Speaker wire is necessary to connect each speaker to the power source.
Speaker systems come in many different configurations including stereo, 5.1 channel surround and 7.1 channel surround. They allow the user to experience high quality audio across a number of media formats including music, movies and video games. The ideal speaker configuration will depend on the components used in the system to set it up. but the general tips and guidelines contained in this article will provide an ideal starting point for setting up any speaker system.
Instructions
Positioning the Speakers
1. Position each speaker in a location so that they are all roughly equidistant from the primary listening location. The speakers should not be connected to anything yet. The layout of the speaker positioning will depend on the number of speakers in the system. For a stereo system (2 speakers) the speakers should be positioned to the left and right of the listening area. For a surround system (5 or more speakers) the speakers should be positioned in a circle around the primary listening area.
2. Measure the distance from each speaker to the listening position. Adjust the speaker positions so that they are as close as equidistant as the room dynamics allow. Make a note of each speakers distance from the listening position on the paper.
3. Look around the room and ensure that there are no objects located between the speakers and the listening position. Even small objects such as plants can cause the sound to be muffled or distorted. There should be a clear visual line between the listening position and each speaker.
Connecting the Speakers
4. Measure the distance between each speaker and the power source (amplifier or A/V receiver). Make a note of each measurement on the paper.
5. Cut a strip of wire for each speaker that is at least as long as the measurement recorded in Step 1 of this section using wire cutters or scissors. Note that you will need to add at least 2 feet to each measurement to allow the speaker wire to lay slack on the floor. If you plan to conceal the speaker wire by running it behind or underneath objects you will need an even longer piece of wire. For more complicated speaker arrangements, an alternate method of measuring the wire is to place the end of the speaker wire under the speaker and unspool the wire until it is able to reach the power source.
6. Remove a 1/2-inch section of the plastic coating on the outside of both ends of the speaker wire using wire strippers or scissors. If using wire cutters, simply place the wire into the slot on the wire stripper with the corresponding gauge size (the speaker wire gauge size is typically displayed on the speaker wire spool) and gently pull the wire strips toward the near end of the speaker wire. If using scissors, gently cut through the plastic coating while taking care not to cut through the speaker wire itself.
7. Connect each speaker to the power source using the stripped speaker wire. Note that each strip of speaker wire has both a positive and negative connection. The positive connection is typically identified by either a + sign or writing. One end of the positive speaker wire should be connected to the red speaker wire terminal on the speaker, with the other end of the positive speaker wire connected to the red speaker wire terminal on the power source. The negative speaker wire should be connected to the black terminals on both devices.
Tags: speaker wire, each speaker, speaker wire, power source, listening position, each speaker power
