Anyone here know cheap speaker cables with small/skinny spade plugs? My McIntosh 2100 has tiny speaker taps (there's a pic of it around here somewhere) and most spades won't come close to fitting, unfortunately.

try the cheapest spades that Kimber Kable makes, as Vandersteen speakers historically have the same issues and I've found that these fit very nicely into the narrow barrier strips.

Replace the binding posts on the amp with ones that aren't rubbish?

Replace the binding posts on the amp with ones that aren't rubbish?

Not really an option as it's a vintage amp. Here's a pic of mulveling's MC2100 - http://www.head-case.org/off-topic/the-perennial-favorite-post-a-pic-of-your-rig/msg102821/#msg102821

If reterminating is not an option you could try anticables, they will terminate their cables with 3/16 inch spades if those will work on your MC 2100.

You could just use cable with bare ends, just bend it around the screw into a hook shape and tighten the screw on it.

You could just use cable with bare ends, just bend it around the screw into a hook shape and tighten the screw on it.

Yeah, I was thinking that probably would be the easiest solution but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask around.

Try taking some of the material on the sides of the spades off with a Dremel tool or file if you don't have a Dremel.

barrier strips and bare wire is a great connection air tight and a solid connection. Maybe just tin the ends of the speaker wire to make it easier to connect and keep stray strands of wire on mutli strand cable from fraying.

Just go to Radio Shack and pick up the variety pack of crimp on spades. Should cost a few bucks at most and work just fine. Could even crimp them to the current ends of the cables you have now that don't fit.