Loose connections on mesa subway cabs

[Mike Caldwell]

One vendor who still uses the original NL4FC plugs is Audiopile.

Wonder how many they have in stock?

 

[bullgoose76]

The combo jacks on all my mesa cabs do not like either the new green or brown neutrik connectors (exactly same as Twohearted video top of page 6)the ampeg cabs which aren’t combo jacks work perfect with either, the company I bought the 6 cables/connectors off have offered to swap them out for the old style blue ones, which work fine. So if you have mesa cabs and want to use speakon connectors stick with the old genuine neutrik blues.

 

[agedhorse]

The combo jacks on all my mesa cabs do not like either the new green or brown neutrik connectors (exactly same as Twohearted video top of page 6)the ampeg cabs which aren’t combo jacks work perfect with either, the company I bought the 6 cables/connectors off have offered to swap them out for the old style blue ones, which work fine. So if you have mesa cabs and want to use speakon connectors stick with the old genuine neutrik blues.

Thank you for this information. This helps narrow it down to the new connector series with combo jacks specifically.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

Andy. What does Neutrik have to say about the issue being discussed here?

 

[agedhorse]

Andy. What does Neutrik have to say about the issue being discussed here?

Nothing yet, still gathering data (like the green collar are also problematic).

I am going to be doing some heavy duty forensics on some combo jacks and plugs to try to identify the actual internal cause... that way I kind of know the answer before asking the questions.

 

[TomB]

I apologize if I missed this, but which Subway cabs are equipped with combo jacks?

 

[agedhorse]

I apologize if I missed this, but which Subway cabs are equipped with combo jacks?

All Subway cabinets, none of the amps.

Other manufacturers are having the same issue as well, there was a thread about Eich recently.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

Nothing yet, still gathering data (like the green collar are also problematic).

I am going to be doing some heavy duty forensics on some combo jacks and plugs to try to identify the actual internal cause... that way I kind of know the answer before asking the questions.

Very good. I know that Mesa will do the required work to make sure that you have the data before you start asking parts supplier questions. I retired a long time ago, but I do miss doing this kind of investigation. Collect data first, but I don't miss making the "charts, and graphs" of suppliers, and our own quality to do this kind of work. At one time, when I worked for a company making very high-tech robotic semiconductor device QA inspection and sorting, equipment using laser interferometry and optical processes for companies like Intel and such, one part of my job equated to being asked why defects in our equipment or our suppliers products occurred and to improve our processes to make sure it never happens again. W Edwards Demming laid the foundation for this stuff a long time ago.

 

[TomB]

All Subway cabinets, none of the amps.

Other manufacturers are having the same issue as well, there was a thread about Eich recently.

Yeah I’ve followed this thread so I knew it was in no way specific to Mesa. Dave from RevSound checked in just recently to confirm the problem is the same at his end. I’m not sure how often he uses combo jacks.

 

[ole Jason]

Are the brown jacks intermittent for you guys or not working at all? They are currently working with my Subway 115's. Kind of a bummer, I just bought these cables and they weren't cheap.

 

[Chuck M]

Are the brown jacks intermittent for you guys or not working at all? They are currently working with my Subway 115's. Kind of a bummer, I just bought these cables and they weren't cheap.

They work intermittently for me with my Subway 115's. I found some cables online with the blue Neutrik connectors and have not used the brown connector cables since then. Surely Neutrik must have been made aware of this situation and will correct it. However, those of us that bought rather expensive cables with the brown connectors may be left holding the bag.

 

[Pep]

They work intermittently for me with my Subway 115's. I found some cables online with the blue Neutrik connectors and have not used the brown connector cables since then. Surely Neutrik must have been made aware of this situation and will correct it. However, those of us that bought rather expensive cables with the brown connectors may be left holding the bag.

To me it sounds like Neutrik didn’t “completely” check function & compatibility of the new brown, and green, SpeakOn connectors with the “combo” jacks. This shouldn’t cost musical equipment manufacturers, cable companies, and end users anything at all.
This is a big one that Neutrik needs to eat completely. I’m sure that they’ve received emails and phone calls about the problem, and they just received one from me asking about how they plan to address the problem for those of us whom have cables utilizing the new connectors”questionable” connectors.

 

[LetItGrowTone]

In this video, here, @Jasper Mortier spends about one minute talking about the troubles he had with Neutriks.
I think he says that the *new* combo jacks work with the *new* plugs (brown) perfectly. He shows photos.

And evidently (from *this* thread) the old combo jacks don't work with the new plugs. He said that Neutrik said that the old and new are compatible, but "they aren't".

 

[Mike Caldwell]

In this video, here, @Jasper Mortier spends about one minute talking about the troubles he had with Neutriks.
I think he says that the *new* combo jacks work with the *new* plugs (brown) perfectly. He shows photos.

And evidently (from *this* thread) the old combo jacks don't work with the new plugs. He said that Neutrik said that the old and new are compatible, but "they aren't".

In my bench test, the video link is posted further up this thread, I could get intermittent connections with a new combo connector and the brown plug. I had ordered a couple of the old style green connectors to test, even though they showed to be in stock turns out they were not!

 

[lug]

Are the brown jacks intermittent for you guys or not working at all? They are currently working with my Subway 115's. Kind of a bummer, I just bought these cables and they weren't cheap.

My own experience is with brown connectors going from Peavey MiniMax (combo plug) to 2 TC RS2X12 cabs (non combo plug). So far haven't had any issues and have been running this setup for an average of 2 gigs a week for around 6 months.

 

[agedhorse]

My own experience is with brown connectors going from Peavey MiniMax (combo plug) to 2 TC RS2X12 cabs (non combo plug). So far haven't had any issues and have been running this setup for an average of 2 gigs a week for around 6 months.

Haven’t seen any issues with the non-combo jacks.

 

[Spector2112]

This thread got me curious.
(I am NOT having any connection issues)
Here are my woefully unscientific results.
1) Ashdown RM-800-EVO II with green Combo jacks.

2) Revsound RS48V with black NON-combo jack.

3) Neutrik Blue "SPEAKON NL2FX LEICHTENSTEIN" with 1/4" on the other end. (This is for a GK RB400 I have)

4) Neutrik Brown "speakON NL2FXX-W-S R163" with printed QR code.

The amp jacks have very little wiggle at all with both blue and brown. They feel good.

The cab jack has quite a bit more wiggle with both blue and brown, but the brown one is a touch looser feeling, and has a bit more of an audible click when hitting the farthest counterclockwise rotation, (in person), although both blue and brown exhibit this clicking.

Again, I am NOT having dropout issues, my curiosity simply got me off the couch.

 

[agedhorse]

I did have a conversation with a cable manufacturer yesterday and they have seen almost exactly the same thing that we and others have. More data is coming in.

 

[Balog]

So are only the brown connectors bad, or are the green sus as well?

 

[agedhorse]

So are only the brown connectors bad, or are the green sus as well?

Apparently both brown and green.