German cable specialist in-akustik has introduced a new in-akustik 360 connector generation for its Reference AIR speaker cable range, replacing the conventional set-screw terminations on its BFA Banana and Spade connectors with a tool-free locking nut. The redesign rolls out across the LS-2405 AIR, LS-4005 AIR and LS-8005 AIR, each available in high-purity copper and pure silver conductor versions.
A Tool-Free Take on a Familiar Termination
Behind most hi-fi systems, installation space is tight, and cable termination can be a fiddly job – especially when connecting single Bi-Wire or Bi-Wire speaker cables. The in-akustik 360 connector addresses that directly: instead of a conventional set screw, the redesigned BFA Banana 360° and Spade Connector 360° terminations lock in place with a tool-free nut, making installation noticeably faster without a screwdriver in sight. The goal, in-akustik says, was to improve everyday usability without giving up anything in electrical or mechanical performance.
Built Around a Three-Axis Ball Joint
The termination itself remains built on the same material foundation as before: contact elements in tellurium copper, finished with a hard-wearing rhodium plating, connected to the conductor through a direct compression process using 1.5 tonnes of crimping force rather than a solder joint. In-akustik says the integrated three-axis ball joint that sits at the heart of the in-akustik 360 connector contributes contact resistance of less than 0.05 milliohms – against a typical one-metre speaker cable’s loop resistance of roughly 20 milliohms, that is effectively negligible.
The ball joint also does mechanical work: speaker cables inevitably exert leverage on amplifier outputs and loudspeaker binding posts through their own weight and routing, and letting the connector pivot freely in multiple directions spreads that load evenly rather than concentrating it on a single stressed point.
AIR Technology Remains at the Core
While the connector system is new, the underlying design principle of the Reference AIR Series is untouched: signal conductors suspended almost entirely in air, using precision-engineered support clips arranged in a helical pattern. The high air content around the conductors keeps capacitance and dielectric losses to a minimum, which is the reason in-akustik built its Reference range around the concept in the first place. The in-akustik 360 connector is presented as a refinement of that formula rather than a replacement for it. In practice, that means existing Reference AIR owners lose nothing familiar about the cable’s sonic behaviour – the change sits entirely at the point where the cable meets the equipment, not within the conductor geometry itself.
In-akustik frames the new in-akustik 360 connector as a response to real installation feedback rather than a marketing refresh: dealers and installers repeatedly flagged the fiddly set-screw process on tightly packed Bi-Wire terminations as the one everyday frustration in an otherwise premium product. The tool-free nut is a direct answer to that specific complaint, and it applies equally whether the cable is being fitted for the first time or re-terminated years later during a system upgrade.
Pricing and availability
The new 360 connector terminations are now standard across the Reference AIR speaker cable range: the LS-2405 AIR (from €3,775), LS-4005 AIR (from €5,950) and LS-8005 AIR (from €15,822), each available in copper or silver conductor versions, and the same in-akustik 360 connector terminations are also making their way onto selected analogue interconnects, phono, digital, USB and Ethernet cables in the wider in-akustik range. Like every Reference AIR cable, they are handcrafted and individually tested at in-akustik’s own manufacturing facility in Ballrechten-Dottingen, Germany.
Key specifications
- Connector types: BFA Banana 360°, Spade Connector 360°
- Locking mechanism: tool-free locking nut (replaces set screws)
- Contact material: tellurium copper with rhodium plating
- Termination process: 1.5-tonne compression crimp, no solder joints
- Contact resistance: under 0.05 milliohms via the three-axis ball joint
- Compatible cables: LS-2405 AIR, LS-4005 AIR, LS-8005 AIR
- Conductor options: high-purity copper or pure silver
- Manufactured: Ballrechten-Dottingen, Germany
For the full technical breakdown, visit in-akustik’s official blog post on the new connector generation. It follows the brand’s AIR Technology, which remains the foundation of the Reference AIR range.
