YOU SHOULD KNOW
Correct Speaker Polarity is Important
Polarity refers to + and – connections. Speaker wires are coded with printing or a ridge on the
insulation on one of the leads so you know which lead was connected to the + and – terminals
at the other end. This coding will help you keep the + and - polarity consistent for both channels.
Speaker Wire Length and Gauge (thickness)
When selecting speaker wire, follow these guidelines:
• Keep the length of your speaker wire as short as possible
• Use the thickest wire practical. For lengths greater than 50 feet, use speaker wire with an AWG
(gauge) of 14 or lower. The smaller the AWG, the thicker the wire.
• Do not use speaker wire that is thinner than 16 AWG.
• Keep wire lengths for both channels as close to equal as possible.
Speaker Terminals
The five-way binding post speaker terminals on the A 23 accept most speaker wire
terminations including single or dual banana plugs, 1/4” spade lugs, or bare wire.
Refer to Bare Wire Speaker Termination in the
Technically Speaking
section for
information about bare wire termination.
What You’ll Need:
• Two lengths of speaker wire
AWG 16 or thicker with banana
plugs, spade lugs, or bare wire
• Loudspeakers or a speaker
selector box
Before Connecting
Remove power to all the components in your audio system.
To Connect
Insert one wire with the ridge or other marking into the red
Right
+
(positive) speaker
terminal on the A 23. Insert the wire without the ridge or other marking into the black
Right
-
(negative) speaker terminal on the A 23.
Insert the other end of the wire with the ridge or other marking into the red right +
(positive) terminal on the speaker. Insert the wire without the ridge or other marking
into the black right
-
(negative) terminal on the speaker.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the left channel
CONNECTING SPEAKERS TO THE A 23
5
1
2
Stripped
AWG wire
Dual
Banana Plug
Common Speaker Connectors
Single
Banana Plug
Spade Lug
Red ususally
designates right
The GND notch
signifies ground
or speaker left
3
&
4
3
2
4
C A U T I O N
1
Speakers
