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#249464 - 02/28/09 08:12 AM Best way to join speaker wire?
PopeBobAltarBoy Offline
connoisseur

Registered: 06/23/07
Posts: 3915
Loc: The Papal Apartments
Hey guys, I need to extend the length of my speaker wire so therefore joining two is the only way to do it and I need some advice. The only advice that I have received is from someone in the business that said to intertwine them and then use blue merrets (can't remember why he specified blue ones).

Something that I thought of is that I have a banana plug wall plate, and I was wondering if I could somehow take the connectors off of the plastic plate (or break the plastic plate surrounding the connectors)and use those inside the wall??

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
_________________________
Goodnight oracle Bob. Here's your bedtime glass of warm milk with Viagra and OxyContin.

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#249469 - 02/28/09 08:37 AM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: PopeBobAltarBoy]
MarkSJohnson Online   happy
shareholder in the making

Registered: 09/27/04
Posts: 10192
Loc: 543 miles North of VAST
Hey Cam:
Personally, I would Just fan out the strands a bit on both ends, intertwine them, and twist them. Then a cap or electrical tape or shrink tube.

Then, bend the splices "flat" to the wire and wrap the whole think with tape or shrink tube.

It's not like you're wiring AC or anything...you just want to prevent loose strands from touching or it pulling apart easily.
_________________________
::::::: “Yum. I'd love to gnaw on those with my ears." :::::::

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#249471 - 02/28/09 09:38 AM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: MarkSJohnson]
PopeBobAltarBoy Offline
connoisseur

Registered: 06/23/07
Posts: 3915
Loc: The Papal Apartments
Thanks for the advice Mark, I'll give that a try, or at least get someone who's not digit inept.

My main worry was that I would possibly be losing sound quality.
_________________________
Goodnight oracle Bob. Here's your bedtime glass of warm milk with Viagra and OxyContin.

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#249473 - 02/28/09 09:45 AM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: PopeBobAltarBoy]
Adrian Offline
axiomite

Registered: 12/27/08
Posts: 6393
Loc: It's all about the location.
Another vote for shrink wrap/tube. They tend to look better than a wad of electrical tape or marr connectors. I wonder if you could find a small plug-in connector male/female to do the job?
_________________________
A person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still.

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#249474 - 02/28/09 09:46 AM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: Adrian]
fredk Offline
axiomite

Registered: 12/06/07
Posts: 6722
Loc: Canada
Don't forget an outer layer of duct tape for that Red/Green look.
_________________________
Fred

-------
Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!

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#249486 - 02/28/09 11:22 AM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: fredk]
michael_d Offline
connoisseur

Registered: 07/23/04
Posts: 3735
Loc: Up yonder
But connectors and shrink rap is what I'd use.
_________________________
"......The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." ~ Lin Yutang

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#249502 - 02/28/09 12:43 PM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: michael_d]
Zimm Offline
connoisseur

Registered: 12/08/08
Posts: 1361
Loc: New Orleans
From the peanut gallery: hold the two ends at 90 degrees with the insulation of each almost touching at the X point. Twist the wires tightly trying to maintain the 90 degree split on the unwound portion. Once you (or a digit friendly assistant) have the entire length (no more than an inch needed) add a yellow or red wire nut. Cheap stuff, but the color corresponds to the size wire it will hold. Make sure you twist in a clockwise manner or the wire cap will untwist your pretty wind and risk a wire sliding our. The point of the 90 degree twist is that it will hold the wire very firmly even without a wire nut. If you hold the wires parallel and just twist the resulting weave is easily pulled apart. (give it a try!) The 90 degree twist is very secure and with the wire nut (or without) you wont have to worry about it getting pulled apart if abused by feet, furniture, or the drunk squirrel that is always lurking around here. \:o

The shrink wrap is a great idea (and still cheap) and looks much better than any other option I know of. If you go that route, and twist lock as described, I would skip the wire nut to keep the look very clean. Unless the wire is completely hidden, then I'd save the time and just put the wire nut and wrap of tape. You can also get some silver solder if you really want to do it "right" but from what I have learned here, you will gain nothing.
_________________________
Panny 3000 PJ, 118" Carada, Denon 3300, PS3, Axiom QS8, PSB 5T, B&W sub, levitating speaker wire

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#249518 - 02/28/09 01:37 PM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: Zimm]
MarkSJohnson Online   happy
shareholder in the making

Registered: 09/27/04
Posts: 10192
Loc: 543 miles North of VAST
....unless you have them levitating wyres...
_________________________
::::::: “Yum. I'd love to gnaw on those with my ears." :::::::

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#249525 - 02/28/09 01:54 PM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: MarkSJohnson]
Zimm Offline
connoisseur

Registered: 12/08/08
Posts: 1361
Loc: New Orleans
Right, then your F'd. You can't ever get them to levitate at the same level to put them in the shrink wrap. That's why the Deaf Monk has to do it in the volcano where gravity and magnetism inverticate.

Keep up kids, this aint rocket science.

_________________________
Panny 3000 PJ, 118" Carada, Denon 3300, PS3, Axiom QS8, PSB 5T, B&W sub, levitating speaker wire

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#249526 - 02/28/09 02:01 PM Re: Best way to join speaker wire? [Re: Zimm]
Zimm Offline
connoisseur

Registered: 12/08/08
Posts: 1361
Loc: New Orleans
You could just skip the work and get these...they will make your system sound like angles are signing in your room.


_________________________
Panny 3000 PJ, 118" Carada, Denon 3300, PS3, Axiom QS8, PSB 5T, B&W sub, levitating speaker wire

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