Surround speakers are just speakers with a specific job, and their connectors are no different from any other channel. What matters is wiring each surround to the correct receiver terminal and keeping phase right. Here is how surround sound connectors work and how to hook them up.
Surround Sound Connector: Hooking Up Surround Speakers
Quick Answer / Summary: Surround sound speakers use the same connectors as other speakers: binding posts or spring clips on the speaker and the receiver. Each surround speaker connects to its labeled surround channel with speaker wire, keeping polarity consistent.
What Connectors Surround Speakers Use
Surround speakers use standard speaker connectors: binding posts on better models and receivers, and spring clips on compact or budget surrounds. Both accept speaker wire, and binding posts also accept banana, spade and pin plugs.
Standard terminals, surround job
The receiver side has a row of labeled terminals for surround left, surround right and rear or height channels, each a red and black pair just like the front channels.
There is no special ‘surround connector’, the surround channels use the same speaker-level wiring as everything else, which keeps the whole system simple and consistent.
Wiring the Surround Channels
Match each surround speaker to its labeled receiver terminal: surround left to surround left, surround right to surround right, and so on. Crossing the channels reverses the soundstage.
Match and keep phase
Run speaker wire from the receiver to each surround position, keeping the marked positive wire on the red terminal at both ends. Surround runs are often long, so use an appropriate gauge.
For in-wall or in-ceiling surrounds, use CL2 or CL3 rated speaker cable, and for ceiling Atmos channels, wire them to the height terminals following the same polarity rules.
Choosing Cable and Connectors for Surrounds
Because surround runs are long, gauge matters. Use 14 gauge for runs up to about 40 feet and 12 gauge beyond that, so the long cable does not dull the surround channels.
Banana plugs make the receiver end faster to connect and keep a dense row of terminals tidy. At the speaker end, banana or bare wire both work depending on the surround’s terminal.
For permanent in-wall surrounds, terminate with spade or banana for a vibration-proof joint, and label each run so the channel mapping stays obvious later.
Verifying the Surround Setup
After wiring, run the receiver’s test tones and confirm each surround channel plays from the correct speaker. A tone from the wrong side means the channels are crossed.
Check phase with a test track or the receiver’s setup tones. A reversed surround speaker thins the rear soundstage and blurs the sense of space.
Set the surround speakers to small in the receiver’s bass management if you use a subwoofer, and match levels so the surrounds blend rather than dominate.
Surround Channel Wiring Reference
| Channel | Receiver Terminal | Typical Run | Cable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surround left | SL red/black | 20-40 ft | 14 AWG |
| Surround right | SR red/black | 20-40 ft | 14 AWG |
| Rear surrounds | SBL/SBR | 40+ ft | 12 AWG |
| Height/Atmos | Height terminals | 40+ ft | 12 AWG CL-rated |
Real-World Application Scenarios
A user wires surround left and right speakers to the receiver’s labeled surround terminals, keeping the striped wire on red; another runs 12 gauge CL-rated cable to rear surrounds through the wall; a third uses the test tones to find and fix crossed surround channels.
Recommended Internal Resources
- wiring each channel to a receiver
- binding posts and spring clips on the gear
- CL-rated in-wall speaker wiring
See how to connect speaker wire to receiver for the full hookup and in-wall speaker wire for permanent runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What connector do surround speakers use?
Surround speakers use standard binding posts or spring clips, the same as front speakers. Each connects to its labeled surround channel on the receiver with speaker wire.
How do I wire surround speakers to a receiver?
Match each surround to its labeled terminal, connect the marked positive wire to red and the other to black, and keep the pattern identical on both ends.
What gauge wire for surround speakers?
Use 14 gauge for runs up to about 40 feet and 12 gauge for longer rear or height runs, so the long cable does not dull the surround channels.
Why do my surround speakers sound out of phase?
One surround is likely wired backwards. Check that the marked wire is on the red terminal at both ends of every surround run.