Speaker connection

colin808
colin808 Posts: 47
edited September 2012 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
I have some old speakers. I think about 70s or 80s. I think they are Kenwood since my dad bought a whole set of Kenwood back in the day. Anyways, the speaker connection is one rca. So for the right speaker I have one rca and for the left speaker I have one rca.

I highly doubt theyre powered speaker since I tried hooking them up to the audio out on my tv. I also dont know what the impedance is or the power rating. That might be off topic.

My main concern is how to hook up these speakers when instead of speaker wire, there is one rca?

Sorry if its confusing.
Post edited by colin808 on
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited September 2012
    Hello,
    Many of the prepackaged systems of that era used an RCA cable to go from the amplifier to the speakers. The amplifier came with the right and left RCA already attached and all the owner had to do was plug each speaker in. If you don't have the original amplifier you might be able to still find speaker wire with bare wires on one end and RCA connectors on the other. I remember Radio Shack used to sell that kind of wire, but it's possible they no longer carry that type of wire connection. How long would you need?
    Regards, Ken
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,654
    edited September 2012
    Before you do anything else, check the driver surrounds for foam rot.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

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  • colin808
    colin808 Posts: 47
    edited September 2012
    Kenneth Swauger wrote: »
    Hello,
    Many of the prepackaged systems of that era used an RCA cable to go from the amplifier to the speakers. The amplifier came with the right and left RCA already attached and all the owner had to do was plug each speaker in. If you don't have the original amplifier you might be able to still find speaker wire with bare wires on one end and RCA connectors on the other. I remember Radio Shack used to sell that kind of wire, but it's possible they no longer carry that type of wire connection. How long would you need?
    Regards, Ken

    after i posted this i decided to try a search on rca to speaker wire and I saw that Radioshack did have some. Im not exactly sure how long I will need yet due to I just wanted to see if the speakers worked and how good they are. The Radioshack one is 12 feet so that should be good enough but if I needed more length then I could just cut off the connectors and crimp or solder some wires right?
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  • colin808
    colin808 Posts: 47
    edited September 2012
    F1nut wrote: »
    Before you do anything else, check the driver surrounds for foam rot.

    I dont really think I can check for rot. I cant take off the screen off the speaker. It seems like its glued to the box itself. I cant really see the foam but the woofers and midrange cones look perfect. I think they would be good speakers since the other pair my dad bought are pretty good granted theyre 20-30 years old as well. Im hoping they still work well.
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  • colin808
    colin808 Posts: 47
    edited September 2012
    How much power should I run to them since I dont know what they can handle? I think I have a receivers that do 50 watts RMS, 75 watts RMS, and 100 watts RMS.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,654
    edited September 2012
    I cant really see the foam

    That's what I'm concerned about.
    How much power should I run to them since I dont know what they can handle? I think I have a receivers that do 50 watts RMS, 75 watts RMS, and 100 watts RMS.

    It doesn't matter, you control the volume level.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • KiTsuNe
    KiTsuNe Posts: 74
    edited September 2012
    If you're just looking to test them out, you can take an RCA cable and cut off one end, theres usually a inner jacket that separates the negative and positive lines, you can run those into your amp and the uncut RCA end into your speaker. I use to do it all the time for walgreens because their equipment is kind of weird going from source > PA system
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