Apologies, if covered elsewhere, I've looked through various posts & I'm still not sure...I don't really understand the electrical side of things...I've recently purchased a used Genz Benz streamliner 600 & 2x focus 200 cabs, the speakon cables that came with it don't have genuine Neutrik connectors & one seems faulty. So I've bought replacements - but they have arrived & have NL2 connectors, rather the NL4 style ones my 'fake' ones have. The amp has 2 NL4 jacks & I understand that NL2 connectors should fit fine, is it still fine for connecting the two cabs to the amp? The manual states +1/-1 but I really don't understand it very well...I just don't want to damage anything as it sounds awesome! Also I'm finding NL4 leads harder to get, I'm in the UK.
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Speakon Cables for Genz Benz Amp & Cabs
- Thread starter bbeBass
- Start date
yeah, nl2 or nl4 doesn't matter. they're fine for two cabs as well
+1/-1 literally stands that only the first pair of wires is used (first one in nl4, only one in nl2)
+1/-1 literally stands that only the first pair of wires is used (first one in nl4, only one in nl2)
- Feb 12, 2006
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- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
This isn’t actually correct, or only partly correct.
Yes, NL2 has 2 contacts and NL4 has 4 contacts, but NL2 plugs (on cables) will work with NL4 jacks (on amps/speakers) but the opposite is not true. NL4 plugs will NOT work with NL2 jacks. They are keyed differently and won’t fit. A few brands and models have used NL2 jacks, so this incompatibility comes up sometimes.
All Genz Benz amps and cabinets use NL4 jacks, so either NL2 or NL4 plugs will work fine. Of course genuine Neutrik plugs are always recommended due to the problems with knock-off plugs.
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in the context of OP's question it's 100% correct: he may use NL4 or NL2 plugs with his amps and cabs.
taken out of context, yeah, I know, it's not universally true. explaining all the background (including NL4 'cross' cables, uhm, what's the correct name?) would be more lengthy and could confuse him even more, that's why I kept my answer short: yes, he can use NL2 plugs, for his amps and cabs it doesn't matter whether the plug is NL2 or NL4 (as long as it's not a 'cross' NL4 cable to be strict, but again, he wasn't asking about this).
anyway, thanks for chiming in!
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- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,034
- 5
- 220,923
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
The issue comes up enough that the clarification of the difference between the NL2 and NL4 connectors is imo important and relevant.
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If anyone has a good tutorial about Netrik and why there are differences between NL2 and NL4 and why and what those details mean for amps and cabs...
It's hard to put together the full information set from responses.
In my research, the number of connectors is different and in the cable designation. NL2 is 2 connectors, while NL4 is 4 connectors.
WHY you could need a cable depends on the design of the amp and cabinet. I've seen NL4 is most commonly used in "bi-amp" equipment. That configuration seems to be less common now (there seemed to be a phase about a decade ago), but there even is NL8 cables. Bi-Amp equipment is usually explicitly stated because of this compatibility requirement.
I would bet that if you'd know if you're buying bi-amp equipment, and thus the requirement for NL4 cables.
NL2 vs NL4 vs NL8 [Neutrik SpeakON Speaker Cable Connectors] – Audio University
audiouniversityonline.com
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,034
- 5
- 220,923
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
NL4 is pretty much the industry standard for SpeakOn jacks, even the 2 conductor combo jacks (Speak-On and 1/4") are keyed using the NL4 jack format.
NL4 will work with either the NL2 or NL4 plugs, but NL2 jack will ONLY work with NL2 plugs.
Since NL4 was much more common early on, and quickly adopted by the pro audio industry as universal regardless of the number on conductors used, other applications such as bass amps/cabinets adopted this already accepted pro audio standard. Pro audio ships only want to stock one cable connector type, especially when dealing with hundreds of cables. NL2 is handy when you want to EXCLUDE specific wiring options, say for wiring of 70V speaker lines.
There have been a few bass amp/cabinet manufacturers that have tried using NL2 jacks and they were completely shut down by their own customers because they couldn't use the more common NL4 type cables. I believe they have all reverted back to NL4 jacks.
NL4 will work with either the NL2 or NL4 plugs, but NL2 jack will ONLY work with NL2 plugs.
Since NL4 was much more common early on, and quickly adopted by the pro audio industry as universal regardless of the number on conductors used, other applications such as bass amps/cabinets adopted this already accepted pro audio standard. Pro audio ships only want to stock one cable connector type, especially when dealing with hundreds of cables. NL2 is handy when you want to EXCLUDE specific wiring options, say for wiring of 70V speaker lines.
There have been a few bass amp/cabinet manufacturers that have tried using NL2 jacks and they were completely shut down by their own customers because they couldn't use the more common NL4 type cables. I believe they have all reverted back to NL4 jacks.
Hey good question. Same problem on my Markbass cabs. One of my bandmates is a tech - so I got that one answered. Bought REAL neutrix with just +1/_1 and the old ones (NL4) only use those terminals. So the swap was easy-peasy and works gr8.
