Our Guide to Wiring Mono Jack Type Speaker plugs
Today, we’ll be explaining how you can wire your mono jack speaker plug. To begin with, you’ll need to make sure you have cables, plugs, wire strippers, a solder, and a soldering iron to hand.
Check which kind of 1/4-inch jack you need. The cables and jacks are available in both mono and stereo.
Remove the outer shielding from the audio cable (if necessary) and identify the relevant wires. Lay the cable down next to the connector plug and check the lengths of the exposed wires. There should be enough to reach all the contacts, but not so much that any exposed wire will be visible once the connector cover is screwed on. If your cable has a screw-on metal shield, be sure to slide this onto the cable before you start soldering or you won’t be able to fit it.
Strip around 5mm of insulation from the tips of each wire and loop them through their appropriate connectors. In a mono cable, attach the positive wire to the tab that protrudes from inside the end of the cylindrical plug; the signal should be transmitted from the very tip of the connector. The ground wire should be soldered to the common pin that touches the exterior of the connector. It is possible to use stereo connectors with a mono cable; the second ring connector is simply ignored.
Allow the solder on all wires to cool before checking each connection manually. Gently move the wire back and forth to ensure that there is a solid connection with adequate contact. If any solder has run down the connecter, clean your soldering iron and remove it. Any bridging of connections will prevent your cable from working and could be dangerous.
Voila! You’re all done!