So you invested in a sweet surround sound system or PA equipment for your band. But now comes the fun part (?) of connecting all those speakers through all those intimidating cables.
Which wire goes where? What‘s the difference between RCA, XLR, and TRS anyhow? Is there a benefit to more expensive cables? And why are there so many types to choose from in the first place?
No worries, we‘ve all been there too. Let‘s break things down step-by-step and make sense of common speaker cable varieties used across home stereos, car audio, and professional sound setups.
A Quick Intro to 10 Key Speaker Wire Types
Before jumping headfirst into the nitty gritty details, here‘s a 30,000 foot overview of cable options we‘ll cover:
- Bare wire – Plain copper wiring used in custom installs
- TOSLINK – Digital fiber optic signal cable
- RCA – Simple connector for analog stereo sound
- TS – Common unbalanced mono instrument cable
- TRS – Auxiliary stereo cable used on headphones
- TRRS – Like TRS but with extra connector for mic support
- XLR – Rugged round connectors used in pro audio gear
- SpeakON – Special heavy-duty twisted circular port for PA systems
- USB/Firewire – Power and data cables also able to transmit audio
- HDMI – High speed all-in-one audio/video cable
Chances are you recognize a few of those cable end types from setting up TVs, game consoles, and maybe a basic speaker system before.
Now we‘ll uncover what exactly makes them tick, their technical capabilities, plus when to use each for best audio performance and connectivity.
Key Traits of Common Speaker Wire Varieties
Let‘s explore specifics around the popular cable options mentioned above that you‘re likely to come across when assembling sound equipment.
Bare Wire Basics
In their most basic form without any terminating plugs attached, speaker wires consist of stranded copper enclosed in plastic insulation. We call this "bare wire".
Installers frequently use bare speaker wire when connecting surround sound speakers placed inside walls and ceilings. The key reason is they can cut it to any custom length needed. Then optionally add connector ends like banana plugs.
For in-wall use, copper CL2 and CL3 graded wires must meet building codes. Common options are 16, 14, and 12-gauge available in spools at your local hardware shop.
Main Benefits:
- Fully customizable lengths
- Accepts connectors like banana plugs
- Meets in-wall electrical regulations
Now let‘s shift gears and go over a popular digital audio option…
TOSLINK Fiber Optic Cables
Ever wondered what that funky looking clear-tipped orange port was on your TV, Blu-Ray player, or AV receiver? Turns out it accepts a TOSLINK fiber optic audio cable for connecting gear digitally.
Instead of electrical signals sent over metal wires, TOSLINK relies on pulsing light through a thin glass fiber core. This allows pure uncompressed stereo audio throughput without picking up interference.
You‘ll typically find TOSLINK cables in home theater setups linking DVD players, cable boxes, and soundbars to receivers and processors.
Gaming consoles like Playstations and Xboxes also include TOSLINK optical audio outputs to deliver pristine quality game sound effects to surround systems.
Key TOSLINK Benefits:
- Noise-free optical signal
- No cable length signal loss
- Compact connector size
- Common on home theater equipment
Now let‘s examine a very ubiquitous analog connector…
RCA Connector Cables
RCA cables were the standard for home stereo TV connections prior to HDMI. And they still appear regularly today on AV gear.
Those bright red and white plugs transmit left and right analog audio through dedicated signals for stereo sound.
DJ equipment, mixing boards, subwoofers, and basic speakers continue relying on RCA connectivity. The cables deliver a mono analog signal in cases of only a single RCA wire.
Durable metal housing around each RCA connector‘s internal wire helps reduce interference across adjacent cables. Just make sure to firmly press and twist the plugs all the way into ports for secure connectivity.
Key RCA cable traits:
- Color-coded red/white stereo channels
- Analog signal transmission
- twisting the plug enables a tight connection
- Easy identification with contrasting colors
Moving our way through the list, let‘s break down the extremely common "TS" cable jack and plug next…
TS Speaker Wires
Chances are you‘ve plugged a 1/4" instrument cable, headset, or basic speaker wire into a TS jack before.
TS stands for "tip-sleeve" – that‘s electrical lingo denoting the two contact points from a single copper wire (ground) and shielded insulated wire carrying audio.
Thanks to this simple construction focused on durability over features, TS can transmit signals with minimal loss even over longer cable stretches.
