We went from coaching to educational tours and everything was entrusted to five of our friends by Sir. One time the box broke and I was able to fix it by watching your videos and everyone thanked me.
thank you so much brod bruno for this tutorial... actually, i bought 2 speakon connectors some few months back for my karaoke speakers but i stop installing them when i got a headache determining which terminals to use (the plus 1's or 2's or the minus 1's or 2's)... your tutorial answered it all and so i can now install my speakons confidently without worrying about wrong connections... thanx again, brod bruno...
Great info. I'm going to add this - never tin a wire that is going to be gripped by a screw. It will tighten nicely at first, but over time the soft solder will creep and the connection will loosen. It probably won't go completely open circuit, but it will go high resistance. This will allow corrosion to start, and the performance of the cable will continue to deteriorate.
I will be making these cables for the first time. I am assigned to make them . Your video cleared all doubts and gave enough idea about SpeakOn connector and how to use them. I hope I'll do it right way. I have all the tools needed except Lockon. but thats Ok I guess. I'll post in few days how it went. thanks for the video.
Thank you so very much Sir! Your instruction was 2nd to None. I was in a panic, one of my speaker cables didn't work, so i took the other one apart to see the wiring and it fell apart. Tomorrow is Saturday and i don't have time to drive 40 minutes to a Music store or the money to purchase 2 new cables. But thanks to your outstanding tutorial i fixed both cables myself, and i'm ready for Sunday...God bless you. PASTOR BRUNDIDGE
Question please , i have passive speaker and a external power amplifier. They connect with naked wire ,positive (red) Negatice (black) wire. Can i make this wire u did to upgrade my cable or is this just for mic lines
The cable and connectors that you see in the video are for connecting loudspeakers only - there is no shielding on the cable so don't use it for microphone lines! To answer your question, there is probably not much of a difference in sound quality between this cable and the ones you are already using, unless there is a big discrepancy in the wire gauge size.
Thank you!!! Edit- Had a 50' cable given to me but I only needed about 3 feet. After watching your instructional and completing the modification; The weight difference after is so significant my own back made me come here and thank you, again.
Thanks for this. I rewired a Speakon, it didn't work, I had no idea there were the +1/-1 and +2/-2 connections (I assumed the two positives were the same. After watching your video, I got out the magnifying glass, and sure enough, I had them in the wrong ports. Much appreciated.
Great video, I am trying to wire a four pole speak on. My colors are red black white and blue. How should I wire it? Thank you for the informative video
Thanks for watching Alfredo. The wiring on 4-pole speakon connectors is specific to their use case - consult the loudspeaker and/or amplifier manufacturer for specific instructions.
Bruno you safe me with your video. This past friday 3-20-19 i was doing a church event and all my 4 speakers was setup and someone put one of them at little big to the front and broke one of the cable. But thank to you I fixed back.
Thanks a lot for this video. I had just to look up the right terminals but your tutorial was very thorough and informative. Damn good work. And yes, always get the real deal. I can't tell you the pain you have, when someone cheaped out on those connectors. As I worked as a roadie, we aquired a used sound system for a extremly good price. We knew some of the connectors were wonky but were forced to use it, before we could check it rigorously. That gig was a nightmare as speakers went dead, the amps shut down into protection mode and so on. At any time we had only two thirds of it running. The next week we were all busy to test all cables, exhange every connector and jack of every speaker. They really cheaped out on those and had even replicas in use, which let us believe in the first place it's only some wonky jacks and connectors and not the complete system. The wiring in those speakers can only be described as "the spaghetti incident". Which was to some degree our fault, as we ripped in our need those faulty jacks out, snipped the connector and connected the bare wires directly to the cables in the box with luster terminals. It was a 1:1 what you should never with a sound system.
You're welcome Cid, and thanks for the story - do you recall what make/model of system it was? Sounds like one of those older component system with separate low, mid and high speakers.
@@GLBProductions Most of the amps were crowns if I remember correctly which were weighing a ton. The active splitters were something from Omnitronic. All the speaker cabinets were self build, which looked roadworn but sounded really nice. The bass horns were insanely effective but huge and a pain to carry. They used some Eminence speakers. The selfbuild line array worked damn well and was loaded with some Monacor speakers. There were some high fills and kick basses too, but I have no idea what was inside of those. The components for themself were not that bad. On the mixing desk they cheaped out again and used something from Behringer but it still did the job.
Is there any specific way to wire them for a subwoofer, I will be using a crown xls 1502 in bridged mode, do I need to wire the cable in a different way rather than shown in the video. Help will be appreciated.
It depends on the subwoofer and will be detailed in the owner's manual and usually printed on the connector plate. Most subs use +1/-1 but definitely check your make and model to be sure. Crown amps typically use +1/+2 on the channel 1 output connector for bridge mode, but once again check your owner's manual to be sure - it will tell you the specific cable configuration that you need.
