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Splicing speaker wire to RCA cable (need advice!)

post #1 of 14
5/20/06 at 6:40pm
Thread Starter 
I don't know what to call it. What I want to do is connect a Home stereo (No LINE OUT!) to a seperate reciever with and then output to the speakers.

The stereo system has digital tuning, the reviever does not, it is old. I just want to pump the sound from the stereo into the reciever, enhace it with the bass/treble/loudness controls and then hook my speaker up to the reciever.

The stereo does not have any AUX or LINE OUT, just a subwoofer output, headphone, and speaker terminals. I am looking for a way to convert the stereo's speaker output to a RCA plug so I can connect it up to the recievers AUX IN. I know it sounds crazy, but it would enhance the sound alot.

The closest thing I can think of is either using the stereo's headphone jack to pump the sound to the reciever using my 1/8" stereo plug to RCA adapter, but I don't like pumping the subwoofer's bass through the headphone jack. The other thing I could do is stripping one end of a RCA cable and fusing it with the speaker wires, so that I can still use the dedicated subwoofer output of the stereo.
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post #2 of 14
5/20/06 at 10:03pm
is that a high power crossover? becuase you will fry something if you mod like that.
RCA is low power, speaker is high power

get a headphones to RCA adaptor, run it to the new amp, or crossover.

there wont be any subwoofer bass sent running through the headphones out,
what is sent to the headphones out is an unamplifiedline out signal
the sub channel just elliminates high frequencies and is amplified

there are circuits that take a high power signal, and make low level outputs
google it
also partsexpress.com sells one
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post #3 of 14
5/20/06 at 10:07pm
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post #4 of 14
5/20/06 at 10:10pm
Thread Starter 
I did it, it works. I just used 2 RCA speaker wires. I actually had to strip each cable twice because of the nature of RCA cables. Within the main outside housing is the negative copper wiring wraped around the positive wire cable. After stripping the outside cable, I wound the negative wiring to one side, then I had to strip the center housing where the positive copper wire was and then connect them to the sspeaker terminals.
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post #5 of 14
5/20/06 at 10:19pm
Thread Starter 
So what I should do is connect from the stereo's headphone jack to the reciever's AUX IN using my 1/8" stereo to RCA adapter, and then from the receiver to the subwoofer using speaker level input, then to the main speakers? But then my stereo's subwoofer output would not be usable. Does this matter? These are 120 watt speakers, they are not cheap, not the best either.

BTW what could I fry? the stereo, receiver, or the speakers?
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post #6 of 14
5/20/06 at 11:20pm
The speaker level output is probably too high to feed into a line input but you can keep the volume low and it will work. Just when you turn it on, start with the volume knob on the lowest and slowly bring it up. Avoid makeing it too loud to the point where the audio starts buzzing.
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post #7 of 14
5/21/06 at 12:09am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I'll try the headphone option too. It's just that there is So much power now that even at very small levels the sound is very rich and loud and there is a fullness that was not there before, But it seems clean, there is only distortion at low volume when the reciever's volume knob is too LOW. Otherwise I find the optimum volume level combination without pushing either amp too far.
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post #8 of 14
5/21/06 at 12:39am
If you keep it like that you will blow the receivers input ic's. I have it and it wasn't good.

You can usually hook up an amp to a reciver via RCA on the tape loop if you have one
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post #9 of 14
5/21/06 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by yuandrew
The speaker level output is probably too high to feed into a line input but you can keep the volume low and it will work. Just when you turn it on, start with the volume knob on the lowest and slowly bring it up. Avoid makeing it too loud to the point where the audio starts buzzing.
exactly what i was saying that could fry the reciever
too much power on the input circuit
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post #10 of 14
5/21/06 at 7:41pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I took your suggestions and am now using the headphone to RCA adapter. I assume this is keeping the sound at line-level and is safer for the reciever. The sound is much better.

I have the stereo's headphone jack to the AUX input of the reciever, then out of the reciever's speaker terminals to the subwoofer and finally to the main speakers.
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