How to connect multi strand cables

Col

I am in the process of trying to connect a numbert of in ceiling speakers that my electrian was to do, so I am trying to figure out what they have done. In the living room where I had planned to have 4 seperate in ceiling speakers, for surround, but there are just 3 brown wires. Each of these I think is multi strand, there are 4 different coloured wires (yellow, blue, red and black) in each brown cable. I dont know if they have forgotten to put in a speaker cable, or if they planned to split one of the speaker cables to connect 2 speakers. Does anybody have any ideas, or solutions. There also seems to be an extra coax cable??? Also as I am new to this, should I use all the wire to connect the speaker as sound comes out when I use just 2 of them.

J_Kennedy

You need one pair per speaker so you can split them off if need be. If they ran on cable to each speaker, meaning one of the 2 pair cables to each, you only need one pair. Just be sure you use the same pair at each end, with the same polarity. I'd use black for - of course, and red for + and leave the other pair.

It's not abnormal cable to be used, but we usually use it in commercial installations of overhead speakers and horns that aren't used for music.

I reread. Since you only have 3 cables, try to use one for 2 speakers where you'll use one pair for one speaker and the other pair for another. Just terminate those pair accordingly at the other end. Like red/black for one speaker, run the cable to the next carefully split the insulator and use the yellow/blue for that speaker.

You've got three, four pair cables, so you have 12 wires which is 6 pairs which will handle 6 speakers. Hopefully there's enough loop (slack) left to run one to 2 speakers.

J_Kennedy

Oh, one more thing. You might want to check the gauge, size, of the wire. Depending on how long the runs are, and how much power you're pushing, imdependce of the speakers etc. it might not be heavy enough. I wouldn't use 4 pair cable in a HT install in most cases. It's fine for "Billy Bob, you have a call on line 3" speaker use, but not always for audio.

But it might be just fine also. You just need to check and make sure it is. It's better to go ahead and pull new cable, the right stuff, now instead of later. It's not as difficult or intrusive as you might think, especially since there's already cable there, to use to pull the new stuff through. It could be a breeze.

Col

Thanks for the quick reply. You say the it not abnormal to use the speaker cable that they used, but do you think it is of decent quality, also will the splitting of the cable reduce the quality of the sound. I have a number of speakers (14 in various rooms) to install I have a mix of bose 191's, Polk rc80i's and some rc6 for bathrooms. I had planned on using just the bose and polk seperately in each room.

J_Kennedy

If it's as you describe, it's just 4 strands of insulated copper within a single sheath, so to speak? The by splitting the 2 pairs, all you're doing is opening up the outer sheath, not messing with the wires themselves until you terminate a pair on a speaker so it's no problem.

But no one can really know about the quality or whether it's the proper gauge for the length of the runs and application, without seeing it and your application/needs.