@@GLBProductions I apologize, i forgot to mention that I am building my own subwoofer. Should I still use +1/-1 for the subwoofer? And what about the wiring for the Neutrix terminal? Thank you for replying.
I just bought some JBL speakers that require the speakon connections and finding the cables can be a challenge or even good information sources explaining which cables to use. Your video has been the best yet at explaining the process. so i need the cable to go from the speaker to the mixer. will this wire set up work the same way?
You can't connect the loudspeaker directly to the mixer, unless it is a powered mixer with speakon outputs; you need to connect the mixer to amplifier first 🙂
There is a very good reason for that: XLR connectors are not designed for use as speaker connectors and cannot handle the current required for high power applications. Many years ago they were used as speaker connectors by some companies but not today.
One thing I like to do is paint the copper with Deoxit conditioner and work it into the area where the copper enters the jacket before clamping. This helps seal the jacket from air, inhibiting the formation of oxides between the copper strands. I find it just helps extend the cables service life as even OFC develops oxides over time and that increase impedance so gradually that the drop in sound quality goes unnoticed. In a fixed installation, these connections are often inaccessible and never checked or serviced. Which just leads to auditoriums with really poor clarity and muffled bass. It's quite possibly the most common problem I come across. That and inadequate cable gauge which is really the same impedance issue at the core of it. If I'm dealing with vintage gear that the owner wants to maintain as original, say a 5 way binding post etc, then I platt the cable strands into a spade, pin or other appropriate connector and solder it to keep it's shape. Use heat shrink to colour code and stiffen joint between jacket and wire. This minimises mechanical flex and continuity problems through connectors that you can get with crimps spades, pins, bananas etc. Yes, I work on HiFi as well as PA. Yeah, flashy gold connectors are just useless bling that only serves to increase the number of mechanical connections where problems can develop IMO. However, SpeakONs are so worth it for the convenience and other advantages you mentioned in the video. They are the only connector I'd recommend upgrading too.
Assuming the components are of equal quality it should be cheaper to buy them separately as you are providing your own time and labour to assemble them.
When are you required to use a 4 wire connection cable? Does the type of loudspeaker matters on this subject weather you use 2 wire cable or 4 wire cable?
A 4-wire cable would be used when all four terminals are connected at both ends of the cable - typically this would be when connecting a biamplified loudspeaker to a compatible amplifier output, using +1/-1 for the LF and +2/-2 for the HF. So yes the type of loudspeaker is very important.
@ 15:06 you mentioned that it has a racheting system that prevents the end-cap from backing off. But, if you want to disassemble it, how do you unscrew it and take off the end cap?
Yes you can - it doesn't have to be 12-gauge either, the connector will accept a very wide range of wire sizes due to the design of the clamping mechanism.
Does blue represent yellow? I just bought new SignalCable Speakon for a pair of RELs. I was expecting a red yellow and black wire but I received a red blue and black.
Thanks, very helpful. I have 2 questions. 1) For outdoor speakers is there a SpeakON connector that is waterproof (eg., filled with silicon) and 2) how to you connect that plug to a speaker? My speakers have standard binding posts. Do I just attach a short run of cable to the binding post and then put the female Neutrik on the other end?
You're welcome Karl! 1) Yes the Neutrik STX series of connectors are weatherproof to IP54 in mated condition. 2) These connectors are only for speakers with the corresponding speakon chassis connectors. If your speaker has binding posts just use those with banana plugs, spade lugs or even bare wire.
Could I use speakon 4 pin connectors between my dac and amp / speakers with 3 pins populated (hot, cold, shield / ground) to have run a balanced setup? (I am building my own dac and amplifier).
I would use XLR connectors instead - speakon is designed for speaker-level connections and relatively heavy gauge wire. It's also an unshielded connector.
I have a concern about the speakon connector..and this is it. As you know, the speakon connector has 4 (or more) pins (+1..-1.... +2.-2). If I start from +1-1.. and +2-2.. with 2 connections to 2 passive speakers of 8 ohms, these are converted to 4 ohms.. or remain at the impedance of 8 ohms
Hello Florin, the pins are independent, so if you connect one speaker on +1/-1 and a second one on +2/-2 they do not interact with one another. Just bear in mind that the standard wiring for fullrange speakers is +1/-1 so any deviation from this can introduce wiring errors into your system.
Hi ! First of all I would like to thank you so much for uploading this video. I went to electronics parts market. Got to see some variants of this connectors. Price would also vary drastically. I chose MX brand available here, rather then Nutrik as you have used. I saw that also. But there was price difference of over the times and as this was my first time with this connectors I choose MX. Almost similar but I know Nutrik is much better. Next time I'll use that only. I got lot of information about connectors through video. Now about making connections, your video made it so simple that it was like piece of cake. I could make it very easily. +1 -1 pair was used. I made two 50 meters cables. Wire used was not that you have shown but my purpose was served very well. This has helped me setting up our door audio system, cascading four speakers. I have attached lugs also in parallel to these connectors so that I can connect it to my amplifier also. Once again I thank you from bottom of my heart. May The God be always with you, helping you.
