What color speaker wires go together?
Aktie
When connecting speaker wires, it’s important to follow standard color coding to ensure proper polarity and correct sound output. Typically, speaker wires are color-coded to help with this. Here's how the wires should go together:
Common Color Coding for Speaker Wires:
-
Positive (Right) Wire:
- Red or marked with a stripe (sometimes white with a red stripe or a solid red wire)
- This wire connects to the positive (+) terminal on the amplifier/receiver and the positive (+) terminal on the speaker.
-
Negative (Left) Wire:
- Black or plain (sometimes white or a solid black wire)
- This wire connects to the negative (-) terminal on the amplifier/receiver and the negative (-) terminal on the speaker.
Why Color Coding Matters:
- Red (Positive) and Black (Negative) are used to indicate the correct polarity.
- Connecting the wires in the wrong order can lead to phase cancellation, meaning the sound from the speakers might be out of sync and produce poor audio quality.
- It also helps avoid issues like sound distortion and ensures your audio equipment works properly.
Important Notes:
- Always match red to red and black to black (or any color scheme used in your system).
- If the wires do not have color coding (some higher-end wires may not), you can identify which one is positive by looking for a marking or ridge on the wire.
- If using a two-wire system, you can also use a stripe or line on one of the wires to distinguish between the positive and negative leads.
In conclusion, red connects to positive (+), and black connects to negative (-) for each speaker. Properly connecting speaker wires helps ensure that the audio system functions at its best, providing clear, accurate sound.
