Red, White Audio Cable Left, and Right: About the 4 Conductor Speaker Wire Color Codes

If you’ve connected any speakers, you’ve probably seen a pair of red and white wires on the left and right sides.  Along with them, there are another pair of wires in green and black on the left and right, respectively. Do they have specifications? How to use the red-white audio cable left and right? 

Table of Contents

• The 4 Conductor vs. 2 Conductor Speaker Wire: What’s The Difference?
  • Red White Audio Cable Left and Right: Function
  • Red White Audio Cable Left and Right: Sound Quality
  • Red White Audio Cable Left and Right: Important Factors
• Color Codes of Two-Conductor Speaker Wires
• Color Codes of Four-Conductor Speaker Wires
• Conclusion

The 4 Conductor vs. 2 Conductor Speaker Wire: What’s The Difference?

A speaker wire delivers audio data from a receiver to a speaker system. However, speaker wires aren’t the same. The truth is that transmitting the ideal wattage to home audio devices is primarily dictated by the size of the speaker wire/cable conductor one chooses. Four-conductor speaker wires are also used differently than a two-conductor cable/wire. That said, let us look at some other critical aspects:

Red White Audio Cable Left and Right: Function

Made for bi-amping, meaning the use of two amps for one speaker, the four-

conductor speaker cable/wire has a more significant entry for power when put up against the double-conductor speaker cable/wire. However, the two-conductor wire is still highly efficient when wiring one speaker powered with one amp.

Red White Audio Cable Left and Right: Sound Quality

Two and four-conductor speaker wires come in a wide range of gauge sizes. The larger ones can handle more ohm loads, which results in increased potential power. On the other hand, the four-conductor speaker wire doesn’t have better sound production than the two-conductor speaker wire. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that these wires are designed for different uses not directly related to audio quality.

Red White Audio Cable Left and Right: Important Factors

The four-conductor speaker wire is applied when linking two speakers when the situation

allows. It’s also useful whenever a person wants to transmit power from the receiver to volume control. However, when paired up, the four-conductor speaker wire tends to have greater effectiveness levels, which promotes increased power delivery.

Color Codes of Two-Conductor Speaker Wires

Caption: 2 Conductor Wire

A speaker wire comprises an equal number of electrical conductors that are well-insulated from each other and have a protective jacket that covers them up. A single conductor, or a group of conductors, is called a positive conductor (red), whereas the other is known as a negative conductor (black). Another important point when using these wires is to understand copper is the most used conductor metal inside them.

Color Codes of Four-Conductor Speaker Wires

Caption: 4 Conductor Wire

In the case of full-house wiring, or multi-room audio, a four-conductor wire is typically used since it can lower the amount of cable and labor required. The color scheme for the four-conductor is as follows:

1. Speaker one: Red (positive) and Black (negative)
2. Speaker two: White (positive) and Green (negative)

The speaker uses the first two conductors since two-conductor speakers usually have a red and black conductor. The black is negative, while the red is positive. People who engage in audio activities usually tend to do things from left to right. As a result, the left is generally designated as the first two conductors. 

So, the right speaker has green and white or some yellow conductors. The green can also come with a yellow stripe, the color of an earth ground present within the AC wiring. This setup allows us to use the green color wire as a negative, leaving white or yellow colored wires for a positive connection.

Conclusion

As seen from the information above, speaker wires were designed to deliver audio data from a receiver to a speaker. Nonetheless, they all have specifications, which are important to know. Feel free to contact Cloom Tech for the best speaker wire services.