In future I strongly suggest you use only Neutrik brand connectors. The others are much cheaper but their quality is also MUCH worse! Remember that you can be dealing with quite high voltages here - not a place to skimp on quality.
Where can I get the little screws that clamp the wire down inside the connector. I ordered nL4 screw and I recieved a bag of mounting screws. Anyone know?
I've never seen the screws sold separately - you may need to recycle an old set. Or just replace the entire connector - I consider them wear items, just like the cable itself.
Can I let one side without the speakon connector if I don't have the speakon port on the amplifier and let only the speakon connector at the other end to go to the speaker?
Hi Bruno, I have noticed XLR cables are wired in two ways, one is the standard two wires to pin 3 and 4 and the shroud braiding goes to pin 1. The other is when an XLR cable has a separate silver bare wire in it and it is first soldered to pin one then it continues on to be soldered onto the metal tongue that extends from the housing. To me this looks like they are grounding that silver wire. Why would there be two different methods of wiring methods? Maybe this is why my cable tested illuminates the red LED light when the wire is soldered to both the lin and that metal tongue.
Yes the second method you describe referred to as a grounded shield - the idea is that the shell of the XLR connector is tied to the shielding in the cable (the silver wire you mention) which in theory will ground the casing of the equipment that it is connected to. The objective of this is to connect the audio and electrical grounds together to ensure they are both the same. In practice this is not really necessary, although some people swear by it. Both methods are fine :)
Hi. I'm preparing some speakon cables for a "bridged" output. If memory serves me correctly, referencing another one of you videos, I do recall you saying a bridge output uses +2 and -2 connections. Is this correct, if yes then which ones are they?
It depends on the pins that are used by your power amplifier and loudspeaker - you need to check the user manuals for both devices. In some cases this information will be on a sticker on the back of the speaker as well.
Hi, thanks for making this video! 2 questions... I want to make 10 AWG NL4 cables for a subwoofer, who makes the best cable? I know you mentioned Klotz, is Mogami or Canare ok or any other brands you recommend? Second question, with 4 cables, which color goes to which terminal? I know you said red is hot and goes to +1, blue to -1, what about the other two colors and terminals? Thanks in advance!
Honestly there is no 'best' speaker cable - any of the name brand cables will be fine. Klotz and Canare are the most common in my part of the world for professional applications. With 4-wire setups you need to see if the loudspeaker manufacturer has any specific instructions for wiring - if they do not you can use any color scheme you like as long as you are consistent.
Thanks for instructions well presented .will the speakon 2 pole connection be sufficient for 4 speakers in situ fixed on a wall as it is all new to me ,and i wondered if i would have to change to a 4 pin fixing for this venue thanks.
It depends on many things to be honest with you, but a simple installation with four fullrange speakers daisy-chained together will generally only use two pole connections. Consult a qualified installation specialist if you are not sure!
hi, my Ruark Vita 120 sub has this Neutrik cable with 2 wires Red/ black at other end but how do i connect these bare wires to my Yamaha AV amp ?....thx
Bare wires are designed to be connected to 5-way binding posts, but you need to find out if your AV receiver has a separate subwoofer amplifier built in.
@@GLBProductions hi, thank you for your reply....i have a yamaha RX-V640 av amp....at the back is a subwoofer pre out a single RCA.....but can't see 5 way binding posts but not sure
Hi Dino, on that amp the binding posts are the big red and black knobs in the 'speakers' section where it says class 2 wiring. This amp does NOT have an onboard subwoofer output, so you'll need to get another amp for your existing sub.
Bro...if we switch to power amplifier in bridge mode.... On speakon will engage 2+ for (positive ) and 2- for (com/ nagative) on the speakon connecter 4 pole?? Model: Peavey CS 3000 / CS 1400...
It depends on the amp - some have a dedicated speakon output for bridge mode, others use pins 1+/2+ on channel A speakon. Check your owner's manual or the printing on the back of the amp.
Thanks for the heads up, description has been updated. Link to connector is here: amzn.to/3eY1QPX Speaker cable being used is Klotz, but any name-brand cable of good quality can be used.
Can a 4-wire cable be used to wire 2 woofers together in parallel so each woofer has it's own set of wires going back to the same amplifier channel? In other words 1+ and 1- wires to one woofer and 2+ and 2- wires to the other woofer?
@@GLBProductions The woofers are in a folded dipole enclosure and it would just be easier and more tidy to provide each driver it's own dedicated connection back to the amplifier.
