As any DIYer knows, having all the equipment and tools you need can be the difference between a slam dunk success – and a weekend of frustration and misery. It’s the same when you’re setting up your AV receiver. Preparation is the key to success!
First, ask yourself a few questions:
Once you’ve answered these questions, you can start gathering equipment. Here’s a simple checklist of what you need to connect all these devices:
Network cable long enough to go from your AV receiver to your router. Note: You can connect to the internet wirelessly, but a wired connection is more stable and faster.
Analog (red and white RCA), optical, or digital coax cable long enough to go from your AV receiver to your CD player.
Speaker wire long enough to go from your AV receiver to your speakers (one for each speaker) plus a little extra. Here's an article that shows you how to connect speaker wire.
If you’re going to terminate your speaker wire with banana plugs, you’ll need four banana plugs for each speaker wire. Here's an article that shows you how to connect them.
And last - but not least - wire strippers to make it easier to remove the coating on the ends of the speaker wire.
Now that you have everything you need, see your AV receiver’s owner’s manual for instructions on how to connect everything – and start enjoying your music and movies!
