Loose connections on mesa subway cabs

[Twohearted]

Are you turning them all the way clockwise until they click?

Yep,

I will show another video confirming the click. The original cables I am using are Pro Co and the set I bought today are Livewire Elite. I can get every port on both cabinets to do this by either shaking the cables and or with an ever so slight twist after locking the cable.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

I just made up some Speakon cables but didn’t want to use the new brown versions. I had initially heard that the new brown and green ones needed a special Neutrik tool to disassemble, which of course wasn’t cheap. There might be a work around, but I just don’t like the concept. So I was able to source a lot of the old blue NL4-FX connectors while I could still find them at a reasonable price.

Actually it seems as though the new tools have dropped in price since I first looked. The HTLACA is between $35 and $50, while the companion HTLCB runs about $35. Still a lot, IMHO, for something that I could do by hand with the discontinued blue ones.

Kim

You can use an open end wrench...I forget the size. I made up a bunch of cables with the new FXX connectors and used a "grip glove" on the hand holding the connector and the wrench to snug the cap a little snug up is all it needs. I saw some where that someone had 3D printed a set of tools.
The new one are made with the slipping collar so you cant accidentally open them up and get shocked, yea some amps can swing a fairly high output voltage these days, guess I never thought it was a big issue with people going around and opening up Speakons while connected in use and getting shocked!!!!
There also made from a different material that does not burn or burn as easily.

I have a large stash of the previous generation Speakon plugs and jacks for my personal use!!

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Yep,

I will show another video confirming the click. The original cables I am using are Pro Co and the set I bought today are Livewire Elite. I can get every port on both cabinets to do this by either shaking the cables and or with an ever so slight twist after locking the cable.

Open up the connector and post a couple pics of the wiring.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

I headed out today and could not find any blue Neutrik connectors at my local stores. But I still decided to buy 2 new cables to test and unfortunately they have the same results..

After watching that video closer you are not moving the connector much at all! I'm going to say that the issue is between the contacts of the plug and jack being just slightly outside of the spec range. Granted the combo jack is much different inside than a standard NL4MP.
Where are you located?

 

[Chuck M]

I have two of the cables with the brown connectors and 2 SW 115's. I will try the cables in each jack on the cabinets and see if I can make them lose contact. I am tied up tomorrow but will do it Monday morning and post results here.

 

[the bat]

Are your cab inputs working when you use a 1/4" cable?

 

[eniac]

Take a look at the last review on this page. There might be an ever-so-slight hint as to what's going on:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SpeakOn2FXXWS--neutrik-nl2fxx-with-s-speakon-cable-connector/reviews?stars=1

 

[agedhorse]

Take a look at the last review on this page. There might be an ever-so-slight hint as to what's going on:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SpeakOn2FXXWS--neutrik-nl2fxx-with-s-speakon-cable-connector/reviews?stars=1

I think the issue may be related to this, I will be investigating more after the holidays.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Take a look at the last review on this page. There might be an ever-so-slight hint as to what's going on:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SpeakOn2FXXWS--neutrik-nl2fxx-with-s-speakon-cable-connector/reviews?stars=1

The new FXX Speakons are available for two size ranges of cable diameters, the only difference is the opening size in the end cap/boot.

I know there were some new CE specs they had to meet but in their redesign I think they took a step or two backwards!

 

[eniac]

The new FXX Speakons are available for two size ranges of cable diameters, the only difference is the opening size in the end cap/boot.

Right, but that's not what bothered me. What caught my eye was the hardware to secure the cable conductors being nicht so gut compared to the earlier fasteners, according to the reviewer.

However... Twohearted's post about it happening only on the cab side pretty much blows that theory to hell.

I have other possible ideas but I'll shut up for now.

 

[Twohearted]

Are your cab inputs working when you use a 1/4" cable?

I went to the store and purchased some new cables with speaker to 1/4" jacks and they work flawlessly on the cabinet side.

