1/4" TRS to home stereo speakers

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Eleanor Fudd

Eleanor Fudd

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If I expose the wires out of a TS or TRS 1/4 plug, can I connect the wires (with speaker wire) to the terminals of (old and big) home stereo speakers, and thus run from my interface into the speakers that way - without killing anything/body?

Thank you. :o
 
No, you will need an amplifier, the output of an interface will not power speakers.

Interface >(shielded cable)> amplifier > (speaker cable)> speakers

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
No, you will need an amplifier, the output of an interface will not power speakers.

Interface >(shielded cable)> amplifier > (speaker cable)> speakers

Alan.
Click to expand...

Ouch! Good point, thank you. Can I power it with (one of the several) analogue stereo amps I have laying around?
 
Eleanor Fudd said:
Ouch! Good point, thank you. Can I power it with (one of the several) analogue stereo amps I have laying around?
Click to expand...

Yep . . . that's the way to do it.

Get a pair of TRS to RCA cables, plug the RCA into the amp, then connect speakers to the amp
 
Thank you, thank you.

SmileyHappyF.webp
 
I'm dying! I'm dying!

Somebody, somewhere has plugged a stereo TRS signal into an amp via an adaptor!

Aaarrrggghhhh! I'm dying!

Now that I've got the drama out of my system, just for reference, you can easily find a single cable that goes from one TRS (stereo) jack to a pair of RCAs. Have a look at the 3rd item down HERE. (I'm not endorsing that site...it was just the first photo I came to--you should be able to easily find similar at most audio or electronics shops or web sites.)
 
Bobbsy said:
I'm dying! I'm dying!

Somebody, somewhere has plugged a stereo TRS signal into an amp via an adaptor!
Click to expand...

As it's a TRS from an interface, I doubt it's stereo -most likley its a balanced mono signal.
 
gecko zzed said:
Get a pair of TRS to RCA cables, plug the RCA into the amp, then connect speakers to the amp
Click to expand...

If you're diying (not dying), take note of the balanced/unbalanced thing.
The ring of a balanced TRS output should go to shield on an unbalanced connector, as far as I know.

If you're dying then somebody somewhere tried to plug TRS line level straight into some speakers! :laughings:
 
Steenamaroo said:
If you're diying (not dying), take note of the balanced/unbalanced thing.
The ring of a balanced TRS output should go to shield on an unbalanced connector, as far as I know.

If you're dying then somebody somewhere tried to plug TRS line level straight into some speakers! :laughings:
Click to expand...
Technically, you should make sure of how the source is balanced. Sometimes shorting the ring can cause damage. In practice, with modern HR type gear you can usually get away with it.

This has all the answers to that kind of question, though.
 
Thanks for that! I can never find that page when I need it.

I never have to deal with balanced to unbalanced wiring, but I don't think I'd ever have done it like this!

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 17.31.11.webp

Always learning. ;)
 
Use a TS jack to RCA connector cable, Just plug a TS jack into the balanced TRS socket, this connects 1 and 3 as the diagram above, but uses the shield as the earth (black).

Alan.
 
Ah, I missed the word "interface" in the second line and assumed she was using the headphone out on a device for some reason.
 
Thanks again. I don't care much if I happen to blow up the amp or speakers, it's the other end, the 44VSL which I would be concerned about.
 
Steenamaroo said:
If you're diying (not dying), take note of the balanced/unbalanced thing.
The ring of a balanced TRS output should go to shield on an unbalanced connector, as far as I know.
Click to expand...

This is true for a transformer balanced line.

You CAN do this with transformer-less outputs, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. Most of these cheaper electronically balanced outputs cannot handle driving ground and their internal wiring structure may expose their pin 1 problems.. just hook up the + to the tip of the RCA and the shield to shield and go for it. The level will be lower, but that's probably a good thing.

An electronically balanced line output signal will oscillate between + and - with the zero volt as reference or ground. So, connecting to either + or - and ground will give you a signal.
A transformer balanced line output is truly floating with the + referenced to the - and the transformer case and equipment case at zero volts or ground reference. There will be no signal between the + or - of the transformer out and ground/zero volt line. ;) - That is why you should connect the - of the transformer balanced output to the ground and 'unbalancing' it for it to work in a 2-point configuration like an RCA jack.

Cheers,
John
 
Huh................... It turns out that a local electronics supply shop has an adaptor which goes over the TRS end, and is an RCA end, for $2 each. Somebody else has a TRS-to-RCA cable for $8 each. Gee, if I have to buy two audio patch cables...... that will make the $2 adaptors more expensive than buying the adaptor cables.

I have a big roll of speaker wire.........................

???
 
Seriously, find out what kind of output you have, pay attention to what Mr. Brandt is saying, and go look at the link in ashcat's post. Guessing isn't good enough.
 
There seems to be another small problem: the inputs on the receiver http://tinyurl.com/ldrgcul certainly are not labelled "AUDIO INTERFACE." Does it matter which of the available input plugs I use?
Thanks again.
 
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