Installation
Wire we hear? (This section is important)
Before you start…
Take a moment to read these recommendations. You will be quizzed at the end.
Always shut off the power to all components before installing!
2. Use quality speaker wire. We recommend two-conductor wire with high quality copper. You’ll also want
to make sure that there is a means of determining polarity (identifying the positive and negative strands).
3. All wire has resistance in it. The thicker the wire, the less resistance it has. The less resistance, the better
your speakers will sound. The thickness of the wire should be determined by the length of the wire you
are using. For longer lengths, heavier wire should be used. See our table below:
Length of speaker wire (each speaker)
Recommended minimum thickness
Up to 15 feet
16 AWG
15 to 30 feet
14 AWG
Over 30 feet
12 AWG
4. When connecting wire to a terminal, twist the wire strands together so that they all can be neatly inserted
into the terminal.
If strands are left loose and make contact with the terminal or a wire of the opposite po-
larity, they will cause a short and can severely damage your speakers and equipment.
Phasing
It’s critically important that the speakers all work together. To accomplish this, all speakers must be wired in
phase.
This means that, for each speaker and for your receiver, every positive wire is properly connected to a posi-
tive (+) terminal and every negative wire is properly connected to a negative (-) terminal. When this is the
case, all of your speakers are considered to be “in phase”. On our speakers, the positive (+) input terminal is
identified with the color red, while the negative (-) input terminal is labeled with black. Your receiver or am-
plifier will provide identification by plus (+) and minus (-) symbols or by colors also (commonly red for posi-
tive and black for negative).
If you’re human like some of us, and you inadvertently connect some wires backwards, you will hear the re-
sults. Having a speaker out of phase significantly degrades sound quality. In a stereo system, out of phase
speakers will sound as if there is a hole in the imaging between the speakers. Voices can sound as if they are
far away from you, coming from behind your speakers. Incorrect phasing can also significantly diminish bass
response. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the polarity of every connection is consistent.
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