Speaker Connectors

Speaker connectors are a type of connector designed primarily for loudspeakers, Hi-Fi systems and other audio applications. Speaker connectors can be used to provide connection between speakers and amplifiers. Loudspeaker connectors are DIN connectors or circular connectors with a ring of metal surrounding an arrangement of pins that are plugged into a socket. Speaker connectors have a gender (male or female). Male connectors are a plug, while female connectors are the socket.

Types of speaker connector:

Sockets
Speaker Terminals
Splitters
Banana Plugs
Pin Connectors
speakON Connectors
Audio Jacks

There are different types of speaker connector which are mounted in various ways. This includes:

Panel type connectors, which are mounted onto an equipment panel, are designed for high currents and inductive loads. Panel mount speaker connectors provide a connection between the speaker system and the outside of the enclosure.
Cable type connectors are mounted onto a cable. They can feature a robust plastic shell and chuck-type cable clamps. The mounting will vary by the connector. Some are screw mounted or feature clamps.

Where are speaker connectors used?

Loudspeakers
Amplifiers
Microphones
Lighting systems
Laser systems
Concert equipment
Telecommunications

What are speaker terminals?

Speaker terminals are a type of speaker connector which provide termination of leads or speaker wire. A benefit of a terminal is that it will often have multiple connections, saving the installation of multiple sockets. They feature red and black colour-coded sockets for the bare wire. The colour-coding helps to identify the polarisation of the wire.

Terminals often have a spring loaded lever which, after placing the wire inside, can be released and secured. This lever traps the wire in place, similar to a crimp. The levers are a really quick and easy way to create a secure connection. It also means that you do not need to attach different connectors to a cable, and various wire sizes can be used.