How to Hook Up an Amplifier to Speakers
To connect an amplifier to speakers simply follow the color-coded wires and match the polarity when you make the connections.
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Instructions
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1
Place the speakers in the room. Stereo speakers should be at least 6 feet apart to achieve proper sound separation between the left and right speakers. Rear channel speakers should be placed behind and slightly above the seating area, turned at a 45-degree angle toward the main seating area. To connect a subwoofer, place the cabinet anywhere in the room; subwoofers deliver an omnidirectional sound so placement isn't crucial.
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2
Disconnect the amplifier from the electrical supply before you make connections.
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3
Strip away about one-half inch of insulation from both ends of each piece of speaker wire.
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4
Connect one speaker at a time, working systematically to avoid mixing up the wires. For example, start with the front left speaker, move to the right speaker, then the rear speakers.
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5
Connect the color-coded wires to the corresponding color jacks on the back of the speakers and amplifier. Speaker wire is typically red and black, or yellow and black. Connect the black wires to the negative, or black, jacks on the back of the speakers and amplifier. The red or yellow wires should be connected to the other jack on the back of each speaker and amplifier.
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6
Reconnect the power to the amp and test speaker playback with a CD, DVD, radio broadcast or other audio source.
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Tips & Warnings
Measuring the distance from each speaker to the amp will enable you to pre-cut wire for all the speakers in your system.
Be careful not to cross the speaker wires to the wrong connections such as red to black. This will reverse the phase of the speaker, produce poor sound quality and might damage the speaker, amp or both.