Oh ok - sure you can use the connector in that manner but be aware that this is a non-standard wiring scheme, so be sure to label all connectors and cabling clearly.
currently my band uses 16 ga wire 3(wire) xlr and 1/4" connectors for our 2 subs and 2 top speakers and our two stage monitors...would we get better sound with 12gauge (two wire) cable with a combo of 1/4" and speakon connections?
All other things being equal heavier gauge wire will give you better sound. Whether or not the upgrade is worth the extra weight and cost is another matter 😉 In the above example the 1/4" connector is the weak link.
one question. you mentioned rubber jacketing, would the pvc version be ok if the wire is stapled to a wall never touching the floor? And also, will the strain relief hold just as tight on the pvc jacket? The reason I ask is my speakers will be hung on my wall and I dont want black wire snakeing up to them because of cosmetic look in room.
thank you for video as today i bought 2 speaker cables which untill i got home reliesed shop gave me wrong ones for my 2xmax210 170.670 pa speakers 500 rms(w) max 1000(w) which only have 2 jack sockets and push clip speaker termals.its only amp VONYX VXA-2000 that have 3 speakon connections.the cables they gave me are NL2-NL2 1.5MM2 which is no good for speaker end.if i take 1 NL2 connector off and wire to speaker how would i do that iver using 2 jack sockets on back of speaker or the clip speaker termal connection
You need to connect the positive output terminal of the amp to the positive input terminal of the speaker and ditto for the negative. So +1 on the speakon connector should go to the red terminal on the speaker and -1 should go to the black terminal.
On the other side of the cable so basically the red is positive and the blue is negative if it's the amplifier doesn't have the same connection correct...?
Bi-wiring is primarily a hi-fi technique - this connector is used mainly for pro-audio applications. As such you will rarely find bi-wire compatible speakers and amplifiers with these connectors. Note that bi-wiring is NOT the same as bi-amplification, which these connectors are perfect for.
@@GLBProductions hello again friend & thank you for quick response. Let me explain:I run the cerwin vega xls 15 with the yamaha px5 power amp. Can I use a 4 wire cable (4x2.5mm) I have ,to bi wire the speakers? I am thinking to use the two red wires to 1+ & the two whites to 1- to the speakon connector & the two reds & two whites to the four speaker terminals with banana plugs. Am I right? Thank you in advance Vaggelis.
Yes you could do that, but you might have difficulty fitting two wires into the speakon terminals as they are designed for only one. Better to use the binding posts in my opinion.
Yeah the big issue with banana plugs is that they can be inserted in two directions so polarity reversal issues were very common in older systems. The exposed contacts were also vulnerable to damage if they got stepped on. Otherwise they're good connectors - lots of contact area and relatively difficult to pull out. Much better than guitar jacks!
You're absolutely correct. Now that you mention it they were color-coded (red/black- both dark LOL) and there is nothing to stop someone from flipping them over in a dark club, etc. - disaster. Before the banana plugs we just tinned the ends of all the speaker cables and stuck them in the screw terminals! There's a recipe for phase-reversal problems de-luxe LOL. BTW - I wanted to chime in on "tinning" the ends of conductors. What we've found (over 40+ yrs of dealing with cables - I'm old....) - it does keep the stray strands together - but there's a very bad downside - it also creates a weak point right at the base of the "tin" and the conductor will fail right there - shearing off inside the jack and often just inside the insulation (where you can't see it) and wreaking all manner of havoc. What's worse ... they don't fail all at once - it happens over time (with the speaker vibration itself contributing) and it's intermittent... your cable goes from 12 ga. to 18 ga. to 32 ga... and eventually down to 1-2 strands still intact - enough so you can NOT find the offending cable with a simple continuity check at the show - it'll show up as A-OK with the load from a 9-volt battery ... but nowhere near enough conductor left to carry the signal current from a 1000 watt amp. This can cause amps to overheat...speakers to self-destruct.. etc. This is far worse situation than a bare conductor just pulling out of the jack. So what we do now is strip the wire longer than needed - tin the usual 1/2" or so... then trim it again so there is maybe 1/8" or less of "tinned" end down in the jack. That puts the "tin ball" *ahead of* the set screw inside the jack - it eliminates 'strays' without creating the shear point. Try it! Start doing it this way and (combined with your loc-tite... a VERY good tip BTW) - you'll seldom if ever have to fool with a plug once you build it. It's all about making everything as fail-safe and bulletproof as you humanly can - and the smallest details (like the Loc-Tite or the tinned end) are the difference between a real Pro and an amateur.
Great advice, thanks very much for your contribution! What a lot of people don't realise is that even though there is a stress relief which clamps to the cable jacket it is still possible for the internal strands to move independently as the cable flexes, causing the issues you describe above. And yes I agree that the best possible build quality is the way to go with cables - a little bit of extra time and effort will give you a cable that lasts hundreds of shows rather than a couple dozen ;)
Connect a standard speakon cable from the unused speakon connector on the first loudspeaker to either speakon connector on the second loudspeaker. Done.
