• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Advice on Speakon jacks/options for Bag End cabs

Low Key

Low Key

Feb 2, 2007
447
660
Chicago suburbs
#1
A couple amps I'm trying out only offer Speakon-only connectors. They do not have the quarter inch option at all, not even the Speakon/quarter combo jacks. So here is my situation:

I have a Bag End S15X-D, which includes Speakon jacks, but are apparently wired differently than today's bass amps Speakon output. They were wired with a different (older?) spec, which terminates on a different pin than is currently used. In other words, I cannot use my Bag End Speakon connectors "as is" with a modern bass amp Speakon outputs. I communicated with Bag End (great customer service, BTW) and they confirmed that I would need an adapter or to replace the jack plate.

My other cab is a Bag End S15-C, which only has quarter inch and butterfly connectors.

My goal is to use these cabs for a while, but eventually sell them. I am debating cost vs. sound quality and ability to sell.

My options with the S15-D seem to be:

A) Get a new jack plate with the new Speakon spec for around $64/cab.

B) Get a Speakon to quarter inch speaker cable (or adapter) and ditch the native Speakon connection on the speaker. WAY cheaper.

C) Make a cable that converts the new Speakon configuration to the old. Bag End said this is possible and provided explanation on how to route power to the correct pins.

D) "Option B", but use the Butterfly connection instead of a quarter inch

My options with the S15-C are essentially A, B and D above. Or, I could simply run a quarter inch cable between the speakers to daisy chain them.

OK, clear as mud? With regard to options, I am curious of opinions for the options above.

1) Is there enough tangible difference in sound or power quality to justify paying to upgrade to all Speakon?

2) Is there enough tangible difference in "ability to sell" these cabs to justify get these to use all Speakon? I'm just not sure how expected it is to have Speakon in all cabs today.

Again, I'm thrilled with Bag End's responsiveness to my questions, but am just debating what is best here for the short and long term.
 
#4
Any qualified technician should be able to handle a change from their old 2+/2- standard (which is still a standard in the pro audio world for mid-high cabinets intended to be biamped with subs) to the current 1+/1- standard for full range and MI cabinets.

IIRC they used PC mount connectors which require a little bit of work, but it's not difficult for a tech.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Plain Old Barry, ddnidd1, BassmanPaul and 2 others
#5
I use a Speakon to quarter inch cable to one cab, then daisy chain the other with a standard quarter inch cable. Were I playing out, I would consider adding Speakon plugins to both just for safety. My cats have not learned to unplug cabinets... yet.

=wr=
 
#9
On my Bag Ends, which are different size S15s, I left the original banana post and 1/4 inch plate in place and ordered the newer Speakon plate for both my cabs. The newer plates are mounted in routed holes and the rat fur restored. Expensive, but this workaround works and looks good. Since I installed the Speakons, I just wired them +1/-1 in parallel with the old plate. My amps have banana outputs, but I may be changing them soon, too.
 
#10
I vote "C"...that is if I'm understanding things correctly. Use a conventional Speakon <> Speakon cable and re-configure the enclosure end to +2, -2 (...if it's 4 conductor. If not, they're ~$5). Takes 15" and doesn't cost anything. You will need a Pozi-tipped driver, though. Is this what Bag End recommended?

Riis
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6Bass101
#11
Personally I'd go with option "A" for both cabs. It's safer, makes for a cleaner setup (I dislike having to use adapters and other gadgets that can get misplaced), and gives you more options (each cab can then be used independently with modern amps). It's not a huge investment if you plan to keep the cabs for a while. You also have to consider that adapters, special cables and other connectivity items are not free either...some are surprisingly expensive for what they are.

Also, if you ever want to sell the cabs, it would be much easier if they have standard speakon and/or 1/4'' connectors. 1/4'' being seemingly on the way out, I'd still switch both cabs to speakon - I don't think it would deter buyers, and again it makes for a cleaner, simpler setup for you in the meantime.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PhatBottomBass1 and Chauffer
#12
Zooberwerx said:
I vote "C"...that is if I'm understanding things correctly. Use a conventional Speakon <> Speakon cable and re-configure the enclosure end to +2, -2 (...if it's 4 conductor. If not, they're ~$5). Takes 15" and doesn't cost anything. You will need a Pozi-tipped driver, though. Is this what Bag End recommended?

Riis
Click to expand...

This is exactly what Bag End said:

"Or you could make yourself a custom speaker cable. This would have a standard 1-pins connector on one end that would go to your amp. On the cab end, you would have to have a 4 conductor speak-on connector (NL4) connected to the number 2 pins. This option would be the cheaper way to go."
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6Bass101, jchrisk1 and Frank77
#13
This is a fascinating thread. I have a similar, but not quite the same, question about Speakon connectors as it pertains to my Ampeg PF800 amp. I don't like when people hijack my topic-specific threads, so I won't do it here. Still, I'm learning a few things from this thread.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chauffer
#14
One thing to remember about the "C" (black carpet) cabs is that the jack plate is smaller than the replacements that BagEnd sells at the moment. Some of the early "D" (red carpet) cabs also used the smaller jack plate.

I have a few of the black carpet cabs and I make my own cables with speakon at the amp and bananas at the cab. If you buy quality bananas, they fit very nice and "tight". I get mine from partsexpress.

I also have the early 2000 version S15XD that uses the "2" posts in the speakon. I currently use the bananas on that as well. If I were to use a speakon, I would buy a colored 4 pole and wire it up to the 2+/2- and I would recommend a color other than red so as to not confuse it with "bridge" cables.

Early smaller jack plate...
earlyjackplate.jpg

Larger jackplate.....
largerjackplate.jpg

The back of this plate....
largerplateback.jpg


And this is what Bag End sells as a replacement......
newplate.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: wave rider and Road Hat
#15
I'm 99% sure that when I bought the Speakon plates for my Bag End cabs a few years ago that they were easy enough to rewire by simply removing the connectors and putting them where I wanted them to be so they were standard...

Have you tried opening your cab up and looking at the plate?
 
#16
agedhorse said:
Any qualified technician should be able to handle a change from their old 2+/2- standard (which is still a standard in the pro audio world for mid-high cabinets intended to be biamped with subs) to the current 1+/1- standard for full range and MI cabinets.

IIRC they used PC mount connectors which require a little bit of work, but it's not difficult for a tech.
Click to expand...

I rewired my Bag End S15X-D to the 1+/1- standard.

Very simple to do and if you own a soldering iron the change costs nothing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jchrisk1
#19
agedhorse said:
Note that the skill level will depend on how the original jacks were installed.
Click to expand...

agedhorse - Note that the amp I literally bought less than 10 minutes ago is the Mesa Boogie Subway D-800. I noticed your signature, so now you know what I am connecting to the Bags. :)

THANKS ALL for the great responses. I am not very technical when it comes to amps and speakers, so this thread has been very informative to me. I have to go through everything again and decide which way to go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Frank77

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back