using 16 and 18 gauge wire (1 Viewer)

[Mike_HT]

I am using 4 speakers that have 16-gauge non-removable wire that I need to connect to my receiver which uses RCA plugs. I have been looking around for a 16-gauge to RCA adapter and have been unsuccessful. I have found a 24' phono plug with 18-gauge wire. This is what I need but its 18 not 16. Is there a problem with me connecting the two together? If so is there anything else I can buy that I don't know about to solve my problem? (Besides ditching my cheap speakers) Thanks for any help.

 

[Chu Gai]

well if there's a way to open up the back of the speaker, you could probably replace the wires (I think they're either soldered or are clipped) with something like twelve gauge. then take the other end of the twelve gauge and pick up some inexpensive RCA's (Radio Shack?) and hook the wires up. give you a chance to practice some soldering skills. make sense?

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I am using 4 speakers that have 16-gauge non-removable wire that I need to connect to my receiver which uses RCA plugs.

Mike, I think there may be some confusion here. Generally, the RCA jacks on a receiver are for line-level inputs of the various components (CD player, VCR, etc.). You don’t connect speakers to these jacks. The speakers should be connected to the speaker terminals, usually binding posts or spring-loaded clips.

That said, I have seen older, super-low-end stereos that used RCAs for the speaker connections – usually “all-in-one” systems, not a separate receiver. If this is your situation, then yes, it would be find to use the Radio Shack RCA speaker wires.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Mike_HT]

Sorry I never included all the info about the situation. Here is the original thread:
XBOX HT
Here's what I've got so far:
Using the Radio Shack cable and clamping or soldering the sets of wire together so they have RCA plugs then connecting it to the pre-outs on the Pioneer VSX-D811S. Hook up my center channel and sub and xbox.

 

[RussKon]

go out and get some switchcraft 3502a rca plugs....these plugs have the longer body and will easily accept 14 gauge wire into the strain relief....

get some 14 gauge wire and make your own cables...

russ

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Russ, since you are using powered speakers (at least, that’s what I understand from the link you posted) you need shielded signal cable, not speaker cable. Speaker cable is not shielded and long runs can pick up noise and interference. If it does, it will be audible through the powered speakers.

But come to think of it, since you mentioned 16ga. wire in your first post, I have a feeling I'm not getting the whole picture...

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Mike_HT]

I'm not sure what I have .
I did some searching to see if anyone else had used their AL 641 speakers with a receiver or extended the length of the wire, since I'll need to do both for this project. From that I found out people had just bought standard speaker wire from Radio Shack and others just used 16-gauge wire they had lying around and it all worked fine plugging it into the back of the sub like standard. ( As shown HERE )So I know thats not a problem. I know of no one that has used the speakers with a receiver, so i came here for help.
What I'm trying to do is use the four speakers I got with this set as mains and surrounds, use the sub (if it works, if not buy a new one) and buy a new cheap center channel.
I'm not sure if the speakers are powered or not, I got that from someone's reply to my other thread and took their word for it, and just in case settled on the Pioneer VSX-D811 since it has pre-outs for all channels. If they are not powered I'm guessing it wont matter anyway from what I've read.
In the end, all I'm trying to accomplish is add surround sound to my xbox using existing equipment since I'm a cheap student and I need a receiver soon anyway. Maybe I'm pushing it, maybe I'm making it harder than it should be hehehe. As long as when I hook up everything it doesn't all blowup I'll be happy cause I can always resell or hold onto the receiver.
Thanks guys for listening to all my length and strange questions. I really appreciate it