Setting up your home entertainment system can be a tricky task. There are lots of wires and pins, and cables involve that a person with no prior involvement with audio technology would get lost. You can always hire a professional or read on as we explain how to connect speaker to amplifier easily. You can accomplish setting up those speakers in no time.
Speaker Terminals
Learning the basics of speaker terminals will help you in understanding how to connect speaker to amplifier. The amplifier connects to the speakers through these terminals. The audio signals are sent to the speakers through the speaker wires. These terminals always come in two, one positive and one negative. It is also color-coded with red and black or white. Red is still for the positive, and black or white is for the negative.
Speaker Wires
The speaker wires are what connects the speaker to the amplifier or receiver. Most brands include speaker wires with proprietary sockets that you have to insert into the amplifier and a stripped wire on the other end that you have to insert into the speaker. Most speaker wires are color-coded to avoid confusion, but the part you insert into the speakers is a bit tricky. Speaker wires have two wires for the positive and negative. The positive wire usually has a marker to indicate that this is the positive wire. Sometimes it is a single stripe or dashed lines. Sometimes it also has printed labels, especially if the wire is translucent.
Before you insert the speaker wires into your speaker, you would have to strip it first to expose the strands. After that, twist the strands tightly so it would stay together and act as a single wire.
There are also speaker wires with different connectors for easy connection to your speakers. Pin connectors are used for spring clip terminals, while banana plugs and spade connectors are for binding post terminals. You can buy these connectors separately, and you can install them on bare speaker wires to help you set them up.
How to Connect Speaker to Amplifier: Step by Step
Now that you understand the basics of the speaker terminals and wires, you can now understand the steps on how to connect speaker to amplifier. Make sure that you unplug the amplifier while setting it up to avoid electrocution.
- Connect the end of the speaker wire that corresponds to the back of the amplifier. Remember to check the terminal if it is negative or positive. If it uses a spring clip terminal, push it down before inserting the wire. If it uses a proprietary socket, match it with the proper terminal.
- Connect the speaker wire to the speaker. If the terminal is a spring clip, push it down before inserting the wire. If the terminal is a binding post, loosen the screw before inserting the wire into the post. Make sure to check the terminal for negative and positive wires. If you place the wrong wire, it will result in sound issues like thin bass or a scratching sound.
- If the speaker and the amplifier are correctly connected, you can now plug the amplifier into the power source and enjoy your speakers.
Conclusion
Setting up a speaker and amplifier system may seem like a big task to accomplish. Now that you learned how to connect speaker to amplifier, you can now do it yourself! You can enjoy your speakers even without the help of a professional. To learn more about speakers and amplifiers, read here!