Connect speakers - you have to be aware of that
When you put together a hi-fi system, you always have to connect speakers. The sensitive devices can quickly become damaged or lose performance. We explain what you have to look out for.
Connect speakers correctly: make the stereo system fit
There are various techniques for connecting your amplifier to the new boxes. Find out what you should consider now:
- The most important thing for you is not to reverse the polarity. Loudspeaker cables are usually marked with a red stripe on your positive conductor.
- Make a note of which pole you plugged the cable into the amplifier and keep the diagram on the speaker. In most cases, you have to strip the accessory strips yourself and clamp them in the connections. Make sure that no copper strands are facing outwards and can cause a short circuit.
- Higher quality cables usually have banana plugs that you can simply plug into the connectors provided.
- In the photo you can see a somewhat more complex connection terminal of a box. This is also intended for bi-wiring or bi-amping. In the first case, the two cable strands on the amplifier are divided into four cables. The low and high / mid range are transmitted separately. In bi-amping, both areas are even dedicated to their own power amplifiers. In this case, you need four connections on both sides of the cable.
- In both cases, you should never forget to remove the bridge between the connections (red arrows). Otherwise you risk a short circuit. In the example image, both bridges are connected because the speaker is operated normally and not with bi-wiring. The signal is simply "copied" with the bridges to the other input. You could also attach the connections at the bottom.
- With a greater distance to the amplifier and higher-quality boxes, you should invest in good cables and ignore the thin accessory strips. Inexpensive cables are available from Amazon for around 1.50 € per meter.
We also explain why a larger cross-section is important, especially with longer cables.