I'm going to run 24 gauge speaker wire in the expansion joint in my new laminate flooring from the area where the hifi sits to the points around the lifing room for the speakers. The speaker cable on the speakers is 24 guage bared wire with tinned ends. What would be the best way to connect the bared speaker wire to the hidden cables in the expansion gap?

The only wya I know is to use terminal blocks which looks like a dogs dinner if you ask me. Any suggestions or advice?

I reckon you'd be best to solder the wires together, then use heat shrink sleeving or self-amalgamating tape to seal them up - get it right and the joint should hide in the expansion gap.

Thanks for your reply but I was more wondering where I will be joining the wire from the speaker to the wire from the expansion gap what connector I could use to make it look a bit more professional.

Soldering the wires and using heat shrink sleeving is kind of a permanent solution. I just wonder how I would remove the speaker and cable if I ever changed speakers? I don't want to have to go about cutting wires or desoldering wires.

Wouldn't you simply unplug/screw the wires from the speaker and install the new ones - ie use the same speaker cable?

I could do that if I used terminal blocks but I personally think that would look like nothing and very unprofessional.

As for the heat shrink sleeving and solder option I think that's a more permenant solution and would require cutting the wire with pliers to undo the connection to the wires running in the expansion gap.

If you don't want the best connection (solder etc.) because of the need to cut them at a later date......and 'chocky blocks' are too big, i think your options are limited.... how about just twisting the wires together then and putting pvc tape around them....... then you can just pull them apart

What about some male/female bullet cable terminals or male/female flat blade crimp terminals?

Sizes from 2.8mm to 6.3mm for the blades.

4mm - 5mm for the bullets.

http://www.cybermarket.co.uk/ishop/923/shopscr2365.html

that seems like a really neat solution. Thanks I might hunt for some of those

if you go that way then i would solder them onto the wires not rely on crimp on ones