How to Connect Speakers to an Amp (Easy Guide)

How to Connect Speakers to an Amp? You wonder! It can be difficult to set up your home entertainment system. There are so many wires, pins, and cables that a person with no prior experience with audio technology would become lost.

You may always hire an expert, or continue reading to learn how to quickly connect a speaker to an amplifier. You'll be able to put up those speakers in no time.

Here is a quick solution for you.

How to Connect Speaker to Amplifier? Easy Steps

1. Connect the end of the speaker wire that corresponds to the amplifier's back.

 

2. Connect the speaker to the speaker wire.

3. If the speaker and amplifier are properly connected, you can now connect the amplifier to a power source and listen to your speakers.

Read our detailed guide if this does not solve your problem.

How to Connect Speakers to an Amp
How to Connect Speakers to an Amp

What you need to know about Amplifiers

There are various types of amplifiers. First and foremost, consider the type of speakers and amplifier you intend to connect. Please bear with me on this; you might learn something you didn't expect to learn.

Pre-Amplifier

The pre-job amp's is to take a low-level audio signal from a music source, process it, and prepare it for the next stage.

Power Amplifier

The power amp, as the name implies, is there to take that signal from the pre-amp and boost it so we can hear it through those speakers.

what you need to know about Amplifiers
what you need to know about Amplifiers

Integrated Amplifier 

An integrated amplifier is a pre-amplifier and power amplifier combined into a single unit.

Most users have an integrated amp because it is more convenient and takes up less space. Although there are some high-quality integrated amplifiers, splitting each section of the sound reproduction is preferable for better overall sound (using the separate preamp and amp).

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Also, where you can use them: at home, in your car, in concert halls, theaters, and so on. In this case, we'll limit ourselves to home use and Hi-Fi amplifiers.

ntegrated Amplifier 
ntegrated Amplifier 

Hi-Fi is an abbreviation for High-Fidelity, a term used by audiophiles to refer to high-quality sound reproduction. Lo-Fi, on the other hand, stands for Low-Fidelity, or low-quality sound reproduction.

Connect Speakers to an Amp, a Word About Them!

Most people envision a cabinet with speakers inside, also known as a loudspeaker.

So, consider a speaker to be a device that converts an electrical audio signal supplied by an amplifier (power amp or integrated amp) into a corresponding sound.

Connect Speakers to an Amp, a Word About Them!
Connect Speakers to an Amp, a Word About Them!

There are many different types of speakers. Different types of speakers designed for the reproduction of different frequencies can be distinguished based on their purpose. Speakers are typically classified as either passive or active.

The majority of commercially available speakers are passive. Because they lack a built-in amplifier, they must be connected to an amplifier via speaker wire.

Active speakers, also known as powered or self-powered speakers, have a built-in amplifier that necessitates a heavier cabinet, making them less mobile and functional.

standard hi-fi loudspeaker cabinet
standard hi-fi loudspeaker cabinet

A standard hi-fi loudspeaker cabinet (such as the one shown) for home use contains three types of speakers (drivers):

  1. Driver in the mid-range
  2. Tweeter
  3. Woofers

A tweeter, also known as a treble speaker, is designed for high audio frequencies ranging from 2000 Hz to 20 kHz. The name is derived from the high-frequency sounds made by birds.

A mid-range speaker is a driver that produces frequencies in the 250 to 2000 Hz range.

A bass speaker, also known as a Woofer, is a driver designed to produce low frequencies ranging from 50 to 250 hertz. In contrast to Tweeter's high-pitched sound, the name is derived from a dog's bark, “woof.”

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The bass reflex system is intended for the aperture (or port) on the bottom of the cabinet.

Wires? Gauge? What is That?!

To avoid mispronunciations, it should be pronounced /ed/ from the start.

Simply put, the thickness of the wire. The American Wire Gauge (AWG) number is used to define it.

A lower gauge number indicates that the wire is thicker and will produce a higher-quality sound. How? A thicker wire provides less resistance to current flow.

There are several options for wire thickness:

In your home, if the speakers are no more than 50 feet (15 meters) away from your amplifier and are 6 to 8 ohms, 16-gauge wire will suffice.

When your speakers are low-impedance (4 or 6 ohms) and the distance is greater than 50 feet, thicker wire is preferred (10 to 14-gauge).

How Much Wire Would I Need Between the Amp and the Speakers?

Put one end of a string or rope on the amp and the other end on the speaker, and make sure it's loose. Take a measurement of that string (rope) and add some extra feet, and you're done.

Connecting them Together, Finally!

Knowing how to connect your speaker to your amplifier is extremely useful, and it gives you the satisfaction of knowing that you put it together yourself!

As stated at the outset, make sure your amplifier is turned off before you begin connecting anything. This will prevent loud thumps, clicks, pops, and vibrations from damaging your speakers or, in a better, less expensive case, scaring you or simply making an unpleasant and uncomfortable noise.

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Select the appropriate cables for your speakers and amplifier. There are several types of connectors that you may come across:

  1. Bare wires
  2. Spade connectors 
  3. Pin connector
  4. Banana plugs
Bare wires
Bare wires

On higher-quality amps and speakers, there will be a 5-way binding post on the back of the speakers and a way to connect them.

When connecting spade connectors, bare wires, pin connectors, or banana plugs, ensure that the polarity is correct: red to red and black to black (from the amp to the speaker).

spring-clip speaker
spring-clip speaker

5-way binding posts are not found on lower-priced speakers and amplifiers. They have spring-clip speaker terminals instead. These terminals lack the versatility of 5-way binding posts and can only accept bare wire.

FAQs on Connect Speakers to an Amp

How many speakers can you connect to an amplifier?

The majority of amplifiers can handle a load of two speakers. Similar to a passenger on a small motorcycle: adding another passenger doubles the load the bike must carry, but most bikes can handle two passengers. Adding more than two speakers, on the other hand, will normally overload the amplifier.

Can you hook up 4 speakers to a 2 channel amp?

You can easily connect four speakers to a two-channel amplifier by considering the impedance of the speakers and dividing the power equally between the two channels. There are two ways to connect four speakers: series and parallel.

How do you hook up 4 speakers to a 1 channel amp?

A four-zone speaker selector switch is the most convenient and secure way to connect four pairs of HiFi speakers. To wire this, simply run a wire from the central location (lounge room) to each speaker. To prevent amplifier overload, the box should also take care of any impedance matching.

Trina Oralde

I'm a tech writer and contributor who covers the latest in gadgets and technology. I keep my finger on the pulse of the tech world, so you don't have to. Stay up-to-date on the latest with me!

 

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