How to Connect Speaker Wire to Speakers and Banana Plugs

As part of our Fluance Ultimate Guide to Home Theater Setup, we will walk you through how to connect your speakers using speaker wire and binding posts. We will also show you how to bi-wire a speaker, use speaker wire with the older style spring clips, and how to install banana plugs. Speaker wire is measured by gauge. The smaller the gauge, the thicker the wire. We recommend 12 gauge copper speaker wire. Thicker wire allows electrons to move more freely, so it has a lower resistance and can carry a greater electrical current. However, thicker wire is also heavier. All of these factors are important considerations for a home theater system. - - - How to Connect Speaker Wire and How to Use Banana Plugs Speaker wire: what type do you get? How do you hook it up? We&tell you how. Speaker wire is measured by gauge. The smaller the gauge rating, the thicker the wire. We recommend 12 gauge copper speaker wire. FYI: Wire thinner than 18 gauge can produce excess heat and resistance which can change the sound of the speakers. Before inserting your wire into the connections, be sure to strip some of the insulation off the end of the wire to allow a proper connection. The terminals are the positive and negative connections to which your speaker wires will connect on the speaker and amplifier. These are normally colour coded in black and red. Terminals come in a number of different types, like spring clips. These terminals have a spring loaded clip holding the wires in...