How to Add Speaker Wire to Reach the Receiver

Placing speakers further apart in a room gives a better stereo effect. If you end up placing your speakers more than 12 feet apart, you will probably have to add additional speaker wire to reach the receiver. However, most speakers only come with about 6 feet of existing wire. Read on to learn how to add speaker wire to reach the receiver.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Speaker wire
• Electrical tape
• Utility knife

1. Determine how much speaker wire you need to purchase to reach both speakers from the receiver. Use a string to find the best route around furniture and then measure the string length to determine the amount of wire needed.

2. Purchase speaker wire at an electronics component store. Get a spool long enough for your measurement in Step 1.

3. Use the utility knife to cut the wire attaching the speaker to the receiver. Remove half an inch of insulation from each end.

4. Cut a half inch of insulation from each end of the new speaker wire. Twist the bare end of the new wire and the bare end of the wire at the speaker end together. Flatten the twisted wires against the insulated part of the wire.

5. Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the twisted, bare wire and the insulated wire at the splice, making sure that no bare wire shows.

6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 to splice the new wire to the receiver wire.

7. Test the connections by turning on the radio.

Tips & Warnings

• Use only speaker wire. Ordinary electrical power cords don't perform as well.
• Speaker wire is made up of many small strands of copper. Be careful to not cut too many strands.