RCA leads

Read the group printed on the receiver

Several identical-looking red and white sockets may belong to different inputs. Follow both colors to the same named input, then select it on the receiver. A turntable connected to PHONO has requirements that differ from a player feeding a line input. Consult the turntable manual if its switch offers either mode.

Choose a bundle you can trace later

For a VCR transfer, a combined stereo and RG59 video lead keeps all three paths together. Put a small label on the recorder end before threading the bundle behind furniture. Play a recording with recognizable voices and a picture before finishing the installation.

Can every red socket accept the right audio channel?

The lettering for that whole group of inputs is decisive. The red jack beside green and blue might be part of a component-video input. Read the input group vertically as well as horizontally on tightly packed panels. A photograph of both ends helps when you reconnect equipment after moving.

Restore the left and right channels in a listening station

An old CD changer, a receiver and a bin of RCA cords can make a useful listening station. Choose a dual audio lead such as 10R1-02103 when the changer has separate left and right line outputs. Connect to the receiver input intended for that signal level and label both channels at both ends. If one side stays quiet, swap the left and right cable connections as a controlled test with the equipment set appropriately. Note whether silence follows the cable or stays with the same receiver channel. A single-channel RCA cord may look identical to one half of the stereo pair, so order enough conductors. Mark the changer output and receiver input with the same source name.

What is missing if a turntable sounds thin through an AUX input?

Some turntables send a phono-level signal that requires amplification and playback equalization before feeding a line input. Others include a switchable phono preamp or a dedicated line output. Find the output setting on the actual turntable and the input label on the receiver. A turntable set to LINE should feed a suitable line input. A traditional phono output needs a compatible phono input or external preamp matched to the cartridge. If you hear a very quiet, thin signal through AUX, turning up the receiver or ordering a more expensive pair of RCA leads does not provide the missing equalization. Keep the grounding instructions for the turntable handy, particularly if it has a separate ground wire in addition to the red and white plugs.

Compare parts for your setup

Technical references

• Sony home-theater connection examples