bottom terminals.

If you can hear a difference then plug it into the pair that sounds the best and make sure to have that plate tightened in there good. Technically it should make zero difference which you are in, but if you hear a difference go with the one you like.


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## lcaillo

legion1capone said:


> I am using Banana Connectors. I really didn't believe little things like this made much of a difference. But tonight when my girlfriend wasn't home I had a chance to sit down and really listen. I should note that most people probably wouldn't notice the difference, the difference is very suttle. Since I know my system inside and out I can tell the difference betweent he two.


Have the girlfriend listen while you switch the leads, or have her do it while you listen and try to pick which one sounds better without prior knowledge of the connection. Repeat the process a number of times. I can assure you that there is no difference if you have good connections. The difference you perceived is almost certainly a result of your brain looking for a difference if there is no problem with the connections to the terminals.


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## denydog

I have to agree with the others that if the connections are clean and in good shape there doesn't seem to be a technical explanation for what you are hearing. But if it is something you hear that you like, then even if it's some kind of perception thing on your part, it's still for the good and the price is right!


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## JoeESP9

legion1capone said:


> Yes the jumpers are like that. They are the factory jumpers that come with the 705's. I took them off and looked at them, they are thick and look to be very good quality.


This may be a silly question.

Did you tighten the posts after replacing the shorting bars? 

Like some others here, I would say if the jumpers are tight after tightening the posts you should here no difference between either pair of banana jacks. 

I believe wires, cables, AC power cords and other tweaks can and do make a difference sound wise. In this case, I don't think so.

However, whatever sounds best to, you real or not, is what's important.


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## Kal Rubinson

jackfish said:


> Attaching the speaker wires to the top terminals might just give the tweeters a bit more juice to the tweeters to make it sound different.


Only if the jumpers are highly resistive.


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