While TS cables only carry a mono signal, they work flawlessly for electric guitar amps, unpowered PA speakers, and side surround channels.
What to Know About TS Cables:
- Handles mono unbalanced audio only
- Available as 1/4" or 3.5mm connector
- Rugged metal casing avoids crackling
- Very affordable and easy to swap out
Moving up the chain, "TRS" cables build on TS by adding another contact point…
TRS Auxiliary Audio Cables
The TRS connector looks nearly identical to a TS plug. But inside, a extra metallic "ring" allows full stereo sound transmission.
TRS stands for "tip-ring-sleeve" covering left, right, and ground channels. This lets headphones play immersive stereo imaging with proper L/R separation.
Those same 3-banded TRS cables also connect MP3 players and phones as "auxiliary cables" to speakers. Though TRS is capable of balanced audio, most auxiliary uses are unbalanced consumer-level connections.
For professional recordings, TRS allows studio monitors to revealingly convey the stereo field captured through pricey mic preamps and AD/DA converters.
Key Points on TRS Cables:
- Found on most headphone and auxiliary cables
- Extra ring contact enables stereo playback
- Unbalanced consumer-grade signal transfer
- Pro studios use TRS cables to preserve stereo imaging
Taking the extra connector concept even further, TRRS cables additionally squeeze two rings to allow mic support…
TRRS Auxiliary Cables with Microphone
TRRS takes the well-known 3-banded TRS auxiliary cable standard and adds another ring connector, hence the extra "R".
The purpose of this additional circuit is to allow headset cables with integrated boom microphones to pipe both playback audio and voice call mic input through a single 3.5mm plug.
This technology originated to support smartphone headset mics. Laptops and tablets with combo audio/mic ports continue leveraging TRRS cables.
Voice assistant devices and modern console game pad controllers also commonly utilize TRRS connectivity. This allows you to chat online using the same headset as you game or take calls while multitasking.
Benefits of TRRS Cabling:
- Enables headset boom mics
- Voice calling with integrated audio playback
- Allows chat and game audio from one port
- Laptops/phones allow apps to access mics over TRRS
Okay, no more of these puny little 3.5mm cords – let‘s enter the domain of professional caliber audio cables…
XLR Microphone and Speaker Cables
At this point on our speaker cable tour, we transition to the professional sound realm. That‘s where you‘ll find the XLR connector format widely adopted.
Recording studios heavily rely on XLR mic cables to preserve sonic detail retrieved through luxury condenser mics and channel strips.
Live sound engineers also insist on XLR speaker cables capable of cleanly transmitting amplifier signals to PA speaker arrays over hundreds of feet, outdoors through harsh RF noise.
The XLR cable ends themselves are pretty clever – packing multiple metal pin contacts within a rugged circular latching shell. This prevents connections from vibrating loose on stage.
In terms of cabling, XLR utilizes a twisted pair of shielded wires. The cable cancels out interference by sending an inverted signal down one wire, then subtracting the difference at the speaker end.
XLR Cable Capabilities:
- Round twist-lock connectors avoid accidental removal
- Balanced wiring cancels out external signal noise
- Rugged enough for stage performance and studio use
- Available in 3-pin to 10-pin formats
Okay, ONE more flavor of professional-caliber shielded cable to cover…
speakON PA Speaker Cables
Ever seen those unique circular ports with plastic sleeves on high-end amp heads and speakers? Those are speakON connectors.
This cable format developed as an upgrade from TS instrument cables. Instead of unshielded 1/4" connectors prone to shorts, speakON added a twist-lock mechanism for securely latching cables in place.
Recessed conductor contact points also avoid accidental sparks if cables briefly touch each other on stage.
While speakON carries unbalanced audio, its heavy 12-gauge twin core wiring handles up to 30 amps. Making it a popular choice for efficiently powering large PA subwoofers without voltage drop.
Why Pros Prefer speakON:
- Avoids accidental disconnects thanks to twist-locking
- Safely channels high amperage to subwoofers
- Road-ready stainless housing
- Recessed pins prevent dangerous shorts
As we approach the home stretch covering common audio cables, let‘s peek at a couple options intended for directly piping computer audio sources…
USB and FireWire Computer Audio Cables
With laptops and PCs serving double duty as both media playback devices AND sound mixers, USB and FireWire allow direct digital audio taps.