If I have 2 speakers, each at 8 ohms and each with two conductors, could I wire them up to a 4 conductor Speakon jack to get a parallel connection at 4 ohms? Basically just connecting the positive and negative leads of each speaker to +1/-1 and +2/-2 lugs on the jack, respectively? Thanks
No that won't work because there is no connection between the two pairs of conductors - your signal from the first speaker would not reach the second one. The correct way to do this is to daisy chain the speakers, so amp -> first speaker and then output of first speaker -> input of second speaker. All cables are wired the same way, resultant load on the amp is 4 ohms.
Hi! Is it possible to solder one neutrik connector to a 6.3 mm jack? I bought a preamp to run my multieffects guitar processor through a guitar cab, but I'm forced to use these two different connectors :(
Hi, I noticed that when connecting to a Stereo Amplifier the Speakon Connector has 3 cables, 2 positives and 1 negative. How do you wire these inside the connector..?
All genuine Neutrik speakon connectors will have the numbers embossed next to the terminals - I recommend you use these. If the numbers are not present you will have to look up the position of the terminals online, which can lead to wiring errors.
My box is 4 spekers & 1600watt rms power (each of 400w & connect in parallel) at 2 ohm.So what is actual wire gauge needed for 30 ft run at 2ohms impedance load? Plz reply it's an important........
Thanks a lot sir for your very clear instruction I've got new knowledge about the wiring of speakon connector, and I will do my wiring in my new buy sounds to using speakon speaker outlet, thank you.
Great Tutorial 👌👍 i was working on my speaker connectors too: 1 speaker cuts down in sound sometimes: the reason: i didnot use loctite on the screws in the past (when I was 12 years old or so🙈) My advice: do not solder the cable ends: i did that too in the past and because of high power that is running through the speakon and the terminals soldering can cause burn speakon terminals: the cables can come loose too like this greetings from the Netherlands
Thank you too, for your reply, My tip to everyone: if you have thinner cabling ( I think 1.5mm² or thinner) Step 1: strip the wires, Step 2: twist the cores together and fold the stripped end back (you're doing it right if you fold it onto the insulation of the single wire) Step 3: See if you can insert this into the connection terminal: with the stripped cores away from the screw Step 4: l screw the wire onto the insulation This way you get a strong connection that, together with the loctite on the screws, ensures that it does not (quickly) come loose.
Sorry for the much writing but before I forget: for thicker cabling (from 1.5 mm² or thicker or so I guess): Is it necessary to use those sleeves for around the cable-cores (unfortunately i don't know the exact name,but you know what I mean, i guess?): those can be pinched with special pliers: the best is one that clicks: because it tightens on torque. With thicker cables you're getting the following problem with the "fold-on-insulation" method: the whole "package" (of insulation and stripped cores) becomes too thick to fit into the connection terminal: I used 2x 2.5mm² wire; the double folding method did NOT work, for this reason you will need thinner cabling, you will find out exactly how thin by trying the tips I hope this is useful for everyone, i think it is important and helpful for everyone to share their tips and problems and that we're not laughing at about posts like that, because their always a learn moment for everyone Greetings from the Netherlands
i have a working man 15 in combo that the head blew so im changing the mini plug to neutrix hardware. what do the combo wires mean? the wires are black, green and white however, the connector has the 1- 1+ and the 2- and 2+ how do i connect 3 wires with a 2 connector, should i use a 4 cable connecter and minus the fourth connection? Thanks!!
That's an interesting one - three wires of that colour is typically an AC power cable. Are you sure you're working on the cable that goes to the loudspeaker?
yes, its almost a 1/4 in but no cigar. it was on the actual speaker and plugged into the amp. ive asked and researched and people either know or dont know but cannot help me. i was sold the hardware at guitar center and the guy who sold it to me said i would find anything about it on the world wide web. NOT jaha anyway, an electrician said that the colors were as follow, Green = ground Black = positive White = negative needless to say, Im stumped Ive tried different combos on the wiring but I dont want to blow up my new amp head and dont want to continue spending more money if i cant get it to work. I believe that SWR uses a proprietary plug system and wiring and is the reason I cannot make it work. Some knucklehead that specializes in bass amps said he would help me for the low, low price of $380.00 and, he cannot use my hardware, he has to use his because, now get this, I have "inferior foreign junk" that he cannot warranty his work with. Thanks for reading and trying to help, i just dont want to throw it away it cost me $600.00 back in 94.
Sounds like a puzzle! The next step is to try and contact SWR - they are a shadow of what they used to be but it's worth a try. Failing that you'll need to dismantle the cabinet and see how the wires are routed to the speakers and/or internal crossover.
Thank you!! i will and have done the majority of the foot work and I really appreciate the information and tips you have given me. Its great to have people like ur self giving us "FREE" information. Thanks again!!
