How to Wire Speakers

Match the wire at both ends

If you've got loose speaker cable and passive speakers to connect, we'd use bare wire first because it connects directly to suitable terminals without adding plugs. Keep track of each conductor using the cable's color, stripe, texture or writing so you can match its ends.

Prepare the ends and secure the connections

Have a wire stripper ready. The following connection sequence follows Yamaha's bare-wire procedure (opens in a new tab), which specifies stripping 3/8 inch of insulation. Check your speaker's instructions for its strip length.

1. With the receiver powered off, use the wire stripper to remove the insulation. Yamaha's procedure calls for 3/8 inch, leaving the copper end exposed.
2. Twist each exposed copper end so its strands stay together in one bundle.
3. At the receiver, loosen the red speaker terminal until its side gap is exposed. Insert the twisted positive conductor into that gap, then tighten the terminal until the wire is held in place.
4. Repeat at the receiver's black terminal with the negative conductor, leaving it secured.
5. At the speaker, press down the red spring clip or loosen the red binding-post nut to expose the opening. Insert the positive conductor, then release the clip or tighten the nut to hold it. Repeat with the negative conductor at the black terminal, leaving both wires secured.

Worked example for the Polk Audio Monitor XT20

Check your amplifier against Polk's Monitor XT20 specifications (opens in a new tab). Polk lists compatibility with 4- and 8-ohm outputs and recommends 30–200 watts of amplifier power per channel. The speaker has five-way nickel-plated binding posts.

With your receiver still powered off, inspect your Monitor XT20's wire connections using Polk's connection check (opens in a new tab). Make sure each connection is tight and the wire's metal touches the terminal's metal, because a loose connection can leave a speaker silent.