In order to connect a set of 4-way speakers, you will need to know how to wire speakers with 4 terminals. This guide explains how to do that using easy-to-follow steps.
By following this guide, you will be able to enjoy your new set of 4-way speakers in no time! This can be a little tricky, but if done correctly, it will give you the best sound quality possible from your speakers. Let’s get started.
Things you’ll need:
1. A set of 4-way speakers (make sure they include four terminals)
2. Wire cutters and strippers
Step By Step Method Guide:
Step 1: Turn off the amplifier. This is important because it protects your speakers from shorts, which can ruin them. If the amplifier has a ‘protection’ switch, make sure you put it in the ‘off’ position before continuing.
Step 2: Identify the speaker wire and ground wire (in most cases, this will be black and bare copper respectively). Cut enough wire to reach from your speakers to your amplifier.
Step 3: Strip about ¼ to ½ inch of insulation from each end of the wires. Make sure you don’t cut into the wire itself.
Step 4: Match up your speaker wire and ground wire with their correct terminals (positive and negative respectively). If you need to, consult your owner’s manual for proper terminal identification.
Step 5: Tighten down each terminal by turning it counterclockwise with a screwdriver. Be careful not to strip the screws when you tighten them.
Step 6: Connect your speaker wire to the positive terminal and your ground wire to the negative terminal using pliers, and tighten each down with a screwdriver.
Step 7: Turn on your amplifier and test your speakers to make sure they are working properly.
Step 8: If all is well, wrap the visible wire around the screw on each terminal so it’s held tightly in place and cut off any excess wire. Make sure none of the wires has a short by testing them with a multimeter.
Step 9: If you are done, tape up all wires to hold them in place and protect the insulation. Make sure not to tape over any terminals.
What To Do When The Wires Are Too Short?
This can be difficult because you will need to buy wire in addition to the speaker wire that came with your speakers. You will also need an additional set of terminals for this.
The best way is to crimp the new wires through one of the terminals (it doesn’t matter which), strip both ends and attach them like normal. Unfortunately, the manufacturer often includes either too little wire or too few terminals, so you may have to get creative.
The most important thing is that your speakers are wired in a way where they have a positive and negative connection.
If you can’t get enough length from the original speaker wires, you should buy some new ones from an electronics store. This is also a good idea if you need more length than what came with your speakers, and it will help give you the best possible sound.
How To Identify Positive And Negative Terminals?
There is no easy way to do this, as each speaker will be wired differently. You should check your owner’s manual for assistance if you can’t figure it out on your own.
If all else fails, you can use a multi-meter to test the wires and find which one has the lowest electrical resistance (which means it carries the most current). Use this knowledge to connect the other terminal to the speaker.
How To Test Speakers?
You should make sure your set of 4-way speakers has a good connection by testing them with either a multi-meter or an amplifier/stereo system.
The best way is to turn on your amplifier, select some music (preferably something with a lot of basses), and put your hand on each speaker to see if it vibrates.
If one speaker is not vibrating, turn off the amplifier and double check that you have the correct wire connected to its terminal.
If this doesn’t work, or if a few speakers are working properly but the others do not, try turning on your amplifier and checking to see if the speakers are connected.
You can do this by tapping each terminal quickly with your screwdriver while the amplifier is turned off. If they work, you will be able to hear a click when each was touched.
If all of this fails and you cannot get any sound from your speakers at all, check your amplifier or stereo system to make sure it is turned on and set to the correct input.
If you still cannot get any sound, there may be an issue with your amplifier or something inside of your speakers. It’s best to contact a professional for help in this situation.
What Gauge Wire Should You Use?
16 gauge wire is generally the best wire to use with 4-way speakers, but you may need to use 14 gauge if your set is very old.
You should also get a 6-gauge or 8-gauge wire, depending on how long you need it to be and whether or not 16 gauge will work for your application.
8 gauge is generally too big and it’s best to get 6-gauge wire instead, but neither will work if your set of 4-way speakers requires 16 gauge wire or smaller.
How Many Speakers Can You Connect With One Amplifier?
This depends on the power and impedance (ohms) rating of your amplifier and speakers. It is generally recommended that you have between 1-4 speakers connected to each channel on your amplifier.
This is usually achieved with an 80 watt stereo system, but it can be done with a 100+ watt amp if your 4-way speakers are high quality and produce very little distortion at high volumes.
If you have too few speakers connected to one channel, or if your amplifier is not powerful enough, you may experience low sound quality and possibly damage your set of 4-way speakers.
If this is the case, you should either upgrade to a more powerful amplifier or connect two sets of speakers to separate channels instead.
How To Strip The Insulation Off The Wire?
A wire stripper is the best tool for this, as it will cut through the insulation without removing any of the wires inside. If you do not have a wire stripper, the easiest way to strip the insulation off is with a pair of scissors.
It’s important to make sure all of your 4-way speaker wires are stripped and ready before beginning the connection process.
This will minimize your chance of getting short and allow you to fully secure each wire with a terminal or twist-on connector as soon as possible (even if it’s two steps ahead of where you’re standing).
What Is A Twist-on Connector?
A twist-on connector is an easy way to secure your speaker wires without stripping them. You simply put the end of the wire through one side and pull it back out, leaving you with a perfectly stripped wire that’s only exposed at the end.
This makes it very easy to screw terminals onto each wire and prevents your wire insulation from ripping.
If you do not have a pair of wire strippers, this is a great tool to have on hand for any speaker wiring project. It’s also pretty cheap and only takes a few minutes to learn how to use.
How Do I Attach My 4 way Speakers?
There are two main ways to attach your 4-way speakers: by screwing them into a surface or by using speaker wire clips.
Attaching your speakers directly to a wall, ceiling, car door panel, etc, is definitely the most secure way to connect them and will hold up much better over time than speaker wire clips. It also usually produces better sound quality, but speaker wire clips are still a common way to secure speakers.
And that’s it, There is nothing else you need to do other than enjoy your speakers. Good luck and happy listening.
