Parasound A 21 - Manual (Page 8)

Stripped
AWG wire
Dual
Banana Plug
Common Speaker Connectors
Single
Banana Plug
Spade Lug
Red usually
designates right
The GND notch
signifies ground
or speaker left
Speaker Terminals
The five-way binding post speaker terminals on the A 21 accept most speaker wire
terminations including single or dual banana plugs, 1/4” spade lugs, or bare wire.
Refer to Bare Wire Speaker Termination in the Technically Speaking section for
information about bare wire termination.
What You’ll Need:
• Two lengths of speaker wire
AWG 16 or thicker with banana
plugs, spade lugs, or bare wire
• Loudspeakers or a speaker
selector box
Before Connecting
Remove power to all the components in your audio system.
To Connect
Insert one wire with the ridge or other marking into the red Right + (positive) speaker
terminal on the A 21. Insert the wire without the ridge or other marking into the black
Right - (negative) speaker terminal on the A 21.
Insert the other end of the wire with the ridge or other marking into the red right +
(positive) terminal on the speaker. Insert the wire without the ridge or other marking
into the black right - (negative) terminal on the speaker.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the left channel.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Correct Speaker Polarity is Important
Polarity refers to + and – connections. Speaker wires are coded with printing or a ridge on
the insulation on one of the leads so you know which lead was connected to the + and –
terminals at the other end. This coding will help you keep the + and - polarity consistent
for both channels.
Speaker Wire Length and Gauge (thickness)
When selecting speaker wire, follow these guidelines:
• Keep the length of your speaker wire as short as possible
• Use the thickest wire practical. For lengths greater than 50 feet, use speaker wire with an AWG
(gauge) of 14 or lower. The smaller the AWG, the thicker the wire.
• Do not use speaker wire that is thinner than 16 AWG.
CONNECTING SPEAKERS TO YOUR A 21 5
1
2
3
&
4
2 4
1 3
Speakers