cutting rca cable to make speaker cable?

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=112292
Printed Date: May 12, 2025 at 2:22 PM

Topic: cutting rca cable to make speaker cable?

Posted By: grant2207
Subject: cutting rca cable to make speaker cable?
Date Posted: March 11, 2009 at 11:32 PM

Hi, Ive got a set up that i want to use were i connect my standard door speakers to an equalizer that only has RCA outputs. I know there are cables out there that have one end male RCAs and the other end standard stereo cable... but i dont wanna spend the money because i have RCA cables waiting to be used for free... i want something like this ( to give a visual) https://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productid=2102955 . Can i just cut the end of a standard RCA cable off and splice it to fit my speakers or will that not work? any hints or a total shut down of my idea would be appreciated... not much experience in different wire types...

Replies:

Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: March 12, 2009 at 3:02 AM

No. The RCA outputs on your EQ will not drive a speaker directly. They are a low-level signal, and must be amplified. You MUST run those RCA signals into an amplifier of some sort. If that makes no sense to you, it's a "total shut down". posted_image

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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Posted By: grant2207
Date Posted: March 12, 2009 at 5:55 AM

dang... i was hopin i could keep getting away with being cheap and powering my speakers directly from my head unit... lol