Spring Connector



    The spring connector is a type of speaker connection that is most often found on low-end home theater equipment and entry-level stereos.  They consist of a spring loaded button that raises and lowers the contact point behind a plastic housing.  In order to make the connection, the bare end of the speaker wire is slipped into a hole in the plastic housing while the spring loaded button is up.  Releasing the button lowers the contact point onto the bare speaker wire.  Due to the action of the mechanism, the spring connection is sometimes referred to as the guillotine connection.

Spring Connector

Why Not Spring Connectors?

    There are a couple reasons to avoid buying home theater equipment that employs a spring connector, the most obvious of which is sound quality.  The spring connector is an inexpensive method of connecting speakers to a home theater system.  It is used in order to keep the cost of the entry-level equipment down.  For home theater, you should not purchase low-end components, period.  It is a waste of money and you will only regret it later when you do not get the level of results you had hoped for. 

Spring Connector = Poor Connections

    Secondly, the nature of the spring connector results in a small contact surface between the metal terminal of the connector and the bare wire of the speaker wire.  A smaller contact area means a weaker connection between your speakers and the rest of your home theater system.  Weak connections not only provide poor sound quality but also the occasional buzz, pop, and hiss.

Spring Connector = Inflexibility

    A third reason for steering clear of spring connectors is their inflexibility.  Spring connectors only work with speaker wires with bare ends and pin connectors.  With the exception of pin connectors, spring connectors are incompatible with the other types speaker wire connectors that provide a better signal transfer than that of bare wire.  Some companies in the home theater industry are aware of this limitation and exploit it.  They specifically use spring connectors in order to reduce the possibility of customers using another manufacturer's components with their own.  This forces their customers to buy only their equipment.  Do not fall into this trap.