Category: Geeks r Us
Hey all,
I'm sure that theres someone who knows more about this sort of thing on here than I do scene as I've never attempted it before.
Basicly, I have 2 speakers connected to an amp. One of the speakers has some damage to the wire; I can feel where the insulation has come away and this means that the audio in the speaker will change volume with the slightist move of the wire.
My thinking is that if I cut the cable a few cm iether side of the break, I should end up with a slightly smaller but more reliable cable. I have some cutters that I can use, but I'm interested in how easy it will be for me to join the 2 pieces together?
I've scene some people solder them and I've scene others use electrical tape, but I'm interested in what method would maintain a reliable connection and wouldn't be out of the question for a total.
As usual, any thoughts, suggestions would be great.
Cheers.
OK here's my way of doing this, and again as usual for better or worse I have no knowledge of an adaptive, as they say, way to do it:
I am a total and my one experience with soldering was painful. I'm not sure how much of it had to do with being a total, or the fact I had been playing with a band in a club and partaken of the after-performance substances but I will say a miss with a solder iron really does hurt!
So, here's what I would suggest regarding your speaker wire:
Make your cut, as you said, with your pair of cutters.
Now, with a pocket knife peel back the insulation for about a half inch on each side.
You will have access to two wires inside, and it's necessary that you pair each one with its mate from the opposite / complementary end.
Twist the ends together, wire a with wire a and wire b with wire b.
Now wrap with electrical tape, and make sure that with each turn you have a very taught wrap, no wrinkles - this is where most people I know get it wrong. Although I learned this from someone sighted, I will vouch for the fact it takes no sight to do, I have none and I have done it most recently to my daughter's stereo, but in many other situations.
If you are talking regular speaker wire it's easy for you to do. Cut some off. Sissors are easy to do it with if you don't have a wire stripper. Take that pice with you to Radio Shack, or anyplace you can get speaker wire and get the same gauge, or type. This is for neat looking, but if its just speaker wire any will work. If you don't want to use tape buy some wire nuts to match the gauge of wire. Now I don't know if your speakers are connected color wise. They have a black and a red pole, is if connected correctly you get a slightly better sound, because they will be in faze. If not, never mind that. The wire nuts simply twist on to the ends of the wire. Again if you don't have a wire stripper use your teeth and strip the plastic back. I say your teeth, because you'll feel when you have chewed to the wire. Do it on all 4 sides. Twist the wires together and twist a nut on. Turn it until it fees tight, so try it both directions until it holds. connect the other to your speaker. I forgot to say unplug the amp while doing this. That way you don't have to disconnect the wire from it. Now plug it up and you got it going on. Now if your wire is color coded get the person at the store to put some tape on the red side of all wire, so you know that color. You may not be able to tell the sound differents, so thats not important, but if so also when you cut put tape on both the cut ends on one side, and the person at the store will tell you that color. So when you get home you can match it up. Then you can change them on the speaker poles until you get the best sound. Hope all this make sense. If not ask more questions.
Thank you for the posts both. I'm at university at the moment, but I'll give Leo's method a go when I get back.
The adverts on the bottom of this page are for hypnosis to increase self esteem, I don't really want to be hypnotised justso that I can feel confident in making cables.
Cheers.
@3, the amp has black and red connections, but the cables are both black. Will it still make a difference?
No, not really. As I say if you wish the best sound then get new cable that is color coded. On the amp you'll find red and black, so connect one color to all red and the other to all black. Your system will then be in faze, and things like stereo separation, bass, and such will improve, but otherwise no. Even if both cables are black the wire is sometimes different, a silver, and a gold color, so you do the same.