Cables - one of the most taboo subjects in audio

I'm wondering if it's some sort of grounding plug that sits against the speaker taps but I'm still very confused. It seems to be common but I don't get it.
But plastic is generally an insulator, which means it can’t be a ground. I’m kind of wondering if it’s to prevent getting plugged into an electric socket in Europe, similar to how the banana plug inputs have inserts blocking them.
 
But plastic is generally an insulator, which means it can’t be a ground. I’m kind of wondering if it’s to prevent getting plugged into an electric socket in Europe, similar to how the banana plug inputs have inserts blocking them.
Yeah that's what I couldn't figure out. Why it's plastic, or at least I'm assuming it is. I feel like @OMC will know the answer to this for sure. It seems to be a very common type of connector.

That would make sense though regarding the electrical outlets.
 
Question, on these bi wire cables, what are the clear poles for? Wouldn't they block the cable from plugging into a standard speaker port?
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The plug with the clear bit at the back looks like what is called a piggy back banana plug. It lets you plug a banana plug into the back of that banana plug. I think with these if you are using them on a standard port you can plug one set into the back of the other to avoid a dangly plug.

Edit. Sorry you mean the plastic pin sticking out below the banana? It’s a safety pin to stop someone accidentally plugging one into a power socket. It’s supposed to be far enough away from the banana to avoid fouling on a speaker terminal.
 
Yeah that's what I couldn't figure out. Why it's plastic, or at least I'm assuming it is. I feel like @OMC will know the answer to this for sure. It seems to be a very common type of connector.

That would make sense though regarding the electrical outlets.
Thanks for the props, @Mather, but I’m more clueless than usual on this one. Never seen this before.
 
Cables... they're a mystery wrapped in a riddle wrapped in some sort of clear plastic with a phallus sticking out of it. Well I think the electrical socket explanation is as good as any I've heard. So let's go with that.
 
I picked up a REAL cheap pair of WBCs to use on a temp basis to burn in the Fortes and new amp so I can keep the upstairs intact until I can grab another pair of Vivats or something of the sort. Going to hold off on the XLR cable until I know exactly what I'm doing. Also because I really have to prioritize the Lyngdorf analog module purchase first. Did a shootout with the Arcam over the weekend and without the module (and admittedly not burned in nearly at all) the Arcam smoked the Lyngdorf in terms of vinyl playback. But the Lyngdorf was awesome on the streaming side. So I think that better D to A converter in the module is a must. As well as about 180 more hours of burn in....
 
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