Banana connectors are the most common speaker wire connector, with virtually every speaker on the market having banana ports. While there are other connectors that can be used with speaker cable (the cable can even be wired directly to speakers without a connector), banana plugs are by and large the most useful.

Other types of speaker connectors are harder to use and a bit outdated, being more fragile and not providing as strong of a connection between the wire and speaker. While connecting bare wire straight to a speaker technically provides a better signal, bare cable without a connector attached is more prone to be damaged. In the long run, that will result in a worse signal than what banana plugs provide. Having cable directly wired into speakers also makes moving the speakers around difficult, especially compared to just unplugging a cable.

A video guide of the below steps is available at the bottom of the article.

Step 1: Gathering the Supplies

There are a few simple supplies that will be needed for an installation or repair. The key components are the banana connectors as well as the cable. Banana jacks will accept cable up to 12 AWG (American Wire Gauge) thick. For new users: lower number AWGs are thicker cables. A thicker cable will have stronger signal strength, but less flexibility. The most common variety of speaker cable is 16 AWG, which is roughly in the middle for a good balance of signal strength and flexibility. If you need to prioritize one factor over the other, choose an appropriate cable accordingly.

Aside from the cable and connectors, the only other tools needed are a wire stripper and a small flathead screwdriver.

Jacks Connectors Speaker Wire

Step 2: Stripping the Jacket

Take the wire stripper and spin it around the outside jacket to expose the inner wires (called conductors) inside the main cable. Many wire strippers are rated for multiple AWGs, so be sure to use the right one and not cut too deep. If the cut does go too deep and damages the conductors, cut off the end of the cable and try again.

Strip Tool Stripper

Step 3: Stripping the Conductors

Next, use the wire stripper to remove the jackets on the conductors and expose the metal cores underneath.

Internal Wire Inner Wire Speaker Cable Strip Tool Stripper

Step 4: Preparing the Banana Plugs

Unscrew the outer plastic shell from the banana plugs by hand and set them aside. Then use the screwdriver to unscrew the fasteners from the connector.

Banana Plug Screwdriver Flathead

Step 5: Attaching the Cable

Insert the bare speaker wire into the plug and screw the fasteners back on. The fasteners hold the cable into place and also act as the contact point between the rest of the banana plug and the speaker wire itself.

Lastly, screw the plastic housing back onto the connector and the cable will be ready to go.


Speaker Cable Banana Jack Screwdriver Flathead

Video Guide: