Correct cabling is critical for any audio/visual system. This is especially important when installing a cabling infrastructure within a building that cannot be easily modified. We are all too often contacted by customers wanting to install systems, only to find out that the cabling within their property has been installed incorrectly. Unfortunately, professionals are often to blame, so don’t necessarily assume that your builder or electrician knows what they’re talking about. In fact, electricians installing AV cabling without the proper knowledge is a regular occurrence. Structured wiring is a job you only want to do once, so please read the following information or contact us for further advice. Wiring for Passive Speakers & Amplifiers (eg. Sonos Amp) A system that uses a stereo amplifier like the Sonos Amp requires connection to passive speakers via speaker cable. A passive speaker is powered by the amplifier with a 2-core cable (positive and negative). Here are some common wiring scenarios depending on the number of speakers required. Single Stereo Speaker - Small rooms like bathrooms or en-suites may only require a single speaker. But where a single speaker is used it must be a single stereo model. You should not connect a single mono speaker to a stereo amplifier as this could damage the amplifier. Single stereo speakers have separate left/right inputs, so for cabling they are treated just like a stereo pair, and must therefore be fed by 2x 2-core cables, or a single 4-core cable. The amplifier outputs are wired accordingly; left to left and right to right. Stereo Pair - Medium sized rooms like a small lounge or bedroom are typically best with two regular mono speakers, making a stereo pair. Each speaker is wired back to the amplifier using a 2-core speaker cable. 2 Stereo Pairs - Larger rooms and open plan spaces often require 4 speakers to provide good coverage and consistent audio throughout the space. A stereo amplifier like the Sonos Amp can easily drive 4 speakers, and in most cases the speakers can simply be doubled-up on the amplifier outputs (known as parallel wiring); 2 into left and 2 into right. It is recommended to run individual cables from each speaker to the amplifier rather than looping two speakers together. This way the speakers can be configured however you choose and changed at a later date if required. Wiring for Active Speakers (eg. Lithe Audio Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) Active speakers with built-in amplifiers like Lithe Audio Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speakers require a permanent 240V mains supply. This can be provided by a lighting circuit for convenience, but the speaker must be protected by a 3A fused spur. We recommend that this is installed by an electrician. Here are some typical active speaker setups. Single Speaker - Unlike passive speakers which have to be installed in pairs, or singly with a dedicated single stereo speaker, active speakers can be installed individually. A single active master speaker simply requires a permanent 240V mains supply protected by a 3A fuse. Stereo Pair - Active speaker pairs consist of one master speaker which is mains powered and contains the amplifier and electronics, and one passive speaker which is unpowered and connected to the master via a short length of speaker cable. Multiple Speakers - A number of active master speakers can be connected together to function as one. Each master speaker needs a 240V mains supply. Wi-Fi master speakers can be grouped together wirelessly over Wi-Fi. Lithe Audio Bluetooth master speakers can be connected together in a number of ways depending on the requirements, but they must be physically connected together with optical cables. For further details please see this information on 'Lithe Link'. Please note: it is not possible to connect more than one passive slave speaker to a powered master speaker.