Wiring question

[Automission]

I'd like to ask a question. When wiring speakers, after connecting them to the speakers, how do you tell which cable on the other end is Red and which is black?
The cable I've got is sort of braided so I can't trace it along. Also, i'm using bi-amping cable for my centre speaker, so what should I do with the two unused cable ends?

I've also heard a tip to conform which is why. They say to connect the wires to your speaker, then touch the wires at the other end to the positive side of an AA battery. Whichever moves in response is positive. Is this a safe thing to do?

Will it matter if I use a thinner gauge for the rears, while I use a thicker for the fronts/centre?

[Durentis]

There should be text written on one side of the wire.. it doesn't spiral around, so if you always bind the text-marked wire to red (or black) you'll never have to worry about getting your wires crossed.

[Automission]

Okay got that. now, as for wire. Should I use uniform thick wire all over, or use smaller wire for my bookshelf speakers, while using larger wire for the fronts/centre?

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Automission

Okay got that. now, as for wire. Should I use uniform thick wire all over, or use smaller wire for my bookshelf speakers, while using larger wire for the fronts/centre?

Just make sure you use at least 16 guage unless you have long runs...

[Automission]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

Just make sure you use at least 16 guage unless you have long runs...

How do you gauge what gauge the wire is? This wire was given to me by a friend who has a speaker setup. He doesn't know too much to be honest, but I'm not gonna call him an idiot when he gives me free wire.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Automission

How do you gauge what gauge the wire is? This wire was given to me by a friend who has a speaker setup. He doesn't know too much to be honest, but I'm not gonna call him an idiot when he gives me free wire.

it should say it where that txt writing is on the wire, i would imagine. but when you buy speaker wire, its sold per guage...

[Johk]

Originally Posted by Automission

Also, i'm using bi-amping cable for my centre speaker, so what should I do with the two unused cable ends?

To bi-amp your center channel, you need to use two different channels with the center channel information on your amp side and wire them to the two different sets of posts on the speaker side. You also need to remove the bridge between the two sets of posts on the back of your speaker. Check the following illustration (linked from the Fluance site, the first illustration that I found... the illustration shows biamping for the left and right speakers, so in your case follow the diagram for one speaker).



If you use a receiver and not a separate amplifier, I seriously doubt that you have two channels for the center channel. In that case, won't be able to bi-amp your center channel. You can still use the bi-amping cable but you will need to use the bridges between the post on your speaker (if you speaker has two sets of binding posts). Then you can either connect one set of wire to the post on the speaker and the same set on the receiver end, or you could connect both sets of the wire to the posts (red-red to the red post and black-black to the black post) if they fit.

I hope this helps...