Warning! Do Not Buy Cheap Speakon Cables

[DJ Bebop]

Just noticed Neutrik has discontinued the NL2FX2 2 pole connectors ($4.29 @ Sweetwater).
View attachment 5438472

Now they have the NL2FXX-W-S for $8.35
Anyone tried these? What is special about them ? Are the insides the same?

View attachment 5438471

Great, something new (and more expensive) to replace something that didn’t have any issues.

Are these the ones that also take a special tool (sold separately) that is needed to open them?

 

[ardgedee]

Just noticed Neutrik has discontinued the NL2FX2 2 pole connectors ($4.29 @ Sweetwater).
View attachment 5438472

Now they have the NL2FXX-W-S for $8.35
Anyone tried these? What is special about them ? Are the insides the same?

View attachment 5438471

I saw a complaint in another forum that Neutrik is doing the same thing with their XLR connectors: changing the housing and doubling the price.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Let me just say don't buy your connectors from Sweetwater, everywhere else there about $5 for legit Speakons.

I've tried a few of the new FXX Speakcons and no special tool is needed to open them and they changed the Pozidrive screws to allen screws.
All told they are not so bad.

Now their new chassis mount connectors I feel are a step backwards in a few ways, their new "heavy duty" version you can break the tabs off very easy, the old version they would hardly bend and their rated now at a lower amperage rating.

The XLR's changed for the better some time ago but did not double in price.

 

[agedhorse]

Neutrik changed the material to comply with new safety ratings.

 

[Jim C]

Neutrik changed the material to comply with new safety ratings.

I can only assume this would be due to heat.
Would this have any real safety advantage to an 800 watt amp?

 

[agedhorse]

I can only assume this would be due to heat.
Would this have any real safety advantage to an 800 watt amp?

It has to do with flame spread near a PIS due to the size of the opening that the jacks fill in a panel.

 

[Jim C]

It has to do with flame spread near a PIS due to the size of the opening that the jacks fill in a panel.

Thanks!
Have no idea exactly what this means though.

 

[agedhorse]

Thanks!
Have no idea exactly what this means though.

PIS is a potential ignition source, the goal of flame spread control is the prevention of arcing induced flames spreading through openings in the "fire enclosure" (chassis). When the opening is beyond a limited size, the materials within the opening become the flame spread control mechanism.

 

[keyboardguy]

Are these the ones that also take a special tool (sold separately) that is needed to open them?

Here's a link to download a PDF for assembly instructions:
There is a tool they sell but it 'looks' like a crescent wrench would work. BUT the big thing changed is you need a "TORX T8" screwdriver head.
No more Pozidriv #1

NL2FXX-W-S

 

[DJ Bebop]

Here's a link to download a PDF for assembly instructions:
There is a tool they sell but it 'looks' like a crescent wrench would work. BUT the big thing changed is you need a "TORX T8" screwdriver head.
No more Pozidriv #1

NL2FXX-W-S

Yup, that’s the ones

Thanks!

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Attached are some pics of a NL4FXX, yes they are Torx, don't know why I said Allen earlier. They now come in two cable entrance size ranges, so you need to know the cable outside diameter your going to use.

Don't need anything special to assemble them, the special tools would be handy if your putting together dozens of them on a daily basis. They also make an assembly grip for the XX series xlr connectors, I looked into those but for $80 I can wear a rubber grip glove cheaper on long days of making up snakes and cables.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Neutrik changed the material to comply with new safety ratings.

I could see the changing the material but not the mating connectors. I've disected a couple of the new ones and feel the contact surfaces are not as robust, the "heavy duty" version really falls short.

 

[agedhorse]

I could see the changing the material but not the mating connectors. I've disected a couple of the new ones and feel the contact surfaces are not as robust, the "heavy duty" version really falls short.

I don't know why they changed the cable mount plugs, it may be for manufacturing consistency or contamination prevention in the injection molding machines.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

I don't know why they changed the cable mount plugs, it may be for manufacturing consistency or contamination prevention in the injection molding machines.

I was talking about the contact surfaces and terminals on the chassis connectors.

 

[agedhorse]

I was talking about the contact surfaces and terminals on the chassis connectors.

I haven't seen the new chassis connectors, are they now different terminals?

 

[Mike Caldwell]

I haven't seen the new chassis connectors, are they now different terminals?

The terminals are the same size but the metal seems softer, the heavy duty version has a 1/4 inch wide terminal that was very solid on the now older verison, the new version the terminal is made from a folding the contact material double and the pass through area into the connector is less than a 1/8 wide. That terminal can bend a break off very easy, the old style not so much.
Attached are a few pics.

 

[agedhorse]

I'm only familiar with the left hand side of the three you show together.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

I'm only familiar with the left hand side of the three you show together.

I should have explained my pictures a little!
In the three connector bodies picture the left one was a standard MP series with the "wiping fingers". The middle one is the new standard series, the right hand side is the new heavy duty model, I don't have that many original heavy duty version left or I would have cut one open for comparison, you can see how easy the tabs bend.....and break off on the new heavy duty version.
Of the outer shells the thinner one is the new version.

 

[J Wilson]

There's NO way I'm buying bulk cable and connectors and making DIY cables of any kind, I'm not that guy.

So:

I'm going to buy only GENUINE Speakon cables for the many obvious reasons detailed in this thread.

So when I start to look around to buy some, WHAT DO I DO to satisfy myself that I've actually bought the Real Thing ?

 

[E2942]

It's not the cables that's a SpeakON, it's the connectors.
knock-offs will be worth much less than you paid, when they wreck your day or week