Can these connectors be taken apart in the event a wire comes loose? thanks for the info. After working in/ hobby of RF, for the past 30 years, I am now getting into the AF end of things. again thank you. 73
Yes you can take them apart - use a wrench on the flats at the back of the boot to back it off. It will damage the ratchet mechanism somewhat but typically you can still re-use the connector.
@@GLBProductions thanks for the info.at this point I am still not wanting to use them. I feel that if one of these connectors in pluged into a speaker or an amp. I would rather have some one pull the plug out of the speaker or amp, than have them fall/ trip from stumbling on the cord., or even have the equipment fall and get damaged. .
I just wired cables for my bass amp with Neutrik SpeakON Connectors. Thank you to Bruno for your incredibly thorough tutorial. I especially appreciated all of the fine details you provided. One helpful tool I purchased is a wire stripper made in Germany (Stahlwille 12967). It makes stripping the outer jacker on cables 4-28 mm in diameter a snap, and is adjustable so the inner conductors are not damaged. It is by far the best wire stripper I have used. No more frustration of nicking the inner conductors. The first cut is made along the axis of the cable, then the hooked end is used to cut the outer jacker away. Make sure to point the hooked end away from the conductors while advancing it circumferentially, cutting just under the outer jacket. In the U.S. it is available at K.C. Tool (kctool.com). They also sell #1 pozidrive screwdrivers. The set I purchased is made by Felo. For the inner conductors, I used standard wire strippers by Klein Tools. Thanks again for the helpful advice!
Sir, how to connect the output of one 1- mixer to 24-power amplifiers without compromising or degrading the audio signal coming out from Mixer. Any way, thank very much for sharing your knowledge, your the best teacher...!
Sadly I bought a 4-pack of 90 º connectors from amazon with 4-terminals but NONE of the terminals are labeled which sucks because I don't know which to connect the wires !
I suggest you return those and order the genuine Neutrik connectors - they make a right angled version which you may still be able to find in stock: www.neutrik.com/en/product/nl4frx
@@GLBProductions Hi Thanks - after a small eyeball measurement I realized that the 90º connectors I bought only saved 1/4" of distance. Not worth the effort. I believe it's a product that really doesn't even need to be in the marketplace !
If you're going to build your own sub I strongly recommend getting a set of speaker plans (which will also specify the correct drivers, crossover and wiring to use) and following it exactly - building speakers is a surprisingly exact science and you don't want to be figuring things out as you go.
The questions is can you fit a 10 gauge wire in there or even after you put a wire ferull and crimp it can you help me please I want 10 gauge wire for the speakers
@@GLBProductions so your saying the regular one meant for 12 gauge will still fit 10 gauge wire ? I know it’s. It rated for it I wondering will it still fit
Hey I purchased an 8pin for 4 full range 8 ohm speakers and 4 8ohm tweeters. I wanted to wire them at 2 ohms tweeters and speakers separately. Should I have bought the 4 pin instead? Let me know I'd greatly appreciate it.
Hi Bruno, You have been such a big help in the past your my go to guy now. I have a PYLE pct-40 cable tester and all the XLR cables that are not made by Cable Matters never illuminate the red ground LED indicator which I believe is correct but all the Cable Matters cables do illuminate the red ground LED. Can it be that all the Cable Matters cables have a fault in the wiring or is there some other explanation? Thank you, chris
@@GLBProductions how about two wire speakon to xlr would the connections be (speakon pin 1+ to xlr pin 2?) and speakon pin 1- to xlr pin 1? and leave pin 3 xlr unconnected?
![NL2 vs NL4 vs NL8 [Neutrik SpeakON Speaker Cable Connectors]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oPtJetBt1DI/mqdefault.jpg)
6 years later your video is still helping the sound reinforcement community. And for that I say, Thank You!
You're welcome Mark, thanks for watching :)
yes it just help me now, very nice job.Thank You
Even after 7 years your videos is still making impact. Thank you for sharing....
You're welcome Hastings, thanks for watching!
@@GLBProductions Why no more new videos,Sir?
We went from coaching to educational tours and everything was entrusted to five of our friends by Sir. One time the box broke and I was able to fix it by watching your videos and everyone thanked me.
Glad the videos have been helpful :)
thank you so much brod bruno for this tutorial... actually, i bought 2 speakon connectors some few months back for my karaoke speakers but i stop installing them when i got a headache determining which terminals to use (the plus 1's or 2's or the minus 1's or 2's)... your tutorial answered it all and so i can now install my speakons confidently without worrying about wrong connections... thanx again, brod bruno...
dude, this video looks a bit weird but I like it! you make me understand what your talkin about
Great info. I'm going to add this - never tin a wire that is going to be gripped by a screw. It will tighten nicely at first, but over time the soft solder will creep and the connection will loosen. It probably won't go completely open circuit, but it will go high resistance. This will allow corrosion to start, and the performance of the cable will continue to deteriorate.
was wondering about that
I will be making these cables for the first time. I am assigned to make them . Your video cleared all doubts and gave enough idea about SpeakOn connector and how to use them. I hope I'll do it right way. I have all the tools needed except Lockon. but thats Ok I guess. I'll post in few days how it went.
thanks for the video.
