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What are the advantages to using speakon versus typical speaker cable?

#22
Kahrmine said:
I had no idea that high wattage bass heads could give you a shock in that way. I'm glad I made this thread.
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The "could" is probably a 1% chance. I've never been shocked, and regularly use a 1/4" cable with heads at 500 watts and over.

As stated ad nauseum, speakon cables "lock" for a more secure connection.
 
#25
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#27
In case you happen to like wiggling your speaker cables around you before they go into the amp and cab, it lessen the risk of you pulling them out of either, also at the same time, in such a case, increase then risk of pulling your amp head on the floor, making amp repair men happy.

So really using speakon cables is a win/win situation for all parts involved, and a must have for everyone who loves to wrap them self in speaker cables :thumbsup:
 
#29
Kahrmine said:
That's an awesome deal.
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It pays to shop around online for things such as this. I'm using some similar cheap cables I bought on Amazon a while back. I'm happy with them. Never had an issue, but at that price you can afford a spare just in case.

Beware of the marketing hype on cables. While true that some are built better than others, beyond a certain price point you are just paying for somebody's imagination. Mogami makes a quality cable, for sure. But is it worth 100 dollars more than the other? ...Well, I'm sure the guy who owns one will say yes. After all, he'd feel pretty foolish to say otherwise after he shelled out that much. But I'm betting he's the only one at his gig that would ever know the difference or care.
 
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#30
Nev375 said:
Reminds me of some dates I've had. The expensive ones won't ever shut up most of the time.

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I advise you guys strongly to read the reviews on these cables because a cheap cable that doesn't work properly is no deal at all. These are not Neutrik ends, they are knock-offs and I have seen plenty of customers blaming the amp when in fact it's the cable that is the problem. Plenty of issues of the same nature with these, and some knockoffs will destroy the mating connector too which results in an expensive repair!!!
 
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#32
agedhorse said:
I advise you guys strongly to read the reviews on these cables because a cheap cable that doesn't work properly is no deal at all. These are not Neutrik ends, they are knock-offs and I have seen plenty of customers blaming the amp when in fact it's the cable that is the problem. Plenty of issues of the same nature with these, and some knockoffs will destroy the mating connector too which results in an expensive repair!!!
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I won't argue with that. Always read the reviews for both the product AND the store selling to you online.
 
#33
My view is that no mainstream engineer would choose phone plugs for speaker connections today. I suspect that when it became apparent that amps with phone jacks would no longer meet with regulatory approval, Neutrik was in the right place at the right time to grab the market.
 
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#34
Do not buy knock-off SpeakONs, because they will fail. I had my own problem with a faulty knock-off & I thought it was a problem with my amp.
If you want a cheap speaker cable with SpeakON ends, just buy 14 awg wire with a service jacket (SJOOW) & put real Neutrik ends on it. It is not expensive to do & will save the hassles of having a faulty knock-off.

Southwire (By-the-Foot) 14-2 SJOOW 300-Volt Black Stranded CU Cord-55812199 - The Home Depot

51c58b4d-056b-4506-bfa8-99c3de80c2fa_1000.jpg
 
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#35
agedhorse said:
I advise you guys strongly to read the reviews on these cables because a cheap cable that doesn't work properly is no deal at all. These are not Neutrik ends, they are knock-offs and I have seen plenty of customers blaming the amp when in fact it's the cable that is the problem. Plenty of issues of the same nature with these, and some knockoffs will destroy the mating connector too which results in an expensive repair!!!
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This.
You can buy Neutriks for about $5. each and if you insist on Mogami cable, 2 conductor 12 ga. is less than 3 bucks/ft. at Redco. Redco's own brand 12 ga. is less than $0.70/ft and works just as well. All you need is a screwdriver & cable stripper.
 
#36
12 awg is going to be tough to fit into the connector
and 14 awg is already overkill

14 awg can handle 18 amps of current
If you really wanted to max out the amount of power you can send through it at 4 Ohms

P = E x I
or
P = I (squared) x R

P = 18 (squared) x 4

P = 324 x 4 = 1,296 watts

where P = Power (Watts)
I = current (Amps)
R = Resistance (Ohms)

So, a pair of 14 awg wires can handle almost 1,300 watts at 4 Ohms, and twice as much at 8 Ohms
 
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#37
Kahrmine said:
I had no idea that high wattage bass heads could give you a shock in that way. I'm glad I made this thread.
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Honestly, you have to be pretty careless to get shocked, as the amp has to be on and you have to touch the barrel while plugging it in or unplugging it. But I've heard of it happening more than once to people who should know better. From what I understand it's a pretty mild shock, but still not fun.

And agreed about using genuine Neutrik.
 
#38
fdeck said:
My view is that no mainstream engineer would choose phone plugs for speaker connections today. I suspect that when it became apparent that amps with phone jacks would no longer meet with regulatory approval, Neutrik was in the right place at the right time to grab the market.
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You can still get a lot of amps made today without speakons as long as they don't go over 500w. May be a bean counter decision and not an engineering one, though. Personally, I'm glad of it after having struggled with getting a speakon on and off more than once.
 

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