AH! single 16awg speaker wire run to subwoofer

[lysolman]

I'm helping a friend install his components. The cable installer only ran a single (2 wire 16awg) speaker cable to where the subwoofer is.

Definitive Technology ProSub 800: LFE input and High Level speaker inputs
Marantz NR1403: SW preout and FL + FR preout

I cannot re-run a proper RCA subwoofer cable, walls are all finished.

Is my best bet to run a front left or front right high level speaker connection to the subwoofer? Can I solder on an RCA plug to the wire to use LFE?

Help!!!!!

 

[Jeff R.]

I am not an expert and I am sure somebody will chime in.....but that should work for you. The positive and negative on the speaker cable will be your red and white. You may just need to use one side of the wire for a single LFE plug.

 

[Tom V.]

I'm helping a friend install his components. The cable installer only ran a single (2 wire 16awg) speaker cable to where the subwoofer is.

Definitive Technology ProSub 800: LFE input and High Level speaker inputs
Marantz NR1403: SW preout and FL + FR preout

I cannot re-run a proper RCA subwoofer cable, walls are all finished.

Is my best bet to run a front left or front right high level speaker connection to the subwoofer? Can I solder on an RCA plug to the wire to use LFE?

Help!!!!!

Is the wire loose inside the wall? What I mean is....is you pull on one end does it seem to pull easily? If so, you might try securing the correct cable to the wire...and then simply pull the wire out until the correct cable has replaced it. Of course you may run into the larger co-ax type cable getting stuck on something halfway through too...

You can try using the speaker wire to carry the low level signal but you often run into humming/interference because there is no shielding.

Another option is adding a wireless box.

Tom V.

 

[jonnythan]

That's too bad. Go wireless or run a wire on the floor/whatever. You don't want to use unshielded speaker cable in this application.

 

[markw]

I know some people are gonna disagree, but...

...I think that if you can affix some RCA plugs to the ends, it should suffice for a line-level sub-woofer interconnect. If it doesn't hum, you're home-free, and something tells me it might not hum. And, if it does work, you can avail yourself of all the nifty bass management options your receiver has to offer.

In any case, waddaya got to lose by trying it?

...just be sure you don't mix up the pin/shield connections. That could be an issue.

 

[macddmac]

...I think that if you can affix some RCA plugs to the ends, it should suffice for a line-level sub-woofer interconnect. If it doesn't hum, you're home-free, and something tells me it might not hum. And, if it does work, you can avail yourself of all the nifty bass management options your receiver has to offer.

In any case, waddaya got to lose by trying it?

...just be sure you don't mix up the pin/shield connections. That could be an issue.

I did what Mark suggests.. Works great, no problems whatsoever!
Cheers, Mac