1/4 inches can get yanked out/bent in the jacks, they dont stand up to abuse well. Also speakons lock in place and handle large sums of power better. Sadly my cab has but one 1/4 inch jack.
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Speakon Vs. 1/4" Pros & Cons
- Thread starter namuxtree
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Monster does have a better design....[pause].............
Designed to separate the consumer from lots of cash!!!
Agedhorse did.
Trying another angle, the larger the gauge # the smaller the conductor's diameter. The smaller the diameter the greater the resistance to electric flow.
very true. i used to use planet waves cables (even larger 1/4 input).... my basses now have new input jacks and i have new cables.
either a cable transmits a signal cleanly and clearly, or it doesn't. durability, flexibilty, etc are another issue.
I thought it was 500 watts then change over to speakon because of what is quoted here it's 300 watts and duly noted. Thanks for the advice and yes Peavey ROCKS !!!! USA Cirrus basses are the best in the world bar NONE !!! We take on all comers and blow them away PERIOD !!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge
Gauge is not that important for short, <5 foot head to cab cables.
14AWG is more than fat enough. Any thinner just doesn't save enough money to make sense.
While I agree that speakons are better, there is one con to them that makes me prefer 1/4.They are superior in every regard to phone jacks. Get used to them - everyone will have to eventually!
Paul
P.S. There are no Cons for speakons!
When you are at the gig, it is often easier to just pull out the 1/4 from the jack rather than slide the connector up and twist the speakon to get it out.
Minor?
Yes, but it does make 1/4s a tiny bit more convenient.
- Feb 27, 2005
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- Full disclosure, I'm a certified Fender technician working in a music store that carries Fender, Yamaha, and Ibanez products among others.
The flip side of that is while I'm inserting a speakon during setup, I don't run the risk of accidentally trying to drive my speaker cab off of the head's line out or FX loop because I couldn't see which 1/4" I was groping for on the dimly lit stage. That's why I use speakon whenever possible.
Another thing I haven't seen mentioned yet...at no time with a speakon do you run the risk of shorting the amp's output to ground while plugging it in. A speakon's - terminal doesn't go anywhere near it's +.
Oh, yeah, another plus--no soldering required with a Neutrik Speakon. Strip the wires, tighten the terminal screws, and you're connected.
+1000
My bass rig speaker cables are all 10 feet or less. I use 14 or 16 gauge; as you say it's more than enough.
Pros of 1/4'' vs cons of Speak-On :
- price
- availability
- easy of connection & disconnection
- popularity / widespread use
- easier to store in many gigbags, etc that have pockets with no depth.
- no confusion between 2-way and 4-way +/- connectors
It's a real pain to have to now carry so many different speaker cables just in case you run into one type of connection or the other on various amps & cabs you may encounter. That's another con, since there'd be no need for this if Speak-Ons hadn't come along.
That isn't me saying Speak-Ons have no benefits or advantages depending on one's needs & preferences, it's justa bit of balance. Absolute statements such as 'better in every way' are as short-sighted and unhelpful as Monster's claims are obvious frauds.
- price
- availability
- easy of connection & disconnection
- popularity / widespread use
- easier to store in many gigbags, etc that have pockets with no depth.
- no confusion between 2-way and 4-way +/- connectors
It's a real pain to have to now carry so many different speaker cables just in case you run into one type of connection or the other on various amps & cabs you may encounter. That's another con, since there'd be no need for this if Speak-Ons hadn't come along.
That isn't me saying Speak-Ons have no benefits or advantages depending on one's needs & preferences, it's justa bit of balance. Absolute statements such as 'better in every way' are as short-sighted and unhelpful as Monster's claims are obvious frauds.
- price- Meh, the difference just isn't that big.
- availability - Every place I shop for quality connectors carries them.
- easy of connection & disconnection - really??? I never noticed. If you have the dexterity to play bass, you have plenty of dexterity for Speakons.
- popularity / widespread use - PA amps have all come with Speakons for 20 years. I don't use other peoples gear. I've long since added Speakons to any of my gear that didn't come with them.
- easier to store in many gigbags, etc that have pockets with no depth. - Never been an issue for me, but OK
- no confusion between 2-way and 4-way +/- connectors - I've never been even a little confused by 2/4 pole Speakons, or 1+, 2+ bridge wiring, for that matter.
If Speakons hadn't come along, there would still be a need for all this, because we'd still need Speakons to come along.
They're bulky, they're tricky, they cost a whole extra fiver, I have to RTM a little.
Chopper says "Harden the *&^% Up."
Do you want early 20th (late 19th?) century technology, intended for low current, or do you want late 20th century technology designed for high current?
IMO, where there is a choice, Speakon is a total no-brainer.
Having said that, my tube heads only do 1/4" and they absolutely crush any of the speakon-equipped amps I've ever had. So it's not like 1/4" can't totally rock the house.
