Integrator Michael Restrepo: I'll take this rack, and that's all I need. Except for this A/V receiver, and nothing else. And this banana plug. Just this rack and receiver and banana plug and some telephone wire .... In theory, screw terminals for speaker wires are a great idea for simple and secure connections, says integrator Michael Restrepo of Restrepo Innovations in Paramus, N.J. But the theory breaks down the moment you have to service components in an A/V rack, he says in a brief video tip shared on social media and CE Pro (below).
When we the installers have to “engage these devices,” he says, “we need to be able to easily take it apart and easily put it back together.”
Holding up a connector to emphasize today's important lesson, he continues: “And I know this little banana plug ….”
But then he trails off, as if saddened by the very idea that some installers actually despise the banana plug and everything it stands for.
Another Installer Tip: How to Square Up an A/V Rack to Perfection
Undeterred, however, he soldiers on, delivering a message of hope for the connector and all who use it.
Even while acknowledging everything that can go wrong with banana plugs, Restrepo argues his pro-banana-plug case so eloquently, and with such heart that even those with no wires to terminate might find themselves aching for a case of the shiny little nubs.
Watch the video below and tell us: What do you say to banana plugs … yeah or nay?
By the way, fellow A/V reporter Brent Butterworth does a magnificent job reviewing banana plugs for Wirecutter.
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