Why Speakon?

[JoshuaTSP]

Why Speakon over 1/4" connectors?

[deekay911]

It's becoming industry standard, and mostly because it's safer than a 1/4inch. Don't try this at home, but but I have seen someone get a 6 amp jolt from a 1/4 inch while changing speakers.

[JackANSI]

Secure locking connection, impossible to get a short while connecting, protection from high voltages (if amp is connected and turned on and something should be coming out of the speaker and you grab the end of a 1/4" you will get shocked), vastly superior power handling, don't need a soldering iron for a good secure connection....


The only reason 1/4" was used for speaker connections (afaik) is there just wasn't anything better available... Until speakon

[bass4worship]

Better connection between amp and cab....

[Bassnotthefish]

Speakons electrically handle much more current through the connection than 1/4" jacks. Not a big deal at < 350W, but with > 800W being more common place on bass amps, a speakon is almost mandatory (unless you can use banana plugs such as on rack power amps) for safety.

1/4" phono is an ancient technology from the telephone operator switchboard days. Unless the 1/4" speaker out jack on your amp is high-current rated (which is rare...usually they are the same model type as used on signal level jacks...like the input jack or efx loop jacks of your bass amp), your jack won't handle continuous high current without heat build up on the contacts.

Speakons were specifically designed to handle large current loads.

And of course you have all the locking benefits etc...

[NKBassman]

Better power handling and secure connection to cab.
I had a 1/4" speaker cable come loose from the back of my cab once and shorted my poweramp into protection mode. Went out and bought a speakon cable the next day. Never again.

[Alex1984]

Pros:
- Won't need to worry about shorting things out
- Higher power handling
- Locks in place
- No solder
- Possible to use in a bi-amp configuration
- No need to stare at a piece of cable and wonder "was this for my instrument or speaker?"

Cons:
- If I really have to name, probably that the plastic connector doesn't look quite durable/can be bulky, but that's probably a pretty weak argument.

[JackANSI]

Oh yeah, thats another point for speakon.. You can get them in 2, 4, and 8 conductor..

and if you connect a 2 into a 4 or a 4 into a 2 (if you've got the keyless variety), you're still only engaging pins +/-1. Good or bad, thats up to how the equipment is wired, but many of the pieces of gear I have, its usually not going to end in a puff of smoke..


Probably the only 'con' is the fact that there are so many choices and options for speakons now. But even the 1/4" has quite a few more.. so I guess that evens out