Gauge, I like 12-gauge, even for short runs. One of those rare cases where overkill is perfectly affordable.
Having said that, my tube heads only do 1/4" and they absolutely crush any of the speakon-equipped amps I've ever had. So it's not like 1/4" can't totally rock the house.
Gauge, I like 12-gauge, even for short runs. One of those rare cases where overkill is perfectly affordable.
Rick Auricchio
Registered Bass Offender
Bob Lee (QSC)
In case you missed it, I work for QSC Audio!
- Jul 3, 2001
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- Former Technical Communications Developer, QSC Audio
Its just not speed, but EASE of use.
And hey 50 milliseconds is 50 milliseconds!
But in all seriousness the speakons are certainly designed better and are more robust. If my Carvin BX1500 ever arrives, I'll be bridging it with a speakon. I have been using 1/4 cables with my LMII/UL112s for a couple years now and I have never had a problem.
- Feb 12, 2006
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- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
One absolute statement regarding suitability of Speak-Ons is the international safety requirements. Without the Speak-Ons, many of these amps could not be sold in the E.U. period.
I spoke for myself, you feel free to speak for yourself, but don't tell me how things are for me OK?
I live in a big city yet the last time I found a Speak-On for sale, all I could get was a 10-ft cable from the PA dept. which cost infinitely more than the already paid-for (thus no cost) regular cables I'd been happily using for years. Just the shipping for the cable I had to order online was much more than a fiver, and I prefer to spend my time and fivers on pints of beer.
Need? I only 'need' Speak-Ons because they exist. My life was whole without 'em, without shopping for 'em, and without fiddling with 'em behind my rigs on dark stages. I don't care what PA's use. I use bass rigs, lots of different ones that sometimes aren't mine, so FOR ME the idea that Speak-Ons are completely superior is completely false. Your comfort with the connectors or Genz's desire to sell amps in Europe do not factor into it. As for old technology, I only care what works for me not how old it is. Let me know when you're riding a Segway to gigs at which you play an 11-string fanned-fret with Lightwave 'pickups' and MIDI output.
Again, I'm not denying they have some purposes and advantages in certain situations, or denying that it's an ego boost to have a bigger thicker connector, but FOR ME and many others they're of as much value as your 'harden the #### up' comment, which is to say of no value or purpose at all. The OP asked for some cons, and I provided many. Admittedly some are minor or even of no consequence to some people. Doesn't matter. For me they're a nuisance. I can't stand strap locks either. Live and let die.
I live in a big city yet the last time I found a Speak-On for sale, all I could get was a 10-ft cable from the PA dept. which cost infinitely more than the already paid-for (thus no cost) regular cables I'd been happily using for years. Just the shipping for the cable I had to order online was much more than a fiver, and I prefer to spend my time and fivers on pints of beer.
Need? I only 'need' Speak-Ons because they exist. My life was whole without 'em, without shopping for 'em, and without fiddling with 'em behind my rigs on dark stages. I don't care what PA's use. I use bass rigs, lots of different ones that sometimes aren't mine, so FOR ME the idea that Speak-Ons are completely superior is completely false. Your comfort with the connectors or Genz's desire to sell amps in Europe do not factor into it. As for old technology, I only care what works for me not how old it is. Let me know when you're riding a Segway to gigs at which you play an 11-string fanned-fret with Lightwave 'pickups' and MIDI output.
Again, I'm not denying they have some purposes and advantages in certain situations, or denying that it's an ego boost to have a bigger thicker connector, but FOR ME and many others they're of as much value as your 'harden the #### up' comment, which is to say of no value or purpose at all. The OP asked for some cons, and I provided many. Admittedly some are minor or even of no consequence to some people. Doesn't matter. For me they're a nuisance. I can't stand strap locks either. Live and let die.
- price- Meh, the difference just isn't that big.
- availability - Every place I shop for quality connectors carries them.
- easy of connection & disconnection - really??? I never noticed. If you have the dexterity to play bass, you have plenty of dexterity for Speakons.
- popularity / widespread use - PA amps have all come with Speakons for 20 years. I don't use other peoples gear. I've long since added Speakons to any of my gear that didn't come with them.
- easier to store in many gigbags, etc that have pockets with no depth. - Never been an issue for me, but OK
- no confusion between 2-way and 4-way +/- connectors - I've never been even a little confused by 2/4 pole Speakons, or 1+, 2+ bridge wiring, for that matter.
If Speakons hadn't come along, there would still be a need for all this, because we'd still need Speakons to come along.
They're bulky, they're tricky, they cost a whole extra fiver, I have to RTM a little.
Chopper says "Harden the *&^% Up."
Do you want early 20th (late 19th?) century technology, intended for low current, or do you want late 20th century technology designed for high current?
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