# Such a thing as RCA to Banana Plug?



## trevorsaint

I recently bought a wallplate that has been fitted nicely into the plasterwalls, all is good to go.


I have a pioneer amp that requires RCA phono leads, and unfortunately I bought 5 of them, and they were not cheap. The wall plate I have is for Banana plugs at 4mm.


Is there anything on the plannet that can convert my nice RCA leads into 4mm one end so that it works with my setup.


Surely there must be something, i.e an adapter that allows RCA to Banana Plug.


I don't wish to waste these leads if possible.


Any tips would be great.


Thanks/


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## Kal Rubinson

I do not know what you are connecting but banana plugs are used for high-level, amplified connection such as for speakers. RCA leads are, typically, used for low-level (a few volts) connections such as between players and amps or between amps and preamps. Neither is a good match for the functions of the other.


That said, an adapter is buildable (perhaps even buyable) but I wouldn't recommend it.


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## bassface

One thing to be aware of is that RCA phono plugs are two conductor (signal and ground). You need to connect two banana plugs (probably red and black) to one phono plug. If you can solder its no problem to build an adapter cable.


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## David Haddad




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *trevorsaint* /forum/post/17654688
> 
> 
> I recently bought a wallplate that has been fitted nicely into the plasterwalls, all is good to go.
> 
> 
> I have a pioneer amp that requires RCA phono leads, and unfortunately I bought 5 of them, and they were not cheap. The wall plate I have is for Banana plugs at 4mm.
> 
> 
> Is there anything on the plannet that can convert my nice RCA leads into 4mm one end so that it works with my setup.
> 
> 
> Surely there must be something, i.e an adapter that allows RCA to Banana Plug.



Is the Pioneer a "mini" system? That is the only type of system that I have ever seen RCA connectors used for speaker level signals. Otherwise the only RCA plugs you would usually find on a receiver with labels that might appear to be for speakers are actually "low level" which are *not* for connecting to speakers but are for bypassing the internal receiver amplifier and connecting to an external amplifier.


To answer your question I am unaware of any RCA to banana plug adapter but that does not mean it does not exist _somewhere_.


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## AndrewWilkinson

I have a sonos connect amp which has the speaker outlets red and black for both Left and Right. My electrician has installed phono wall plates for the ceiling speakers. How do i connect the two?


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## tjmac93

I would suggest that you do what bassface said: "One thing to be aware of is that RCA phono plugs are two conductor (signal and ground). You need to connect two banana plugs (probably red and black) to one phono plug. If you can solder its no problem to build an adapter cable." Use the banaplug on red/black and change it to the RCA.


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## jautor




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *AndrewWilkinson*  /t/1202946/such-a-thing-as-rca-to-banana-plug#post_22769811
> 
> 
> I have a sonos connect amp which has the speaker outlets red and black for both Left and Right. My electrician has installed phono wall plates for the ceiling speakers. How do i connect the two?



Swap the wall plate out for one with banana jacks / speaker binding posts. No one should be installing RCA plugs for speakers, really. Yes, you can build an adapter, but this would be the "right" way to fix it.


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## bigmtnskier

Hello,


I have run into a similar situation as the creator of this thread. I have litterally just finished wiring my home theater in-wall with plates for all my connections, baseboards and crown moldings have all be put back in place via nail gun and painted. I unfortunately did a bone head thing and ran 12 gauge speaker wire for my Sub which is amplified by a Bash sub-amp which is RCA. the sub-inputs for my Yamaha receiver are also RCA, but I have the right wall plate from wall to receiver, but wrong wall plate from wall to sub







(banana plugs), I don't want to have to rip out the baseboard to re-do this, ideally I would like to be able to properly use RCA connecters to attach to speaker wire etc. I will also need to attach the speaker wires to my RCA plate that goes to my Receiver.


What would be the most seemless way to do this without having to rip the baseboard out and start over?


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## Gizmologist

Here is part 1 of the solution:
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/Pomona/adapters/1269.htm 


Here is part 2:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102688


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## Colm

You can use solder tail RCA jacks with the speaker cable.


You may still wind up needing to replace the speaker cable between the AVR and sub with coax or shielded cable.


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## swin70

Hey all,


I have run into a very similar issue. I have a separate cable installed originally for a 6.1 rear speaker, although I'm only using 5.1). The cable runs under a concrete slab and can't be changed - it was installed in conduit and should have been removable, but the builders managed to fix it in place!. Originally the sub was going to sit at the front of the room but it won't fit, so I will install it at the rear and need to use this cable


Now my question is not so much about soldering a an RCA to speaker cable or making up an adapter, but regards Colm comments:


> Quote:
> You may still wind up needing to replace the speaker cable between the AVR and sub with coax or shielded cable



Why would this be the case? The RCA Phone cable is still copper core and ground, so the low level signal should be able to be carried by the two copper speaker cables?


Chris


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## Colm

In an unbalanced circuit using coax, the signal is carried on the center conductor. The shield acts as a ground reference and a low impedance path for noise to ground so that if the shield is adequate little noise gets to the center conductor. If you substitute speaker cable, even twisted pair, the signal conductor will pick up any noise in the environment. Sometimes we can get away without coax if the run is short enough. On long runs to a subwoofer, you run the risk of picking up enough 60 Hz from the AC in the area to be audible. Heck, even with a coax with a good shield it is possible, although less so. 60 Hz is difficult to shield against. Since the cable is already there, give it a try. Maybe you will luck out.


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## olyteddy

If it's a bit noisy you might get away with a pair of audio baluns.


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## swin70

Cheers Colm,


OK and understand. I'm hopping that this will be OK as the the speaker cables a under 1.5 foot of concrete and screed (through conduit). I originally ran three cables - two for the rear left and right and one for the rear presence (this was even before 7.1 was common place. There are absolutely NO electrical cable running any where near the speaker cables so I would hope that electromagnetic interference would be minimal. The run itself it probably only 4m or so all told.


The speaker cables are terminate at speaker terminals - which could either take a 4mm banana plug, spade connector or bare wire connection. I was actually thinking of getting a pre made RCA Phono Sub-woofer cable and hacking it by cutting it in half and adding spade terminals to each of the cut ends.So RCA into the sub and amp, with spades onto the installed speaker cable running under the floor.


Chris


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## swin70

Just to feedback on this, I hacked a simple 5m RCA Phono lead in two (very thin cable) so had two RCA Phono ends and a bare end. Due to the size of the cable, I had to trip back around 6-7 inches of outer sheathing to reveal the earth wire. After lots of twisting and doubling back the copper, I eventually got a wire that I could connect the the speaker point. I then did the same for the inner signal cable but only stripped back around 5 inches of the inner sheathing.


Once done on both sides I could then connect one of the RCA ends to the Amp and then to the in wall speaker terminals, and the other to the sub and the opposing in wall speaker terminals, and et viola. I have a line level sub signal sent over speaker cable.


There is absolutely no hum when the Amp is switched on, but a good clean bass is heard. The only small issue is when the Amp is powered off completely (using a Standby Saver type gadget) then I do hear a small hum. Fortunately, the sub has an auto power off feature that puts it into a standby mode when no input signal has been received after 5 mins, which eliminate the hum. Still, when the Amp is on and working normally - all is good.


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## Bielzebub1981

has the easiest BUT NOT CHEAPEST solution of ebay item 121428699024


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