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Are there any issues with connecting speaker wire in this manner?

I'm considering purchasing some 14 awg solid core wire to use as speaker cable.  I will be doubling this up to make 11 awg speaker cable. My amplifiers, Red Dragon S-500, have binding posts which DO NOT have a hole drilled in the center of the shaft for inserting wire (they are hollowed out for banana plugs but that's not what I am referring to here nor do I need).  I'll be connecting the speaker wire without attachments, no spades, bananas, nor pins.  To get a good connection, it would be ideal if I could take the wire and, at the half way point, wrap it around the amplifier binding post, then run the two ends out to the speakers.  Will this work or will connecting the wire in this manner be problematic?  Do I need to cut the wire into 2 runs?  Thanks!

lcherepkai
jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,311 posts
 

Wrapping the wire around the amp posts is a real kludge! Get some good banana plugs instead!

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,311 posts
 

Doubling the 14 guage wire as you plan is inconsequential. For a typical setup 14 guage is fine! Now if you want to run 50-100 feet ...

erik_squires
16,542 posts
 

Will this work? Perhaps only as an experiment. Stranded with banana plugs is really a better option.

Are you an electrician? Cause this is how they’d wire a light switch. I really don’t recommend anyone use solid core wiring because they are pretty brittle. They want to be put into a wall or conduit and left alone for 30 years. Every time you move them you break them a little.

Next, there’s the hardness of the connection at the terminal. Very hard metal to very hard metal here doesn’t tighten down very well. The lack of malleability prevents the squishiness that creates a tight screw-down terminal. Light switches have wire guides to ensure the wiring is flat to the contact plate and to the screw head and allow for quite a bit of torque.

The one area where I’ve seen solid core wiring used professionally for speakers was at Magico and then only on certain models and internally. Everywhere else they used Canare.

If you want to use AC wiring as an example to follow, look at how AC plugs and receptacles are built instead of how the in-wall wiring is done.  You'll see tight spring connections being used.

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