Harman-Kardon 5.1 manual Speaker Wire Preparation and Connection, Cables or Connecting Wire

Speaker Wire Preparation and Connection

Once the proper hookup has been selected using the previous section, make the physical connection using the following instructions.

Cables or Connecting Wire

To assure that the high quality signals produced by your Citation amplifier are car- ried to your speakers without loss of clarity or resolution, we recommend that you use high quality speaker cable. Many brands of cable are available, and the choice of cable may be influenced by the distance between your speakers and the amplifier, the type of speakers you use, personal preferences, and other factors. Your dealer or installer is a valuable resource to consult in selecting the proper cable for connections between your amplifier and speakers.

Regardless of the brand or type of cable selected, we recommend that you use a cable constructed of fine, multi-strand copper with a AWG of 14 or larger. Remember, that in specifying cable, the lower the number, the thicker the cable.

Cable with an AWG of 16 may be used for short runs of less than ten feet. We do not recommend that you use any cables with an AWG equivalent of 18 or higher due to the power loss and degradation in performance that will occur.

One way to insure that cables will deliver a predictable level of performance is to use cables that are Home THX® certified. This certification assures that the cables have met a rigorous set of specifications designed for home theater applications.

Cables that are run inside walls should have the appropriate markings to indicate listing with UL, CSA or other testing agency standards. Questions about cables inside walls should be referred to your installer or a licensed electrical contractor who is familiar with the NEC and/or the applicable local building codes in your area.

Connections to Speakers

Regardless of the channel configuration used, the final step of the installation process is to connect the amplifier to your speakers, using high quality cable, as outlined above. A pair of binding posts is provided for each channel output. These posts will accept bare wire, spade lugs or banana-type plugs where permitted by local safety agencies.

If bare wire is used for the connections, strip approximately 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch (20mm) of insulation from the end of each wire and carefully twist the strands of each conductor together. Be careful not to cut the individual strands or twist them off; for optimal performance, all strands must be used.

Then, loosen the knobs of the speaker output terminals, far enough so that the pass-through hole is revealed. Note that one conductor of the speaker cable may have no markings, and the other will have a red line, brand name markings, a black thread, or some other positive indication. Follow the proper connection instruc- tions for your system with regard to which terminals are used. The small speaker

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