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By Gary Altunian, About.com Guide to Stereos

How to Properly Connect Speakers

Tuesday May 15, 2007
One of the most common mistakes made when connecting speaker wires to receivers (or amplifiers) is incorrect phase. All receivers and speakers have a positive (+) and a negative (-) terminal (or connector) and the speaker wires must be connected the same way on both components. For example, the positive terminal on the receiver must be connected to the positive terminal on the speaker for both left and right channels and the negative terminals on the receiver connected to the negative terminals on the speaker. Typically the positive terminal is red and the negative terminal is black, but not always. Look for the (+) and (-) symbols to be sure. Incorrect connection is ‘out of phase’ and the result is often a noticeable lack of bass in the music. Remember: positive-to-positive (+ to +) and negative-to-negative (- to -) on both receiver and speakers. Good listening!

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