# How the hell do you use speaker pins?



## ocuriel

I’m embarrassed to ask, but how the hell do you use speaker pins? 

I purchased some Stinger speaker pins. Do these need to be crimped on? They appear to be too thick to crimp, but I havent tried it yet. I’m familiar with banana plugs, but these things don’t make sense to me. Another thing, I have a 5 way binding post. The posts appear to have plastic caps (infinity Primus). Do I have to pull the caps off and then insert the pins? 

Please help a Home Audio Noob.

Stinger SPT5111 10 - 12 Gauge Speaker Wire Pin Terminals


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## Xander

You should be able to take the rubber sleeve off the metal part. Now there should be a set screw in the metal, it was underneath the rubber sleeve. There will also be a hole in the back of the metal part. Unscrew the set screw. Strip some insulation from your speaker wire. Insert the stripped portion into the hole in the back of the metal part. Tighten the set screw. Replace the rubber sleeve.

Loosen your binding post. There should be a hole in the central metal post. Insert the pin into the hole, tighten the binding post down to force the pin to contact the metal. If possible, have the pin sticking all the way through the post to the other side so there is pressure from the binding post all across the pin, forcing it on the metal of the post.


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## ocuriel

These don't have screws like banana plugs.


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## ItalynStylion

I guess that means YOU'RE screwed then? :lol:


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## Xander

Strange.

Solder then.

Put the pin in a vice, and have the stripped end of the speaker wire inside of the pin (tape the wire a few inches away to something to keep the stripped end inside the pin). Heat up the pin with a small torch (lighter may or may not work). Insert solder into the pin.

Not as good as a mechanical connection though.


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## ocuriel

Appreciate the responses. 

These pins are turning out be too much work. I'm going back to banana plugs.


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## Justin89t

some of those type screw on, like a wing nut for home electrical.

Just strip back your wire and start twisting on. Come are standard threaded, some are reverse threaded.


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## mr1spd

Why the pins? for ease?


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## ocuriel

Justin89t said:


> some of those type screw on, like a wing nut for home electrical.
> 
> Just strip back your wire and start twisting on. Come are standard threaded, some are reverse threaded.


Thanks! That's what I needed to know.



mr1spd said:


> Why the pins? for ease?


They were cheap


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## spydertune

I had some a long time ago that screwed onto the end of the cable like a wire nut for electrical work. They did not work very well and kind fell into the "audio jewelry" category. I had others that were turned brass and needed to be soldered on. Those worked well. Unless it is a connection that I have to disconnect/connect often I will sometimes strip off ~5/8" of insulation off stranded wire and just solder the very end so the wire stays together as bundle.


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## Q-Authority

Forget the speaker wire pins! Mostly because they provide an exceptionally small surface to surface connection, which is not necessarily good.
Go back to banana plugs. Save up and get some WBT premiums. Once installed properly on the speaker wire ends they are incredibly easy to use, and will produce far better sound than most would ever believe.
I have tried almost every way known to man, to connect my speakers, and nothing has ever come close to the WBT's. Now, why using something that presents an additional chain in the speaker link works better than no additional link, is beyond my technical scope. I just now it works and does so amazingly well. I used to have to use a sub crossed over with my mains to get the kind of bass I wanted in two channel music, even though my mains were supposed to be quite capable of this. After switching to WBT's I have absolutely no need for a sub anymore, what so ever.
It even cured an issue I had in my multi-channel use. I have a sub, which is mated to the previously mentioned speakers for this purpose, and I always had to adjust the bass output of my sub according to the particular disc I was playing. After installing the WBT's I was able to cross the sub over a bit lower and because of the much better bass output from the mains, I no longer feel the need to mess with the subs output level from disc to disc.
I absolutely swear by these things, despite the fact that they used to be something I thought were typical gimmicks. I just wish I could find a technical paper that could explain why they work so much better than even brand new bare wire connections.


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