Speaker configuration plates

[donuk]

This is a question about the connection plates at the rear of some Linn speakers which cleverly configure them for bi-wiring, bi-amping &c. I have a pair of Ninkas which I am running from a 2200 in simple vanilla passive stereo mode.
Now I know it is good form to tighten the nuts holding the plates periodically.
Firstly has anybody tried soldering an extra speaker plug onto each lead, in the way the Naim enthusiasts recommend for their speaker. They call it an "F" connection I believe. Presumably to get the benefit of this I would configure my Ninkas in bi-wire passive mode.
Secondly, has anybody ever gone all the way and dispensed with the configuration pcb cards completely and made all the necessary connections on the back of the speakers with plugs and wires only.
Any sonic advantages??
I am not keen to experiment unless somebody says it's a great modification. This would involve quite a lot of soldering, and the consequences of getting the connections wrong could be expensive.

Thanks, from sunny York.
Don

[lejonklou]

Secondly, has anybody ever gone all the way and dispensed with the configuration pcb cards completely and made all the necessary connections on the back of the speakers with plugs and wires only.

Yes! I wrote a recommendation about this, long time ago. Can't remember where it was posted. Basically, I used short pieces of K400 soldered to banana plugs and replaced the links that the pcb cards make to and from the passive filter. The cards are then oriented with an AKTIV side facing out, which has fewer or no connections in the pcb card.

You'll have to examine the cards carefully and make sure you connect the speakers in the same holes that you do now (passive single amp), this leads the signal to the passive filter. Then you replace the links that are "missing" on the AKTIV card with speaker wire. Take notes and listen first on low volume to make sure you don't blow a tweeter by accidentally feeding it the full range signal from the amp.

Any sonic advantages??

Yes. But it's not a night and day difference.

One additional benefit of this mod was that when salespeople used it in shops, it took a lot less time to convert the speakers between passive and aktiv configurations.

[donuk]

Trust the Celebrated Mr L to have already tried it! Thank you.
Don