Speaker Connections
Speaker Terminals
The A 31 speaker terminals accept speaker wires with banana plugs, spade connectors or bare wire. Refer to “Bare Wire Speaker Ends” in the Technically Speaking section for information about bare wire termination.
Correct Speaker Polarity is Important
Polarity refers to + and – connections. Speaker wires are coded with color, 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 all channels. If some of the speakers are wired with incorrect polarity you will significantly affect sound quality.
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 number, 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.
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