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Speakon connector came apart... <resolved>

EdwardofHuncote

EdwardofHuncote

I Still Dream of Jeannie
Aug 21, 2013
6,654
2
16,425
Disclosures
I privately own and operate a local musical instument repair shop.
#1
...as I was rolling up speaker cables after a gig last weekend. I tried taking the other one apart for a clue how to put it back, but it came loose too, before I could tell.

These are just regular 50 foot speakon-to-1/4" speaker cables I use, going from my power-amp to a (PA) speaker cabinet... two wires, red and white. Looks like they should go right back together, but I'm uncertain which pole to connect the wires to.

The more I Googled for answers, the more confused I have become... and Jeannie just isn't good with electronic stuff... she's a warm, sweet, pretty girl, but it's hard to tell what might happen if she gets involved. :nailbiting:

So, here's what I got :

20171022_124528.jpg


20171022_124626.jpg


Any advice appreciated, but I'm hoping for the experienced kind. :D

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
EdwardofHuncote said:
...as I was rolling up speaker cables after a gig last weekend. I tried taking the other one apart for a clue how to put it back, but it came loose too, before I could tell.

These are just regular 50 foot speakon-to-1/4" speaker cables I use, going from my power-amp to a (PA) speaker cabinet... two wires, red and white. Looks like they should go right back together, but I'm uncertain which pole to connect the wires to.

The more I Googled for answers, the more confused I have become... and Jeannie just isn't good with electronic stuff... !she's a warm, sweet, pretty girl, but it's hard to tell what might happen if she gets involved. :nailbiting:

So, here's what I got :

View attachment 2790248

View attachment 2790249

Any advice appreciated, but I'm hoping for the experienced kind. :D

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I suggest going to the Neutrik website. (I believe that's what I did, but I don't fully remember!) If, tho', you trust what I laughingly call my memory, I'd put the ground wire in the hole just to the right of the lock (using the picture above as a reference) and the hot wire in the hole just to the left. :vomit::vomit::vomit::vomit::vomit:


I'm such a liar. I just looked at the Neutrik site, and I'm dead wrong. See this:
icon_pdf.gif

Invalid Link Removed

My apologies.

Haroldo
 
Last edited:
#5
1. The connector seems to be a cheapo, and I suggest that is why it broke. Proper Speakons (note: trademarked and patented by Neutrik, thus, only manufactured legally by them) take massive beating before giving in.

2. Most Speakons wired for 2 poles go on 1+ and 1- legs, some bi-amped cabs use all 4 poles. Check your cab and/or it's manual. A wrong connection could destroy your amp.

3. Buy a proper connector to replace the broken one.
 
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#6
kalle74 said:
1. The connector seems to be a cheapo, and I suggest that is why it broke. Proper Speakons (note: trademarked and patented by Neutrik, thus, only manufactured legally by them) take massive beating before giving in.

2. Most Speakons wired for 2 poles go on 1+ and 1- legs, some bi-amped cabs use all 4 poles. Check your cab and/or it's manual. A wrong connection could destroy your amp.

3. Buy a proper connector to replace the broken one.
Click to expand...

Thanks @kalle74,

Correct, this is not a Neutrik brand connector, which I'm sure is of superior quality. That said, it isn't broken - the housing just unscrewed while I was rolling it up, allowing the wires to disengage from their terminals.

The other end of this cable (which goes to the speaker) is a male 1/4" mono plug. These speakers are set up for bi-amped inputs, but I don't use them - only the parallel inputs.

So it sounds like I should connect the red and white wires to 1+ and 1-... which one to which?

Thanks again. :thumbsup:
 
#7
EdwardofHuncote said:
Thanks @kalle74,

Correct, this is not a Neutrik brand connector, which I'm sure is of superior quality. That said, it isn't broken - the housing just unscrewed while I was rolling it up, allowing the wires to disengage from their terminals.

The other end of this cable (which goes to the speaker) is a male 1/4" mono plug. These speakers are set up for bi-amped inputs, but I don't use them - only the parallel inputs.

So it sounds like I should connect the red and white wires to 1+ and 1-... which one to which?

Thanks again. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Since the connector does not say which is which (like Neutriks do), you would be best to undo your other cable and see how red and white are connected on the other one. You might get lucky (although there might be no standard on cheaper cables). In a worst case scenario your cab will be out-of-phase.

Mono plug (or any plug, for that matter) cannot do bi-amp, because bi-amp requires four leads on the cable.
 
#9
kalle74 said:
Since the connector does not say which is which (like Neutriks do), you would be best to undo your other cable and see how red and white are connected on the other one. You might get lucky (although there might be no standard on cheaper cables). In a worst case scenario your cab will be out-of-phase.

Mono plug (or any plug, for that matter) cannot do bi-amp, because bi-amp requires four leads on the cable.
Click to expand...

Yessir, tried that. Same thing happened as with the original, so now I have two speaker wires without connectors on one end. I'm thinking they just weren't that tight to begin with.

And yeah, like I said - I don't use the bi-amp inputs on my speakers, only the parallel ones. They just came thataway is all...

I'll ask around... somebody local probably knows how to put them back and test them. Thanks anyway.
 
#15
ultra60 said:
Let me also state that the white wire in mine is wired to the tip of the 1/4" ,and the black would be the sleeve. That actually sounds different than what DevinWard369 stated... +/-. You'll probably have to look at the 1/4 connector also, to make sure the polarity is correct.
Click to expand...

Good advice also. Everyone colors them differently so double check indeed, give the other end a quick unscrew.
 
#18
Spidey2112 said:
THIS is all I got out of your post...
Click to expand...

...and she is, Spidey. :smug: Just not helpful in this particular matter.

So I was just talking to a buddy of mine who does pro-audio... I'm thinking about just swapping these connectors out for 1/4" male plugs, and just use adapters on the amplifier outputs.

Problem; solved.
 
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