 

[Chuck M]

I intended to try my cables with the Mesa gear yesterday but did not get to it. I just tried the cables with my pair of SW115's and, sure enough the brown Neutrik connectors will fail to make connection if you twist them counter clockwise. It happens on each of the connectors but not on the connectors on my D-800+.

I also tried one of my cables with the blue Neutrik connectors and it maintains the connections even when you twist the connectors.

So I have confirmed that the new brown plugs seem to have a problem maintaining a solid connection with the jacks.

 

[PolkaHero]

I intended to try my cables with the Mesa gear yesterday but did not get to it. I just tried the cables with my pair of SW115's and, sure enough the brown Neutrik connectors will fail to make connection if you twist them counter clockwise. It happens on each of the connectors but not on the connectors on my D-800+.

I also tried one of my cables with the blue Neutrik connectors and it maintains the connections even when you twist the connectors.

So I have confirmed that the new brown plugs seem to have a problem maintaining a solid connection with the jacks.

Yep, the brown plugs don't feel as solid when fully inserted as the blue ones. One of my connectors still has an issue so I'm using a blue Neutrik connector for just that one with no issues.

 

[agedhorse]

I intended to try my cables with the Mesa gear yesterday but did not get to it. I just tried the cables with my pair of SW115's and, sure enough the brown Neutrik connectors will fail to make connection if you twist them counter clockwise. It happens on each of the connectors but not on the connectors on my D-800+.

I also tried one of my cables with the blue Neutrik connectors and it maintains the connections even when you twist the connectors.

So I have confirmed that the new brown plugs seem to have a problem maintaining a solid connection with the jacks.

Yep, the brown plugs don't feel as solid when fully inserted as the blue ones. One of my connectors still has an issue so I'm using a blue Neutrik connector for just that one with no issues.

This is what I am seeing in general, not just with the Subway cabinets but other manufacturers using the combo jacks )but not the standard NL4MP jacks).

The combo jacks are built differently and may be less tolerant than the multi-finger wiping contacts on the non-combo versions.

 

[Chuck M]

I found these at Musician's Friend and ordered a pair to keep with my D-800+. there are still some cables out there that have the older blue Neutrik connectors.

Kirlin Speaker Cable - Speakon - Speakon

Get the guaranteed best price on Speaker Cables like the Kirlin Speaker Cable - Speakon - Speakon at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.

www.musiciansfriend.com

 

[Twohearted]

I found these at Musician's Friend and ordered a pair to keep with my D-800+. there are still some cables out there that have the older blue Neutrik connectors.

Kirlin Speaker Cable - Speakon - Speakon

Get the guaranteed best price on Speaker Cables like the Kirlin Speaker Cable - Speakon - Speakon at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.

www.musiciansfriend.com

I thought the same things about Guitar Center as they have the blue product online but the same product sku now has the brown connectors in store. So it might be one of those things where they aren't going to bother with updating the product image. I am a little over buying all these cables, so if this works out let me know.

 

[Twohearted]

So far we have the following information.

• Brown Neutrik Cables work fine amp side
• Brown Neutrik Cables fail to maintain good connection on Neutrik combo jacks (cabinet side)
• Blue Neutrik cables seem to work fine in the Neutrik combo jacks (cabinet side)
• 1/4 in jacks work fine in the Neutrik combo jacks (cabinet side).

This pretty much points to brown Neutrik connectors being faulty with Neutrik combo jacks. This seems like a support nightmare for cabinet manufacturers. Where does this even go from here? Did we miss any other possibilities?

 

[Chuck M]

I thought the same things about Guitar Center as they have the blue product online but the same product sku now has the brown connectors in store. So it might be one of those things where they aren't going to bother with updating the product image. I am a little over buying all these cables, so if this works out let me know.

I will report back here if the cables have blue or brown plugs. If they have brown, they will be returned! The cables are supposed to arrive December 31st.

 

[Pep]

Just to add to that, I have Greenboy cabs and I believe they are the standard panel mount Neutrik SpeakOn jacks, not the combos. The brown connectors work great with them.

 

[eniac]

I just sent my SW sales rep a pointer to this topic.