How to Connect Stereo Speakers

Connecting stereo speakers enables you to start listening to high-fidelity music in a matter of minutes. Whether you are hooking up a pair of bookshelf speakers or two mighty tower units with enough power capacity to knock squirrels out of trees, the connections are essentially the same.

Things You'll Need

• Stereo speakers
• Speaker wires
• Wire strippers
• Amplifier or receiver

Instructions

1. Unplug all equipment from the power source before connecting speakers to an amplifier or receiver.

2. Place the speakers in your listening room at least 10 feet apart for good stereo sound separation between the left and right speakers. Too close together, and you won't get the maximum benefit from the stereo mix recorded on your music source.

3. Strip 1/2-inch of insulation from both ends of the speaker wires. if your speaker wires have thin posts or banana clips on the ends, use the posts or clips to connect to your speakers and skip this wire-stripping step.

4. Connect the color-coded wires to the left and right jacks on the back of each speaker. As an easy memory tool, connect the red wire to the right stereo jack and the white or black speaker wire to the left jack.

5. Connect the speaker wires to the same polarity on the back of your amplifier or receiver. Don't cross the wire or you will not get a stereo signal from the speaker and may cause damage to your speakers, amplifier or both.

6. Reconnect the power supply and enjoy your music.

References

• Audio speaker connections
• Connecting stereo loudspeakers