How to Use Coax As Speaker Wire

By Rob Billeaud

Coaxial cable
i Don Farrall/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Coax or coaxial cable is familiar to most people as the wire that you use to connect cable to your television. While it is most commonly used for video applications, it is amazingly versatile. While its thickness and lack of flexibility does present wire management problems, it can be easily used to connect speakers to an audio receiver in a pinch.

Step 1

Cut off any existing connectors with a sharp utility knife.

Step 2

Measure how much wire you will need and cut cable to proper length.

Step 3

Strip 1 1/2 inches of the outer insulation from each end of the cable.

Step 4

Carefully unbraid the wire shielding from around the core wire on each end.

Step 5

Twist the braiding into a tight single strand of wire.

Step 6

Remove the translucent insulation surrounding the core wire on both ends with a wire stripper.

Step 7

Connect the stripped core wire to the red connector on the speaker and back of the receiver and the braided strand to the black connector on the speaker and back of the receiver.

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