Dumb question about speaker cables [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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candrink
05-20-2004, 01:26 AM
Hi all, while fixing the trunking for my surround speakers, I accidentally cut about 3/4 thru one of the wires. I cannot cut it off as it would be to short to reach the speakers.
I have used some duct tape to tape it up. My question is will there be signal lost? Will it affect the sound of my surround? Or should I try to solder the wires back togather?

Sorry, I'm not good in electronic stuff and need some advise.

Thanks. Newbie here.

markw
05-20-2004, 01:58 AM
does it sound any different? Methinks that if it did you would know without asking us.

Personally, I wouldn't like a mostly cut wire in my system but if it didn't affect the sound and I coldn't replace it, I'd live with it.

kexodusc
05-20-2004, 09:15 AM
I spent hours wiring my system so the wires for my surround speakers were behind my walls, then I accidentally cut the part of the wire sticking out of the wall...as a solution, I just cut some more wire of the same gauge and wound the ends together in a wire cap. The signal didn't appear to be affected at all and I couldn't see the unsightly wire cap behind the speaker...
That lasted for 2 years until I rewired the room again...
Just an option for ya.

durry
05-20-2004, 09:18 AM
Electrical tape on the part of the wires that you twisted together might do you well to not have any fire hazard problems. You probably have already done that but its an easy thing to forget, and a friendly reminder to not have your home go up in smoke.

candrink
05-20-2004, 05:10 PM
Hi kexodusc, I would like to try that. What do you mean by a wire cap? Do you mean twisting the wires together until they fuse together on both ends?

kexodusc
05-21-2004, 03:17 AM
Hi kexodusc, I would like to try that. What do you mean by a wire cap? Do you mean twisting the wires together until they fuse together on both ends?
You know those little colorful cone shaped plastic things that are about an inch long that twist around wires that are wound together...I'm no electrician, maybe there's a better word for them, I've attached a picture though. They're dirt cheap.
Electrical tape is probably just as good, but this is what I've used in the past when cables were too short and I wanted to extend them...it's always worked perfectly for me.

joel2762
05-21-2004, 11:23 AM
those things are called marretts..maybe the wrong spelling but you know what I mean

kexodusc
05-21-2004, 11:25 AM
Really? Cool, i've seen them called wire-twist-caps, wire-caps, and dongles...I have some baseboard heater instructions in front of me I stole the wire-cap name from, I've been asking everyone all day what they're really called.
Thanks Joel.