How to Connect a Speaker Wire to a Wall Plate (7 Steps)
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If you're worried about the sight of long speaker wires along the floor and people tripping over them, you can hide the wiring in the walls and use wall panels.
It's easy to do. This is similar to how television and telephone cables are connected to wall panels. It's more convenient and safer.
Connecting a speaker wire to a wall plate is as simple as plugging it into the terminals of each audio jack behind the plate, attaching the plate to the wall, and fitting the other end to the sound source.
I will show you how you can do it.
Speaker wires and wall plates
speaker wires
Speaker wire is a common type of audio cable.
They usually come in pairs because they are designed to work together in a stereo system. One is usually red (positive wire) and the other is black or white (negative wire). The connector is either bare or in the form of a banana connector, which is more reliable and protects the wire, which reduces the likelihood of wear or loss of integrity.
The banana plug is designed to connect to the banana plug that is used in almost all speakers.
wall plates
Wall panels provide more convenience than outdoor wiring.
Similar to outlets in your home electrical system, you can also install wall panels with audio jacks for your entertainment system. So the audio wires can be hidden instead. It's also a safer method because no one will trip over them.
Steps to Connect Speaker Wire to Wall Plate
The steps to connect the speaker wire to the wall plate are as below.
Remember to take the following precautions: Make sure that the wires on the positive and negative terminals do not touch each other.
In addition, we recommend that you use gold-plated banana plugs for greater durability.
The only tools you will need are a screwdriver and wire cutters.
Step 1: Route the speaker wires
Pull the speaker wires through the hole in the inner box.
Step 2: Rotate the screw terminal bushings
Rotate the screw terminal grommets (counterclockwise) on the back of the wall plate so that the terminal holes are exposed.
Step 3: Insert the speaker wire
Insert the speaker wires (positive and negative) into each screw terminal hole, then turn the grommet (clockwise) to secure it.
Step 4: Repeat for all other terminals
Repeat the above step for all other terminals.
Step 5: Remove the bezel
Once the rear wiring is complete, remove the front panel from the wall plate. You should be able to see at least a couple of screws hidden underneath.
Step 6: Place the wall plate
Place the wall plate against the opening of the electrical box.
Step 7: Tighten the screws
After installing the wall plate into the wall, secure it by screwing the screws into the screw holes and tighten them.
Now you can connect the speakers to the wall panel and enjoy listening to the audio system.
Installation example of an audio wall panel
Below is a wiring diagram for a home theater or entertainment system.
This particular installation requires a three piece low voltage ring next to the amplifier, a single low voltage ring next to each loudspeaker, and a quad shield RG3 coaxial cable running from the wallplate to the loudspeakers. Speaker wire must be at least 6/16 class 2 and at least 3-gauge up to 18 feet (thicker for longer distances).
This should give you an idea of what to expect if you're considering hooking up a home theater system. You will need to refer to the manual that came with yours for exact specifications and steps.
How Wall Plates Work
Before I tell you how to connect the speaker wire to the wall plate, it would be helpful to know how the speaker wall plate installation is organized.
The speaker or wall mounted audio panel is mounted on the wall like electrical plugs, cable TV and telephone sockets. The speaker cables run from it along the inside of the wall, usually to another wallboard where the sound source is connected.
This arrangement connects the sound source and speakers hidden behind the walls. Some speaker wall panels use banana plugs, but some can also accept bare speaker wires.
The back of the speaker wall plate is similar to the one used for electrical work.
Take a look at some of our articles below.
- How to connect speakers with 4 terminals
- Solder speaker wire
- How to connect speaker wire
Help
(1) Leviton. Wall plate - front and back view. Home theater interface panel. Retrieved from https://rexel-cdn.com/Products/B78D614E-3F38-42E7-B49B-96EC010BB9BA/B78D614E-3F38-42E7-B49B-96EC010BB9BA.pdf
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