Can I actually hook these speakers up to my receiver?
November 6, 2015 7:42 AM Subscribe
I recently came into possession of a pair of Energy e:XL-28P speakers. Which is cool and all, but can I actually connect them to my current receiver?
I'd like to gradually overhaul my current (very modest) stereo system, and bought these speakers (which are in mint condition) on a whim because the seller was only asking for $150 and a friend who knows more about this stuff than I do said it was a good deal. My current receiver is a Pioneer VSX-D457, which I suspect is not compatible because the wires for these speakers require banana plugs instead of the bare wire connectors my current bookshelf speakers use (I also wonder if the speakers would just blow up the receiver). Which would be fine because, like I said, I'm planning on buying a new receiver anyway...but if there is a way to make it work now that would be cool, too.
Bonus question: in the event that these speakers and receiver just will not play nice together, what features/specs/whatever should I be looking for in terms of a new (i.e. probably used, because I have $500 at most to spend) receiver? I currently have a turntable, tape deck and DVD/CD player and would like to keep using all of them.
Please feel free to explain things as though I'm a small, not-especially-bright child, because I'm a total newb when it comes to the hi-fi world.
I'd like to gradually overhaul my current (very modest) stereo system, and bought these speakers (which are in mint condition) on a whim because the seller was only asking for $150 and a friend who knows more about this stuff than I do said it was a good deal. My current receiver is a Pioneer VSX-D457, which I suspect is not compatible because the wires for these speakers require banana plugs instead of the bare wire connectors my current bookshelf speakers use (I also wonder if the speakers would just blow up the receiver). Which would be fine because, like I said, I'm planning on buying a new receiver anyway...but if there is a way to make it work now that would be cool, too.
Bonus question: in the event that these speakers and receiver just will not play nice together, what features/specs/whatever should I be looking for in terms of a new (i.e. probably used, because I have $500 at most to spend) receiver? I currently have a turntable, tape deck and DVD/CD player and would like to keep using all of them.
Please feel free to explain things as though I'm a small, not-especially-bright child, because I'm a total newb when it comes to the hi-fi world.
The only thing you have to worry about is the impedance. Your receiver can drive speakers with 8-16ohm impedance, and these speakers are 8 ohms, and you are good to go.
The wire ends is just a convenience issue; it's just a lump of copper in the end.
posted by ftm at 7:55 AM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
The wire ends is just a convenience issue; it's just a lump of copper in the end.
posted by ftm at 7:55 AM on November 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Banana plugs are easy. It's just a convenience feature really. You can turn your current wires into banana plugs with these screw-type adapters from Monoprice.
Or, if you unscrew the top of the banana plug a bit, it should reveal a hole through the post. If you stick the bare wire through that, and tighten it down again, it should work fine.
Given that, your other issue here is that these speakers have two pairs of input terminals (because some people like to use two different amps , one for high frequencies and one for low frequencies.) If like colors are already short-circuited to each other, you can just connect your speaker wires up to either pair. Otherwise, you will need to connect them yourself. (If they are connected already, that might make it harder to hook up your own speaker wires unless you use the banana plugs.)
posted by smackfu at 8:01 AM on November 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Or, if you unscrew the top of the banana plug a bit, it should reveal a hole through the post. If you stick the bare wire through that, and tighten it down again, it should work fine.
Given that, your other issue here is that these speakers have two pairs of input terminals (because some people like to use two different amps , one for high frequencies and one for low frequencies.) If like colors are already short-circuited to each other, you can just connect your speaker wires up to either pair. Otherwise, you will need to connect them yourself. (If they are connected already, that might make it harder to hook up your own speaker wires unless you use the banana plugs.)
posted by smackfu at 8:01 AM on November 6, 2015 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Hi...thanks so far! Okay, so I unhooked my old speakers, connected the wires to the top input terminals on the new ones and did get some sound out of the speaker, but it was very tinny and distant. When I connected the wires from the other speaker to the bottom input terminals, the full sound came on for a second or two but then the receiver switched itself off and there was an "OVERLOAD" message flashing.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:18 AM on November 6, 2015
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:18 AM on November 6, 2015
Those speakers have "powered subwoofers" so you have to plug them into AC Power in addition to plugging them into your amplifier.
