How Do You Hook Up Stereo Components?
Stereo components, such as a CD player or tape deck, connect to an amplifier or receiver with two audio cords. The amp or receiver is also the connection point for speakers, which attach with a pair of speaker wires. These speaker wires are either connected to spring clips or wrapped around screw-down poles. Unlike the connections for video equipment, the jacks on stereo components remain essentially unchanged after more than 30 years. Following the color codes on the plugs and jacks simplifies the setup. Attach a set of RCA audio cables to the “Audio OUT” jacks on the back of each stereo component, using the red plug for the right channel audio and the white plug for the left. Connect the other ends of the cables to the corresponding color-coded jacks on the back of the amplifier or receiver. For example, connect the CD player to the jacks marked “CD IN” and the tape deck to the “Tape IN” jacks. Connect a second set of audio cables to the amp or receiver “Tape OUT” jacks and plug the
