How to Connect Banana Plugs to Speaker Wire

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Learn how to make a quick and safe connection with banana plugs

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: January 28, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Preparing the Wire
|
• Attaching the Plug
|
• FAQ
|
• Video
|
• Tips
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• Warnings
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• Things You'll Need

|Show more |Show less

Banana plugs attach to either end of a speaker wire, making it easy to plug and unplug your speaker and receiver. You'll just need to prepare the wires and connect them to the banana plugs. This wikiHow article teaches you how to use banana plugs.

Quick Guide: Using Banana Plugs

To use banana plugs, make sure you have enough wire, leaving at least 1-2 ft of slack between the speakers. Strip and twist the ends of the wire. Attach the red wire to a positive plug, the black wire to a negative plug, and tighten the screws.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Wire

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1. 
   1
   Measure enough speaker wire to go from your receiver to your speaker. The length of the speaker wire will depend on how far apart you want your speaker components to be. When you're measuring, leave at least 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) of slack in the cable. If it’s pulled tight when you plug it in, the pressure could fray the cable or damage your sound equipment.

   • Use wire cutters to clip the speaker wire to the length you need.
   • The further apart your speaker and receiver will be, the more slack you'll need to add.
2. 
   2
   Separate the wires at the tips. Most speaker wires are two sets of wires bundled together. You will need to make sure the wires are separated at both ends, if they are not already. If they are not, you can try pulling them apart with your fingers. You may need to use a knife or a small set of scissors to cut the adhesive or plastic binding the two sets of wires together. Then pull to separate. Make sure about 3 in (7.6 cm) of wire is separated on each end.
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3. 
   3
   Find the positive side of the wire. Speaker wire has 2 sides, but the appearance can vary. If your wire is black and red, the positive side is usually the red. If your wire is all the same color, look closely at the 2 sides. The side with small writing along the insulation is usually the positive side.

   • If there is no writing and you can’t figure out which is the correct wire, make sure the wire is connected to the speaker. Connect one wire to the negative terminal of a AAA battery. Then connect the other wire to the positive terminal. If the speaker cone pops out, the wire touching the positive terminal is the positive wire. If the cone retracts inward, the wire touching the positive terminal is the negative wire.
   • The positive is the side you’ll attach to the banana plug with the red mark, and you’ll plug it into the red terminals on your speaker and receiver.
   • It’s very important to pay attention to the polarity of the wire. Attaching the positive wire to the wrong terminal could damage your equipment, injure you, or start a fire.
4. 
   4
   Strip away ³⁄₄–1 in (1.9–2.5 cm) of wire insulation. You may need to identify what gauge the wire is. This is usually written on the insulation. Place the wire in the appropriate gauge slot of your wire stripper/cutter tool. Squeeze down on the handles and pull to remove the tip of the insulation.

   • If your wire cutters don’t have that notch, use the blades or wire cutters or scissors to gently strip the wire, then use your hands to pull the insulation apart.
   • Do not cut into the metal wire itself. If you do, snip off that portion of the wire and start over.
   • Only strip as much wire as you need for it to fit snugly into the plug. If you strip away too much insulation, you might see the exposed copper on the outside of your plug.
5. 
   5
   Twist the ends of each wire so they don’t come apart. Use your fingers to smooth out the exposed ends of the copper wire. Make sure all of the wires are facing the same direction, then roll them a few times between your fingers to twist them securely together. Repeat this for all 4 ends.

   • Do not twist the cable so tightly that it kinks up. This could cause it to break.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Attaching the Plug

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1. 
   1
   Make sure you have a positive and a negative plug. A positive plug will have a red mark or ring that allows you to easily differentiate the positive wire when everything's assembled. A negative plug will have a black ring, or it might not have any markings. If you plug the positive wire into the wrong component, you could get shocked or damage your equipment, so it’s important to use the right plugs for the project.

   • You can buy pairs of banana plugs at any store that sells speaker components. You can also find them online.
2. 
   2
   Identify what type of banana plug you have. Banana plugs come in a variety of designs. The following are a few common types:

   • Bottom inserts: With bottom inserts, you feed the wire through the bottom of the banana plug.
   • Side Inserts: With side inserts, you feed the wire through the side of the banana plug.
   • Closed screw inserts: Closed screw inserts usually have a clip collar that slides over the plug. When you pull the plug out of the collar, there is a screw on the side of the banana clip that is used to secure the wire.
   • Solder clips: Solder clips use solder to connect the clip and the. They will usually have a bucket in the bottom of the clip, where the wire is inserted.
3. 
   3
   Unscrew the bottom of each banana plug. Banana plugs all have at least 2 parts–a prong or post with a hole where you insert the wire, and a sleeve or a screw that you tighten to secure the wire. Unscrew the first pair of plugs and set them aside, being careful to keep the pairs matched.

