Connecting my speakers

One of the most common mistakes made when connecting speaker wires to receivers (or amplifiers) is incorrect phase. The correct phase should be (+ to +) and (- to -) on both receiver and speakers. All receivers and speakers have a positive (+) and negative (-) terminal (or connector) and the speaker wires must be connected the same way on both components. Meaning, the negative terminals on the receiver connected to the negative terminals on the speaker and the positive terminal on the receiver must be connected to the positive terminal on the speaker for both left and right channels. Typically the negative terminal is represented by a (-) sign or the color black and the positive by a (+) sign or red color.
If the connection requires a raw speaker wire connection, split the two conductors of the speaker wire apart about 3 inches so that they form a "Y". Using the wire strippers, remove about 1/2 inch of the insulation from each wire. When connecting a speaker it is very important to retain the correct polarity / phase (improper polarity/ phase will cause reduced bass performance and unnatural imaging effects).

Most speaker wire is color coded, but if you have speaker wire that is not and one cable is silver in color and one is copper, here is an easy tip to remember which is positive and which one is negative. Just think of the change in your pocket, if the cable is silver like a nickel in color remember “N” for Nickel and “N” for Negative. The other cable will be copper in color the same color as a Penny. Use the same rule and let the “P” in Penny represent the “P” in Positive.

Also, remember that you must have the correct gauge or thickness of wire to carry the current without loss. If your wire is too thin, you may lose volume and also gain distortion. For more information regarding distance and gauge visit my Blog at http://audiohotspot.blogspot.com/.

If the connection requires RCA jacks, follow the color coding that should match the rear of your receiver to the rear of your speakers. Be sure you push the RCA connection securely and completely into the receptacles connector.

If you would like more information as to how to properly connect your speakers and would like to enjoy more informative videos click here: Only Factory Direct / How To.