Powered reference monitors grace nearly every producer‘s desk these days thanks to USB interfaces converting stereo PC audio signal into an analog feed.
Those same USB outputs also pipe gameplay audio and voice chat to gaming speaker setups.
For you studio pros out there, FireWire previously allowed studio-grade cue mixers to digitally integrate with DAW soundcards.
As Thunderbolt displaced FireWire on Macs, options dwindled. But some higher-end gear like multi-channel preamps still leverage FireWire I/O.
Common Uses for USB/FireWire Audio:
- Studio monitors tap clean audio straight from PC sound cards
- Desktop speaker systems play computer audio minus interference
- Game consoles output surround channels
- FireWire preamps integrate with recording software
Last but not least, no modern entertainment system would be complete without HDMI tying everything together…
HDMI Home Theatre Cables
As Blu-Rays pressed the limits of analog A/V connections, HDMI arrived just in time as the digital successor to component cables.
Offering on a single cable what once required five or more individual cords, HDMI transports 4K and even 8K UHD video along with Dolby Atmos object-based surround sound.
HDMI can dynamically transmit 32 independent uncompressed audio channels. This allows next-gen immersive audio codecs like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X to treat sounds as discrete objects rather than fixed channels.
Gaming platforms like Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 also leverage enhanced audio capabilities of premium certified HDMI cables. This keeps home theater fans satisfied without introducing lag that wireless would.
Why HDMI Rocks for Home Theater:
- Bundles multi-channel audio and UHD video
- Allows Dolby Atmos and DTS:X immersive audio
- Enables lossless TrueHD and DTS-HD MA codecs
- Superfast framerates with quick response times
Cable Design Factors Impacting Audio Performance
Alright, now that we broke down the key varieties of speaker wiring, let‘s peek under the hood to call out a couple key factors that determine how cables handle audio signals.
We want our cables to transmit as much accuracy and dynamic range as the gear producing the sounds, right?
Unfortunately, cables degrade signals – especially over longer distances. So certain design choices make a difference in maintaining fidelity.
Speaker Wire Gauge
First off, the thickness or "gauge" rating of the internal copper wires impacts how well they transfer amplifier power to passive speakers before the sound waves diminish.
Here‘s a rough guideline on maximum recommended lengths based on the wire gauge and standard 4-ohm speaker rating:
- 16 gauge – 24 feet
- 14 gauge – 40 feet
- 12 gauge – 64 feet
For really long home runs, increasing gauge beyond 12 is beneficial. And of course, for short hops, those skinny 16 gauge wires will do just fine.
Balanced vs. Unbalanced Wiring
Besides the thickness of the copper conductors, the way wires are configured inside the cable also affects signal accuracy.
Unbalanced wires containing a simple ground and hot audio wire work reasonably well transferring signals across short distances. Like inside an equipment rack.
However, over long stretches cables pick up EM interference.
This is where balanced cables shine. They add a second mirrored audio signal wire, but with inverted polarity.
At the speaker end, receiving circuitry flips this "cold" signal back into phase, then mixes it with the original. By merging a phase-flipped duplicate, external noise gets cancelled out through phase cancellation.
So pro live sound crews almost always opt for balanced XLR runs between boards and stage amp racks. Plus recording engineers obsess over super-pricey balanced TRS cables with their reference monitors.
Before Connecting Your Speakers
As you can see, cables that seem identical on the outside can be built quite differently inside to optimize stability, noise rejection, and signal integrity across various equipment setups.
- Now you can make sense of those unclear orange optical ports…
- And no longer confuse an auxiliary cable with a tremolo pedal jack…
- Plus comfortably crimp SpeakON ends using the proper fan-out wiring.
So don‘t sweat the cables, just follow along with these tips based on your gear and connectivity needs when placing speakers. We‘ll have you rocking out in no time!
What‘s the difference between TS and TRS cables?
TS handles mono unbalanced audio with two contact points on the plug (tip and sleeve). TRS adds a third contact band called the ring to allow stereo audio handling.
Are more expensive cables worth it?
Depends. In many cases affordable cables work reliably. But for long runs, oxygen-free copper and gold connectors help. And professionally installed wiring needs added durability.
Can I plug TRS into TS or use an adapter?
Yes, TRS inserts work fine in TS jacks, you just lose stereo signal. Adapters also convert TRS to TS. Just avoid plugging speakON or XLR cables into TS or damage can occur!