Thank you so very much Sir! Your instruction was 2nd to None. I was in a panic, one of my speaker cables didn't work, so i took the other one apart to see the wiring and it fell apart. Tomorrow is Saturday and i don't have time to drive 40 minutes to a Music store or the money to purchase 2 new cables. But thanks to your outstanding tutorial i fixed both cables myself, and i'm ready for Sunday...God bless you. PASTOR BRUNDIDGE
That's great news! Glad to hear that things are all fixed and hope your service tomorrow goes smoothly :)
Thank you. Your calm voice makes it easier to follow.
Thanks Hrvoje!
Question please , i have passive speaker and a external power amplifier. They connect with naked wire ,positive (red) Negatice (black) wire. Can i make this wire u did to upgrade my cable or is this just for mic lines
The cable and connectors that you see in the video are for connecting loudspeakers only - there is no shielding on the cable so don't use it for microphone lines!
To answer your question, there is probably not much of a difference in sound quality between this cable and the ones you are already using, unless there is a big discrepancy in the wire gauge size.
Thank you!!!
Edit- Had a 50' cable given to me but I only needed about 3 feet. After watching your instructional and completing the modification; The weight difference after is so significant my own back made me come here and thank you, again.
You're welcome :)
You are THE BEST in explaining so pleasant to listen too, for a slow learning for me. Thanks
You're most welcome, I'm a slow learner too :)
Bruno can teach me anything and I’ll understand.
Thanks Tyson.
Thanks for this. I rewired a Speakon, it didn't work, I had no idea there were the +1/-1 and +2/-2 connections (I assumed the two positives were the same. After watching your video, I got out the magnifying glass, and sure enough, I had them in the wrong ports. Much appreciated.
Yup, if you look on the packaging the different terminals are clearly labelled but this doesn't help if you are repairing an existing connector.
Great video, I am trying to wire a four pole speak on. My colors are red black white and blue. How should I wire it? Thank you for the informative video
Thanks for watching Alfredo. The wiring on 4-pole speakon connectors is specific to their use case - consult the loudspeaker and/or amplifier manufacturer for specific instructions.
Bruno you safe me with your video. This past friday 3-20-19 i was doing a church event and all my 4 speakers was setup and someone put one of them at little big to the front and broke one of the cable. But thank to you I fixed back.
Great to hear that! Always important to know how to make these quick repairs to our gear...
Thanks a lot for this video. I had just to look up the right terminals but your tutorial was very thorough and informative. Damn good work. And yes, always get the real deal. I can't tell you the pain you have, when someone cheaped out on those connectors. As I worked as a roadie, we aquired a used sound system for a extremly good price. We knew some of the connectors were wonky but were forced to use it, before we could check it rigorously. That gig was a nightmare as speakers went dead, the amps shut down into protection mode and so on. At any time we had only two thirds of it running. The next week we were all busy to test all cables, exhange every connector and jack of every speaker. They really cheaped out on those and had even replicas in use, which let us believe in the first place it's only some wonky jacks and connectors and not the complete system. The wiring in those speakers can only be described as "the spaghetti incident". Which was to some degree our fault, as we ripped in our need those faulty jacks out, snipped the connector and connected the bare wires directly to the cables in the box with luster terminals. It was a 1:1 what you should never with a sound system.
You're welcome Cid, and thanks for the story - do you recall what make/model of system it was? Sounds like one of those older component system with separate low, mid and high speakers.
@@GLBProductions Most of the amps were crowns if I remember correctly which were weighing a ton. The active splitters were something from Omnitronic. All the speaker cabinets were self build, which looked roadworn but sounded really nice. The bass horns were insanely effective but huge and a pain to carry. They used some Eminence speakers. The selfbuild line array worked damn well and was loaded with some Monacor speakers. There were some high fills and kick basses too, but I have no idea what was inside of those. The components for themself were not that bad. On the mixing desk they cheaped out again and used something from Behringer but it still did the job.
>
Is there any specific way to wire them for a subwoofer, I will be using a crown xls 1502 in bridged mode, do I need to wire the cable in a different way rather than shown in the video. Help will be appreciated.
It depends on the subwoofer and will be detailed in the owner's manual and usually printed on the connector plate. Most subs use +1/-1 but definitely check your make and model to be sure.
Crown amps typically use +1/+2 on the channel 1 output connector for bridge mode, but once again check your owner's manual to be sure - it will tell you the specific cable configuration that you need.
@@GLBProductions I apologize, i forgot to mention that I am building my own subwoofer. Should I still use +1/-1 for the subwoofer? And what about the wiring for the Neutrix terminal? Thank you for replying.
