Connecting speaker wire to audio plugs

[DanUK]

Hi guys. I hope you can help me please?

I need to hook my Tv up to my AV receiver and the only wire that's between the two is a bare speaker wire (red / black). Unfortunately I cannot run any other cables that way due to the way it was plastered back in.

Doing some research it seems it is possible, although not ideal, to add Audio jack (white / red) plugs onto a speaker cable.

I've ordered 2 lots of these from Amazon so I can chop the plugs off and hopefully attach them to the speaker wires: Belkin F3Y116bf1M 1m Portable Y Audio Cable Belkin F3Y116bf1M 1m Portable Y Audio Cable: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006W95DPU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_66w8yb1G7Z27B

Here's my questions if I may:

1) if I were to chop the ends of the above and strip the wire could I use a terminal block connector to connect them? I.e red speaker wire to the red audio plug wire?

2) would it be better to solder these together?

The terminal connector block I mention is:

3A BLOCK CONNECTOR STRIP for jointing cable 3A BLOCK CONNECTOR STRIP for jointing cable: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003ZWE7HW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_V8w8ybM30MK8G

Just to also mention there is only one speaker cable so hopefully the red wire can hook up to one, and the black to the other?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Andy-1960]

Basically you need 3 cores L, R and Ground and you only have 2 cores, so no, I do not think it's worth trying.

 

[DanUK]

Thanks Andy. That saves me trying it. Back to the drawing board... I'll try and figure out if I can somehow utilise the spare HDMI cable and get it working with ARC!

 

[dmxtothemax]

you may be able to use a video to cat five convertor,
then send the cat 5 along your speaker wire
And at the other end a cat 5 to video convertor.

do you want to send video or audio or both ?

 

[DanUK]

Thanks DMX. Just audio

 

[Lucien Nunes]

If the receiver does not have an HDMI input you can use an audio de-embedder to convert the ARC audio to analogue or optical, e.g. https://www.lindy.co.uk/audio-video-c2/converters-scalers-c105/hdmi-4k-audio-extractor-de-embedder-with-arc-mhl-p8542/s8698 These are available with 2-channel or optional 5.1 decoding.

As an alternative, if you are handy with a soldering iron, you could make up adaptors to use a couple of the screened pairs in the HDMI cable for the analogue audio signal from the TV. Although intended for the video signals, these will work well for analogue audio over this distance. A pair of HDMI back-to-back couplers and a short HDMI cable cut in half, will give you bare ends to wire into phono plugs. Any pairs will do provided you use the same ones at both ends. This is the sort of solution I would use for my own purposes as it will work OK and I would have those bits lying around anyway. Of course if you were being mean you could cut the plugs off the installed HDMI cable and wire the ends of that into the phono plugs, but you will come to regret it as HDMI plugs cannot be refitted when you upgrade and want to use it for HDMI.

Re line-level audio over speaker leads, although I do not recommend it, it can usually be done in some shape or form. In my previous life as a live audio engineer and designer of audio equipment, I have had occasion to send audio down all sorts of weird interconnects.

 

[DanUK]

Thanks so much Lucien. Much appreciated.

Funny you should mention the ARC converter. I have tried this but that didn't work - hence my trying to get an alternative. Maybe you can spot what I did wrong here?

So, the TV supports ARC via its HDMI slots (it's a Philips 55PUS6401) and my AV receiver is a Pioneer VSX330 4K Home Cinema Receiver: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B014Q2LOMA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

As the receiver accepts digital in, I thought I'd try the following:

• HDMI into the TV
• I had to connect it to the other HDMI as it was in a different part of the wall - I used a: UGREEN HDMI Adapter, HDMI Female to Female Connector: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B2HPAE6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• HDMI into one of these: Cablesson HDelity HDMI audio extractor ARC - HD Digital: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009D70JIY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Digital cable into the optical in

The TV never discovered it though and kept using its inbuilt speakers.

Although I'm not home right now, the one thing I didn't test was just plugging the HDMI directly into one of the 4 HDMI inputs (i.e. SAT) to see if that works.

Thanks again!

 

[egg67]

All you need to do is connect the hdmi cable from the hdmi out on the AV to the TVs then turn on the ARC will then work

 

[DanUK]

Hi egg67, thanks! The HDMI out on the AV actually goes to a projector - that's the main purpose. I just want the audio from the TV to be able to use my ceiling speakers (from the AV unit).

 

[egg67]

HDMI out on AV to a hdmi splitting , hdmi splitter to TVs and p screen, turn off speaker for TV in tv settings make shore splitter is set to tv

 

[DanUK]

Ah thank you. I can give that a go when I'm home. I naturally assumed HDMI OUT was purely for the projector (from the 4 inputs next to it on the AV unit (second picture of the Amazon link)). I assumed it would be a HDMI IN for ARC (from the TV).

 

[egg67]

On your AV ARC only works on the out, make shore you turn on ARC on the AV and turn off speakers on TV, it might be best to set up with the HDMI from TV plugged in to the out on the AV out then when all working add a splitter to the out

 

[DanUK]

Thanks egg67! I can definitely get one of those ordered.

So, just to clarify by what you're saying:
1) HDMI from one of the ARC HDMI OUTs on TV to go to this splitter on my HDMI OUT of AV unit (one will go to projector, the other this cable between TV and AV unit)
2) this would make the TV use the speakers connected to the AV unit?

One I found: SYS HDMI 1 Male To Dual HDMI 2 Female Y Splitter Cable: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics - https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Electronics-Photo/SYS-HDMI-Male-Female-Splitter-Cable-Adapter/B01FQQ1GFU/ref=sr_1_17?s=electronics-accessories&ie=UTF8&qid=1492357509&sr=1-17&keywords=hdmi+splitter

Thanks!

 

[egg67]

The outs on the TV ore in's, I think on your TV HDMI 1,2,3 are ARC which means they will send a sound signal back to your AV as long as it has ARC which your AV has but only on the HDMI out, for fist time set up just plug the HDMI cable from the TV to the AV out, turn TV and AV off, then turn AV on then TV make shore AV is set to ARC and speakers on TV are turned off.
If it works then get a splinter that is ARC will give you a link latter to one that will work, is this setup all in one room?

 

[DanUK]

Thank you. That makes sense. I'll give it a go.

The Av receiver is in a loft so separate to the TV.

If you have an Amazon link to a decent splitter that would be great. Thanks!

 

[egg67]

Can you give me a full brake down of your setup? Sounds like you are trying to set up a multi room,