10
The ideal connection is through the two line level RCA jacks, while spring loaded terminals
can be used to accept speaker level inputs, if line level is not possible. The spring-loaded
terminals can accept bare speaker wire (up to 9 AWG) or pin plugs.
While all the speaker level options work with bare speaker wire, making bare speaker wire
connections is less than ideal. Using banana or pin plugs is highly recommended for several
reasons. Plugs are easier to connect, don't run the risk of stray wire strands shorting the
connections, allow for use of heavier gauge speaker wire in most cases, and it is much
easier to identify the polarity from a color coded ring on a plug then from a subtle
markings along the length of a wire.
Regardless of how you choose to make the connection you will need some speaker wire.
The thickness, or gauge, of the wire needed depends primarily on the distance over which
the signal will be sent. The following table serves as a guideline for determining the
minimum wire gauge to use:
Wire Gauge
Distance (feet)
8 ohms
4 ohms
18 AWG
10
5
16 AWG
20
10
14 AWG
35
18
12 AWG
60
30
10 AWG
100
50
In general you should use the heaviest gauge speaker wire that will fit in the connectors
(remember, the smaller the AWG number, the heavier/thicker the wire). Using banana or
pin plugs can allow for a heavier gauge wire than most binding posts or terminals will
accept.
Rather than using fixed length speaker wires, it is best to get a roll and cut the wires to the
length you will need them. This ensures that there is a minimum amount of excess wire.
However, even if your amplifier is off-center, the lengths of wire used for each speaker pair
(front mains or surrounds) should be identical. This keeps the impedance on each channel