# Connecting Bare Speaker Wire to 7:1 Audio Card w. Stereo Plugs???



## Guest (Jun 23, 2008)

Hi,

I an a novice in Home Theaters but managed to built my HT system based on a PC connected to a DLP projector which will holds my complete Media Collection. Got a problem with the Audio connection: I purchased a 7:1 Soundcard which comes with 4 Standard Stereo input connectors 

1. FRONT 
2. SIDES
3. CENTER & SUBWOOFER
4. REAR

My speakers are all bare wire. Any ideas how to connect bare wire to a standard 1/8 stereo cable? I also would need to make a connection from the right speaker to the left (same for sides&rear) ? I keep searching for plugs and bridge connectors but am hopeless at this point.

What's the right way to do this?

http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/productimage/29-132-006-07.jpg

ASUS Xonar D2 Ultra Fidelity Sound Card With Dolby/DTS Technologies


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## hddummy (Mar 9, 2007)

Welcome to the shack!

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...d=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2

Use something like this to the inputs on your amplifiers.


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I purchased a 7:1 Soundcard which comes with 4 Standard Stereo input connectors
> 
> 1. FRONT
> 2. SIDES
> ...


Well, you simply would not do this, since a soundcard output is at line level (no power - all voltage), and is designed to feed a power amplifier, that in turn feeds a speaker (with bare wires).

You can't connect your soundcard directly to passive speakers. There isn't the current available to drive them from a soundcard directly.

There are many active home theater speaker systems with built in power amplifers that accept 3.5mm plugs and are designed specifically to be sourced from a PC soundcard.

brucek


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## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

What brucek said.  I'm going to hazard a guess, however, that since you're using a DLP projector you may be in a room that's too large for powered computer speakers. If that's the case, you're going to need speakers powered by outboard amplifiers. There is no shortage of multi-channel amps to chose from. You can connect them to the soundcard using the adapter "y" cables that Matt mentioned.

Regards,
Wayne


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2008)

Sure, that makes sense. I thought the newer soundcards would have the amplifier built in. Now that I think about it, doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Well; will run it through the amplifier which is then going to be easy. I was hoping to bypass the thing since it adds so much complexity and options I would not need.

Thanks, Guys.


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