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