See section B of the manual here.
posted by The Deej at 9:12 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
See section B of the manual here.
posted by The Deej at 9:12 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
your speakers support biwiring/biamping, they are a little different than normal speakers. (see the english manual below), there are 3 ways to connect them.
since you talk about the two seperate wiring connections, im assuming the shorting plates are missing(figure 2) that would normally connect the two +s to each other, and two -'s to each other on the speaker. You can either wire your own, or see if you can buy such a thing. If they are present, you only connect to one of the sets of +/- connectors, the shorting plate handles the other.
If it is missing, and you have more wires on hand, you would connect like on figure 3 (bi-wiring), from the SAME +/- connectors on the receiver, connect to the speaker as drawn. you'll need twice as many wires per speaker this way.
figure 4 (biamping) is probably not usable with your receiver, it would need to provide two outputs per speaker and do the crossover itself.
manual: english
manual: figures
only connecting to one pair of terminals only powers the tweeters or mids, not both.
(edit: and plugin the powered subs, as pointed out above)
posted by TheAdamist at 9:36 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
since you talk about the two seperate wiring connections, im assuming the shorting plates are missing(figure 2) that would normally connect the two +s to each other, and two -'s to each other on the speaker. You can either wire your own, or see if you can buy such a thing. If they are present, you only connect to one of the sets of +/- connectors, the shorting plate handles the other.
If it is missing, and you have more wires on hand, you would connect like on figure 3 (bi-wiring), from the SAME +/- connectors on the receiver, connect to the speaker as drawn. you'll need twice as many wires per speaker this way.
figure 4 (biamping) is probably not usable with your receiver, it would need to provide two outputs per speaker and do the crossover itself.
manual: english
manual: figures
only connecting to one pair of terminals only powers the tweeters or mids, not both.
(edit: and plugin the powered subs, as pointed out above)
posted by TheAdamist at 9:36 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I did have them plugged in...turns out the overload problem was because one of the shorting straps had fallen off.
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:37 AM on November 6, 2015
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:37 AM on November 6, 2015
Response by poster: Okay, I've got them up and running and they sound great...definitely an upgrade over the bookshelf speakers I had before. Thank you, all!
Part of my confusion was that the seller, who was a really nice guy and did his best to explain things to my dumb ass, said that I would "need" banana plugs, but probably meant "need" in the sense that I would "want" them eventually, and because he was using them I assumed I wouldn't be able to hook them up to my receiver the old-fashioned way.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:10 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Part of my confusion was that the seller, who was a really nice guy and did his best to explain things to my dumb ass, said that I would "need" banana plugs, but probably meant "need" in the sense that I would "want" them eventually, and because he was using them I assumed I wouldn't be able to hook them up to my receiver the old-fashioned way.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:10 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Congrats on your new speakers.
I have yet to see an amp or speaker that supported banana plus (which are a great timesaver) and did NOT support just sticking a wire in in some way, but I could imagine a seller not knowing that, and thinking that you'd need banana plugs.
FWIW, I love these banana plugs, and once every 6 months or so they go on sale for a totally reasonable ~$10 instead of the normal ridiculous price.
posted by Phredward at 11:09 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have yet to see an amp or speaker that supported banana plus (which are a great timesaver) and did NOT support just sticking a wire in in some way, but I could imagine a seller not knowing that, and thinking that you'd need banana plugs.
FWIW, I love these banana plugs, and once every 6 months or so they go on sale for a totally reasonable ~$10 instead of the normal ridiculous price.
posted by Phredward at 11:09 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nice! You got an awesome deal!
posted by The Deej at 11:14 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by The Deej at 11:14 AM on November 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
What makes you think the wires 'require' banana plugs? Wires are usually just wires. You can remove the plugs and strip the wire ends if you need to.
posted by pipeski at 7:54 AM on November 6, 2015 [3 favorites]