Twisted speaker wires too thick for amp

[olds1959special]

I use two sets of 14 gauge speaker wires coming from my speakers but I use one amp per speaker. The terminals take bare wire but the openings are only big enough for one set of wires (the wires are twisted together.) So while it works it hangs out a bit. Should I just leave it or what is the solution here? Is it okay to trim the strands halfway on each wire?

 

[sergeauckland]

I use two sets of 14 gauge speaker wires coming from my speakers but I use one amp per speaker. The terminals take bare wire but the openings are only big enough for one set of wires (the wires are twisted together.) So while it works it hangs out a bit. Should I just leave it or what is the solution here? Is it okay to trim the strands?

Two suggestions, which effectively are the same thing:-
1) Do as you suggest, just cut away some strands until what's left fits the opening.
2) Wrap a short length of thinner solid-core wire round the strands and solder it with a HOT iron. You'll probably melt the insulation on the 'speaker cable, so may want to slip some heat-shrink sleeving round the cable to tidy up the burnt/melted end.

S.

 

[EERecordist]

You can shorten the bare conductors or thin the wires down, or bring them into a connector - a banana plug or spade terminals. The tiny distance with more resistance from thinning the wire is negligible.

 

[OldHvyMec]

They are called "Pin" speaker terminal ends. Look them up. 6-30.00 usd. They can be soldered or they have single or double screw/hex, common or Philips securements.

I use them on some vintage speakers that I want to keep original with pinch/spring connectors. You can mechanically join the wires.

Split the wire strands from each cable in 1/2, take a half from each cable and twist them, then twist the two you made from 4 into one. Make sure all the twist are either CW or CCW. Fit that in the terminal barrel and secure the single joined wire. You can dip the bare wire in contact enhancement for corrosion and improved contact.

I make my own out of 2000 graphite dust and a little WD40 mixed together, or spray the wire end with WD40, shake off the excess, and dip that into graphite, then into the barrel. I've never had any of the cables I've made through the years corrode or grow the green goo. We are talking thousands of cables that I've used that on.

I have pint jars of 1000 and 2000 dust. I think they were 8-10.00 per pint. They last about 1000 years too.

Regards.

 

[RayDunzl]

I can't even get one "strand" of my 2AWG speaker wire connected to my terminals at the speaker or amp.

So, this, from my junkbox, because I could.:

The nuts are 1/2 inch / 13mm for scale

 

[olds1959special]

I just trimmed the wires a bit until I could wrap them together and shove them in! I tried to not take off too much. I cut my finger wrapping the wires together. Ouch!