   • Set the plugs somewhere secure, like in a small dish, so they can’t roll away.
   • If there are screws in the side of the plug, loosen them with a screwdriver.
4. 
   4
   Slide the positive wire into the hole on the red plug. Use one of the following steps to do so:

   • Bottom Inserts: Unscrew the bottom completely. Slide the wire through the bottom all the way through the bottom piece. Fray the wires sticking out of the top and bend it down over the edge. Make sure it doesn’t cover the screw threading or this will make it hard to screw back in.
   • Side Inserts: Loosen the bottom screw so that you have room slide the wire through the side. Insert the exposed wire through the side so that it barely sticks out the other side.
   • Closed screw inserts: Remove the metal clip from the clip collar. Loosen the screw on the side. Run the wire through the clip collar and insert it into the base of the clip.
   • Solder clips: Use the soldering iron to heat up the exposed wire. Touch the wire to the solder and use the soldering iron to melt the solder over the exposed wire (tinning the wire). Place the solder in the base of the bucket and use the soldering iron to melt the solder and tin the bucket.
5. 
   5
   Place the screw into or onto the plug and tighten it. Use one of the following steps to do so:

   • Bottom inserts: Reinsert the bottom with the wire into the clip and screw it in tight. Use a pair of pliers to make it extra tight. Give the wire a good tug to make sure it is secure.
   • Side inserts: Screw the bottom in until it clamps the wire in place. Use a pair of pliers to make sure it is extra tight. Give the wire a good tug to make sure it is secure.
   • Closed screw inserts: With the wire threading through the clip collar, place the wire into the base of the clip. Tighten the screw on the side to secure the wire. Tug at the wire to make sure it is secure. Slide the clip collar back over the clip.
   • Solder clips: Place the tinned wire into the tinned bucket of the clip. Place the soldering iron and some solder into the bucket of the clip and melt the solder together, connecting the wire and the clip.
6. 
   6
   Repeat for the negative side of the wire, then again for the opposite ends of each wire. Attach the negative plug to the side you're already working on, then go to the other end of the wire and install the other set of plugs. Again, be very careful to identify the positive wire and attach it to the correct plug. If the speakers connect with banana plugs, you will need to attach plugs to the other side of the wire too.
7. 
   7
   Push the banana plugs into their respective ports. You should see red and black ports or jacks on the receiver and possibly the speakers, making it easy to match up the polarity. Once everything is connected, turn on the power to the components. If they work properly, you’re all finished!

   • If there are any sparks or you hear sounds like a pop or sizzle, immediately turn off the power and double-check your work.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   What are banana plugs? They're named banana plugs because they're wider in the middle of the plug, and narrower at the top and bottom, similar to the shape of a banana, and they plug into banana ports on your speaker.
2. 2
   How are banana plugs used? Without these plugs, you’d have to unwind the bare wires each time you wanted to unplug the component, and you would see the bare wire coming out of your speaker components.
3. 3
   How do I connect banana plugs to a TV? Simply plug the banana plugs into the proper ports on the TV or the TV's stereo system. Make sure the plugs match the color of the port. Most modern TVs don’t have the proper ports. You may need to purchase a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) adapter.
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Tips

• If you make a mistake and have to cut your wire and start over, you may need to do the same for the other side. For instance, if you have to cut the positive wire on the speaker end, it will be uneven with the negative speaker plug unless you cut that side too.
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• Most newer equipment has the type of plug ports that are suited for banana plugs, but older stereo equipment has clips covering the ports where the cable wire feeds into the speaker. Banana plugs will not work with those.
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• Always match up the positive side of the wire with the positive terminal, and vice versa.
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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• When you install the banana plugs, some equipment has locking receptacles for the plugs that need to be loosened in order to insert the banana plug, and then tightened to prevent it from coming out. Most equipment relies on friction, so in a lot of cases, this isn't necessary. If your banana plug won't connect, this could be why.

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Warnings

• Double-check to make sure your wire isn’t connected to anything when you get started! If one end is still attached to your speaker or receiver, you could get shocked.
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Things You'll Need

• 4 banana plugs (2 black, 2 red)
• Speaker cable
• Wire cutters
• Speaker
• Receiver
• Solder (optional)
• Soldering iron (optional)
• Screwdriver (optional)
• Electrical tape (optional)