Owner's Manual

11
Speaker Connections
Speaker Terminals
The JC1 + has two speaker outputs labeled Speaker Output 1 and Speaker Output 2. The second
speaker output is used for a bi-wiring setup (see page 12). The speaker terminals accept wires
terminated with banana plugs, spade connectors up to 16mm wide or bare wire up to 8 AWG.
Bare Speaker Wire Ends
If you plan to connect your speaker cables with bare wire ends, use a wire stripper to remove just enough
insulation to expose about a 12" (13 mm) length of bare wire. You can insert the stripped bare wire into the
hole that goes vertically through each terminal’s metal post. Before inserting the wire, twist its bare strands
tightly so they are all contained within the speaker terminal, with no stray strands. If you have a soldering iron,
you can “tin” (apply a small amount of molten solder) to each stripped bare wire to prevent it from unraveling,
fraying and oxidizing.
Correct Speaker Polarity is Important
Polarity refers to + and – speaker wire connections. Speaker wires are coded with color, printing or a ridge on
the insulation of one lead 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 all channels. If one speaker is wired with
incorrect polarity it will significantly impair the sound quality.
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 25 feet, use speaker wire with an
AWG (gauge) of 14 or lower. The smaller the AWG number, the thicker the wire.