How to hook speakers up to your amplifier

You are reading this because you purchased some outdoor speakers and you need some guidance on hook up, right? Well then this is the article you have been looking for! In this session we will discuss the tips and techniques on hooking up your stereo/amplifier in your home to your outside sound systems. We will also give you some do's and don'ts along the way to make your install go that much easier.

First Step: put your amplifier in a well located spot. When I say convenient, I mean so that it can be accessed by you and your guests so that it can be easily operated. If you wish to control it with a remote then you will need to place it somewhere that it has direct line of sight to. If you don't want it messed with, then you will want to place it in a cabinet or on a shelf. Wherever you decide to place it, just make sure it has adequate space to dissipate heat. Heat is a killer for amplifiers and in full operation, your amp will need to be ventilated.

Next step is to ensure the wires to your speakers from your amplifier are as short as possible. You need to keep your wire lengths from getting longer than they need to be to avoid excess burden on your amplifier. This keeps the strain off your amplifier and prolongs its life. It will take a diamond concrete drill bit to go through hard walls, so you may need to route around these types of walls. Proper practice is to keep the stray wires hidden and out of view and not laying on the floor. You will also need to make sure that you seal the holes you make to the exterior of your home or building with a high quality sealant. These types of materials can be found at your local hardware or home improvement center and can match to your specific application. This is a crucial step as moisture and pests can and will get into these holes no matter how small you think they are. Don't skip this step!

Step three: hook up the wires as described by your amplifiers manufacturer. Be sure to keep your polarity correct when hooking up to your outdoor speakers. Most speaker wire is marked with a stripe or color to help you keep this straight, so utilize it. You also will want to make sure that you are not putting too much load on the amplifier by putting too many sets of speakers on one line. For the most part you will be hooking up only one speaker per channel, but if you plan to do this, then you will need to read our article on hooking up multiple sets of speakers. Let's just concetrate on the hook up procedure for one pair of speakers for now. Check the ohm resistance on the speakers you have. Most of these are rated for 8 ohms. This also applies to your amps resistance capabilities, some amps and speakers can have multiple resistance levels for flexible installations. Check your tech manual that came with your equipment to make sure.

Step Four: wires run, holes sealed, check the hook ups. After you have done this you are ready to sit back, relax and turn up the volume of your favorite tunes relaxing out on your deck or patio!

www.outdoorspeakerguy.com

An avid music lover and musician, specializing in home audio sales, service and installation for over 20 years.
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