Shifting from one area to a different spacious place will probably mean relocation of all everything to the new background. It may mean relocation of your home sound system as well. It may be challenging to fit it to specific locations in the new place with the previously used Bose wires. The wires might be too short for the new connection.
However, you should not get frustrated by this experience. You can still reconnect your entire system very easily, with very less expenses. The Bose speaker wires can easily be extended to the desired new lengths and still perform excellently. This article outlines various steps that you can follow to extend speaker wires for longer lengths.
Steps to follow when extending speaker wires
Here are a few detailed steps to follow to achieve a lengthy wire for your connection;
- Turn off your sound system and disconnect it from the power source
The first step is to switch off your system. You then have to unplug the electrical plug.
- Disconnect the Bose speaker wires from the sound system
Once you have turned off your system, you then have to disconnect the speaker wires from the system and examine them. Usually, the wires are connected from the back of the amplifier system or a stereo. Each speaker wire consists of two thin stranded wires insulated together. The insulator is usually flexible, hence the wires can be bent.
One of the two strands forms the positive wire while the other one is the negative. For easy identification, the wires are insulated differently, such that the insulation materials are coloured with different colours. One may be coloured with silver and the other one with copper.
Split a few inches of each wire end to form ‘Y-shaped’ ends. Strip the tips of the already ‘Y-ends’ at least half an inch of the bare part.
- Purchase a roll of wire from an electrical shop
For you to extend the Bose wire, of course you will have to buy an extra wire of the same gauge as the Bose speaker wires. You can carry along a piece of the same to the electrical shop to ensure you get the exact gauge. If not, try to approximate the exact thickness or measurements.
- Buy some Bose wire connectors or nuts
If you decide to purchase nuts or crimp connectors, ensure that they match with the speaker wires.
- Do some measurements and make cuttings on the purchased wire
Take measurements of the needed wire. You can use a tape measure to make the measurements. With the dimensions, transfer them to the new wire and cut one length. You can use wire cutting pliers to do the cuttings.
- To the cut piece of wire, prepare both ends
Split the ends of the cut wire to form a ‘Y-shape’. The splitting should be done a few inches on both ends. The strands are insulated, and so, you should strip at least half an inch of the insulation from the bare strand tips. You can use a wire stripper or a crimper to strip the wire ends.
However, stripping the wires can be a bit challenging. Thus, it requires you to do some trials on a different piece of wire before stripping the one to be connected to the existing wire. Ensure you only pinch the insulation carefully not to break the strands.
- Splice the new wire to the Bose speaker wire
Various methods to connect the wires include soldering of the wires and use of crimp connectors or nuts. The common tools used include are; a crimping tool or soldering iron.
The best method I would however recommend when extending Bose speaker wires is the use of crimp connectors. This is due to the followings reasons;
- It is very easy to run the connection.
- Wires remain intact for a long time if the connectors are properly fixed.
- The crimp connectors are affordable and locally available.
- No effects from temperature variations.
To connect the wires, here is what one is supposed to do;
- Ensure that you have prepared the new wire ends and that of the existing wire. By this point, you should have tips that are barely exposed.
- Match the new positive wire to the positive Bose speaker wire. The polarity of these ends may be indicated with small marks at the ends.
- The next step is now to connect the wires. The connection is done using the following ways;
- Use of shrink tubing- Ensure that the tubing covers the solder point along one of the wires.
- Use of wire nuts- Merge one tip of the new wire and that of the existing wire and place a connector over the formed tip, then wind the connector or nut. The connection gets insulated on twisting the nut.
- Soldering- You can carry out the soldering process on the merged tips if you don’t have the wire connectors.
- Use of crimp tools- Fix the ends of the prepared new wire and the existing wires and crimp at the ends.
- Remember you did this process for the positive set of wires. Now, repeat the process carefully for the negative wires
- You now have each wire with two splices. Using a Vinyl Electrician’s tape, wrap it to these wire sets. It ensures that the wires are covered completely to prevent them from coming into contact in case they part.
One can also use a heat gun to shrink the tubing, hence covering the connected wires.
- Ensure that each set of the wires is covered using the Vinyl tape, or the tubing is shrank.
- Connect the other ends of the extended wire to the sound system
Once done you’ve extended your wire, hook the negative wire to the black coloured connection and the positive wire to the red connection.
- Add back your system to a power source and turn it on.
You’re now done with everything. It’s your time to enjoy your system play nicely.
Conclusion
Sometimes you might have thought of extending your hometheatre speaker wiring to a different room maybe, and found it challenging. Your problem has now been solved. The article above illustrates step-wise how you can extend your speaker wiring to fit your desired lengths.
Ensure you follow the steps carefully for a successful Bose speaker wire extension. The steps are straightforward and simple to understand. Wire extension enables you enjoy your sound system speaker performance from anywhere in the room.
