Shorting straps ?

[tom1040]

I have JBL S2600 speakers with gold plated shorting straps. I have heard that removing these and replacing them with something such as speaker wire will improve the sound. Is this true? Is so, how does this work?
Thanks for your responses.

[BMWCCA]

It's just a matter of getting the best conductivity. Pretty easy to get a good bite on stranded wire. Maybe not so easy on straps of plated metal. Check the resistance value of each to see what works best for you.

[Titanium Dome]

Over time the "shorting" straps (which are really bridging the terminals, not shorting them) can oxidize or otherwise corrode (sea air, pollution, etc.) and a resistive patina can build up. You can take them off and clean them every so often, or simply connect the terminals using speaker wire and put the straps away until it's time to sell them.

[Fred Sanford]

Over time the "shorting" straps (which are really bridging the terminals, not shorting them) can oxidize or otherwise corrode (sea air, pollution, etc.) and a resistive patina can build up. You can take them off and clean them every so often, or simply connect the terminals using speaker wire and put the straps away until it's time to sell them.

What he said- I've had it happen often on B&W and Monitor Audio as well.

je