Speaker Wire Connection: How to use Banana Plugs, Spade Connectors, Pin Connectors, and more

What gauge of speaker wire is best? What kind of connections can I use to connect my speaker to my receiver? In this video, we'll go through the in's and out's of speaker wire, including:

00:00 - Intro
00:09 - Wire Thickness
01:07 - What are speaker wires made of?
01:34 - Banana Plugs
01:47 - Spade Connectors
02:31 - Pin Connectors
03:02 - Alligator Clips

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TRANSCRIPT:
Speaker wire! Here's the rundown on what you need to know about the lifeline between your speakers and your receiver.

Thickness.

The first spec you will notice when you're looking at speaker wire is thickness. Thickness is rated in AWG, or gauge. AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire. The thicker the wire, the less resistance to electrical signals. 12 gauge wire, for example, is bigger than 18 gauge wire.

How thick is thick enough? It depends mostly on the length, power requirements, and impedance of the speaker. Longer runs and lower impedance speakers will require thicker wire. For example, for runs of less than 50 feet, with 8 ohms speakers, 16 gauge is more than likely fine. But 16 gauge wire with a 4 ohms speaker, you can run about 25 feet before the sound quality is affected.

We recommend sticking to 12 gauge wire.

What are speaker wires made of? Copper is the most commonly used material for speaker wire. Some wires are marketed as oxygen-free copper wires. By removing oxygen, the copper is much more conducive and much less susceptible to corrosion.

Connecting your speakers to the amplifier or receiver can be done one of five ways.
Bare wires
Banana plugs
Spade Connectors
Pin Connectors
Alligator clips

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