speaker wire placement and questions

[4x15mph]

I am routing speakers to drive rear surrounds as well as runs for additional zones (i.e. dining room).

Do you lose quality if you join 2 wires or is there a way to properly connect to splices of speaker wire to ensure that no signal is lost?

I ran the wire next to an AC line (microwave outlet source) and I know that is "bad". Can I run the wire through some sort of conduit (i.e. PVC tube) to guard against any interference or do I have to completely redo these runs???

Is there any way to test the - vs. + sides of a speaker wire to ensure that the speakers are in phase? Since I joined multiple runs, I want to verify that + is in fact +.

Thank you
Scott

Onkyo receiver
Paradigm speakers

 

[nibhaz]

Do you lose quality if you join 2 wires or is there a way to properly connect to splices of speaker wire to ensure that no signal is lost?

Strong physical connection should ensure good electrical connection

I ran the wire next to an AC line (microwave outlet source) and I know that is "bad". Can I run the wire through some sort of conduit (i.e. PVC tube) to guard against any interference or do I have to completely redo these runs???

In all honesty, I would say re-run…depending on how feasible this is.

Is there any way to test the - vs. + sides of a speaker wire to ensure that the speakers are in phase? Since I joined multiple runs, I want to verify that + is in fact +.

Nine volt battery to one wire, then tests the other ends to see where the power comes out (layman’s terms), then label.

 

[markw]

Do you lose quality if you join 2 wires or is there a way to properly connect to splices of speaker wire to ensure that no signal is lost?

Tightly twist the ends together, solder them if you can, and insulate them.

Can I run the wire through some sort of conduit (i.e. PVC tube) to guard against any interference or do I have to completely redo these runs???

Speaker level signals are fairly immune to interference. Line level signals are another story. Besides, PVC won't do a thing to prevent electrical interference.

Is there any way to test the - vs. + sides of a speaker wire to ensure that the speakers are in phase? Since I joined multiple runs, I want to verify that + is in fact +.

Most speaker wire, if you look carefully, have some way to differentiate the two sides of the wire, be it a ribbed coating, a stripe, or some other means to differentiate them. If worse came to worse, you could use a small battery and a DC voltmeter to do this by connecting the battery to one end and taking a reading on the other.

 

[highfigh]

I am routing speakers to drive rear surrounds as well as runs for additional zones (i.e. dining room).

Do you lose quality if you join 2 wires or is there a way to properly connect to splices of speaker wire to ensure that no signal is lost?

I ran the wire next to an AC line (microwave outlet source) and I know that is "bad". Can I run the wire through some sort of conduit (i.e. PVC tube) to guard against any interference or do I have to completely redo these runs???

Is there any way to test the - vs. + sides of a speaker wire to ensure that the speakers are in phase? Since I joined multiple runs, I want to verify that + is in fact +.

Thank you
Scott

You may, or may not, lose signal quality but how they are joined makes a big difference. Soldering/heat shrink is the best way but that assumes a good solder joint. Butt splices work well but over time, the wires can oxidize, so really, using one continuous piece is the best way and shouldn't cost that much more that it's excessive.

NEVER HIDE YOUR WIRE SPLICES BEHIND DRYWALL OR PERMANENTLY INSTALLED CABINETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you can't get to them once the house is finished, don't do it at all.

If you do the work and incur the cost of buying/installing conduit, just buy more wire and re-route it. It's a better way to go and the only way conduit will help is if it's grounded (bonded, actually).

As far as testing for polarity, using one continuous cable run is the best way. If you must splice, make sure the positives match up properly. After the fact, using a AA battery with the speaker connected is a generally safe method.

Still, a single continuous run is the best way.