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New member Username: Abner2xdayPost Number: 1 Registered: Jun-06 | I just bought a house that has old speaker wiring in some of the walls. The connectors look like headphone plugs. In one corner there are two input connectors labeled left and right. Then on the other side of the room, there are two corresponding connectors with shelving underneath that are perfect locations for surround speakers. Now eventually I will rewire the room, but in the meantime I was wondering if I replace the old plug in connectors with 5 way binding posts should the connections work? The system is probably about 20 years old (based on the age of the house) and I just don't know enought to know if this is compatible. I removed one of the old plugs and it appears to be connected to standard speaker wire. Any concerns about doing this I should be aware of? |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 989 Registered: Dec-03 | What type of wire? Coax or ? |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 8773 Registered: May-04 | . From where I sit I can tell no more about the condition of the cables and connectors than you have. So, how can I answer your question? Using zip cord isn't the best way to make in-wall runs. Depending on the climate, the cables could have deteriorated to a serious level. Or not. If you can't do anymore than look at one end of the cable, I would be hesitant to use the connector. If you can trace the cable through the attic or subfloor, then you might determine the actual condition of the cable and whether its run has anything peculiar that might prove damaging to your equipment (say, like a distribution transformer or shared ground connections inserted in the line). At the very least, I would check the cables at both ends with a VOM (volt/Ohm meter, available for about $15) and look for continuity at both ends but not between conductors. . |
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New member Username: CorykGibsons, Bc Canada Post Number: 2 Registered: Jun-06 | I too just moved into a house with single 1/4" jacks at various places in the walls and a central panel in one location. My amp has the thumb screw type connectors for speaker wire and my speakers have the typical spring loaded hole. Is it possible to go from these types of connector to the 1/4" style in the wall? |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 8787 Registered: May-04 | . Yes. |
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New member Username: CorykGibsons, Bc Canada Post Number: 3 Registered: Jun-06 | Thanks Jan Are there prefab speaker cables out there in the world that will make this conversion for me or will I have to make them myself and if so how. My knowledge of audio technology is limited. I live in a small community so my access to such things may be limited to purchasing on line. Perhaps you know of a good web site I could get some info from. I haven't found anything on this site so far. |
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Silver Member Username: Timn8terSeattle, WA USA Post Number: 999 Registered: Dec-03 | Sorry to butt in here butt, what are these 1/4" connectors that are referred to? To me, a 1/4" plug is the type used on mic/headphone connections. Are these possibly RCA connectors? |
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New member Username: CorykGibsons, Bc Canada Post Number: 4 Registered: Jun-06 | No such thing as butting in here! I'm looking for all the help/info I can get. They are not RCA they are exactly as you just described. Like one used for microphones or headphone connections. The 1/4" description was the closest I could find on line. Strange but true. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 8791 Registered: May-04 | . I assume they are 1/4" "phone jacks". You need to know if they require stereo or mono plugs and jacks. The plug is the part you grab and the jack is the part which remains stationary. A stereo plug will have two connection points (the tip and the ring) and a long solid chrome shaft (the ground) all separated by black dielectric rings. A mono plug will only have one connection point (the tip), the black dielectric and the long chrome shaft. The stereo jack will have the correct number of parts to mate up to the various portions of the stereo plug and the same for the mono version. You should pull at least one jack from the wall to check for stereo or mono connection. You can probably find a cable with male phone plugs on both ends at any supply shop or electronics store. Your speakers and amplifier can all use bare wire connections. Buy long enough cables to cut in half and strip about 3/8" of the insulation off all the cut ends of the cable. You have to determine which side is positive and which is negative. There are several ways to manage this but the easiest is with a continuity meter. Merely check for which side of the cable shows continuity between the plug tip end and the cable side. Make certain you do not have continuity between all sections of the cable and all sections of the plug/jack. The meter should make a noise or light up only when the appropriate conductor and cable section are linked by the probes. Should the plugs and jacks be stereo, the ground connection (the long chrome shaft) is typically carried by both channels so you will have continuity between both channel grounds and the common ground shaft. Make certain your amplifier can work into shared common grounds should this be the case. Most can but a few amplifiers will blow up when connected to common grounds. Also, one side (conductor) of the cable is often marked with an identifying color or mark to help keep track of the conductors. Typically either red/black or white/black. In this case black is typically the ground connection. All connection points should be consistent in color; for example, all blacks should go to the ground and all reds should go to the hot/positive. The actual color you use is unimportant as long as you are consistent at every connection point. Make certain all of the permanent jacks are the same polarity throughout the distribution network (All center pins are positive or all center pins are negative.) You can do this buy inserting the plug into the jack and checking for continuity between the ground conductor and the body of the jack which connects it to the plate on the wall. If one or more are not wired correctly (either all grounds or all hots are connected to the tip, one or the other), change the connection before you proceed. That should get your basic stereo pair of speakers connected. If you need more speakers or volume controls installed, that will get into more effort but the pattern of installation remains the same. http://www.inwallstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=i&Categ ory_Code=_info http://hometheater.about.com/od/beforeyoubuy/l/bltips.htm http://www.prillaman.net/ht_info_8-wiring.html . |
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New member Username: CorykGibsons, Bc Canada Post Number: 5 Registered: Jun-06 | Thanks Thanks Thanks That was excellent info. I'll let you know how it turns out. Great idea with the male ended cable cut in half. I'll try not to blow up my amp. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 8799 Registered: May-04 | . If someone wants to sell you shielded cables such as might be used for a guitar cable, they would not be my first choice. The internal conductor(s) will be rather small. If this is all you have access to, you should know these cables are going to have a shield around the conductor. The shield is likely to be either a braided group of wires or an aluminum foil wrapped around the conductor(s). The shield should be connected to the ground side of the cable. Check both ends with your meter as it is possible only one end of the cable is connected to the ground. You can either cut this off or use it as part of the connection. However, I would try to find two conductor speaker cable with the 1/4" phone plugs on each end. If this is impossible, it is fairly simple to solder phone plugs onto zip cord. Radio Shack might even have some phone plugs which do not require soldering. . |