Yes it's a good idea to stick with the industry standard.
I just bought some JBL speakers that require the speakon connections and finding the cables can be a challenge or even good information sources explaining which cables to use. Your video has been the best yet at explaining the process. so i need the cable to go from the speaker to the mixer. will this wire set up work the same way?
You can't connect the loudspeaker directly to the mixer, unless it is a powered mixer with speakon outputs; you need to connect the mixer to amplifier first 🙂
Hi Bruno I want to take off a xlr and convert to speakon can you advise me the procedure or maybe make a video as no one has actually made one 👍
There is a very good reason for that: XLR connectors are not designed for use as speaker connectors and cannot handle the current required for high power applications. Many years ago they were used as speaker connectors by some companies but not today.
Can I use the same wiring method for bridge and stereo and parallel mode on the amp 11:14
That depends on the amplifier - the wiring configuration will be stated on the back panel.
One thing I like to do is paint the copper with Deoxit conditioner and work it into the area where the copper enters the jacket before clamping. This helps seal the jacket from air, inhibiting the formation of oxides between the copper strands. I find it just helps extend the cables service life as even OFC develops oxides over time and that increase impedance so gradually that the drop in sound quality goes unnoticed. In a fixed installation, these connections are often inaccessible and never checked or serviced. Which just leads to auditoriums with really poor clarity and muffled bass. It's quite possibly the most common problem I come across. That and inadequate cable gauge which is really the same impedance issue at the core of it.
If I'm dealing with vintage gear that the owner wants to maintain as original, say a 5 way binding post etc, then I platt the cable strands into a spade, pin or other appropriate connector and solder it to keep it's shape. Use heat shrink to colour code and stiffen joint between jacket and wire. This minimises mechanical flex and continuity problems through connectors that you can get with crimps spades, pins, bananas etc. Yes, I work on HiFi as well as PA. Yeah, flashy gold connectors are just useless bling that only serves to increase the number of mechanical connections where problems can develop IMO. However, SpeakONs are so worth it for the convenience and other advantages you mentioned in the video. They are the only connector I'd recommend upgrading too.
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Is it cheaper to buy the cables and connector separately as appose to buying the cable already for use?
Assuming the components are of equal quality it should be cheaper to buy them separately as you are providing your own time and labour to assemble them.
When are you required to use a 4 wire connection cable? Does the type of loudspeaker matters on this subject weather you use 2 wire cable or 4 wire cable?
A 4-wire cable would be used when all four terminals are connected at both ends of the cable - typically this would be when connecting a biamplified loudspeaker to a compatible amplifier output, using +1/-1 for the LF and +2/-2 for the HF. So yes the type of loudspeaker is very important.
very nice teaching with good English and not in a rush, in fact you are great, Thanks so much
You're most welcome :)
Seriously one of the best instructional videos ive ever seen. Thank you
You're welcome, thanks for watching :)
@@GLBProductions Where do you source the 4 conductor cable?
Any link available to the cable used in this tutorial? Very helpful.. thanks!
No, this cable is not currently available on Amazon. However any quality loudspeaker cable can be used with these connectors. Thanks for watching!
can you plese reccomend a good loudspeaker wire to use with these. I'm looking for a 4 conductor wire. hopefully 12 or 14 gauge.
In practice I have found that any quality loudspeaker cable works fine - I tend to use Klotz, Belden or Canare.
@@GLBProductions is that good for car audio? I'm using it for chuchero boxes.
Yes they will work for that application.
@ 15:06 you mentioned that it has a racheting system that prevents the end-cap from backing off. But, if you want to disassemble it, how do you unscrew it and take off the end cap?
You need to use an adjustable spanner to back it off - it will damage the teeth on the ratchet system but the connector can still be re-used.
Can you use any 12 Gauge - Positive / Negative speaker wire to connect these?
Yes you can - it doesn't have to be 12-gauge either, the connector will accept a very wide range of wire sizes due to the design of the clamping mechanism.
Thankyou for your great channel. In the church setup siund is vital and people like you make youtube so essential.
Thanks for watching!
is there away of connecting them to a mixer, like a adapter or something any help would be appriciated thank you
These are speaker-level connectors only, so they cannot be connected to a mixer's line level outputs.
what is the name of the cable you are using again? I need the 4 conductor 14 awg for my bridged setup.
The brand is Klotz but any name brand cable will do fine.
You're the best....
your teaching videos are always a blessing..thank you Sir and God bless you more
Thank you and God Bless you too!
Does blue represent yellow? I just bought new SignalCable Speakon for a pair of RELs. I was expecting a red yellow and black wire but I received a red blue and black.
The RELs use a proprietary wiring system which is unique to their brand - be sure to check with them on the correct wiring.
Thanks, very helpful. I have 2 questions. 1) For outdoor speakers is there a SpeakON connector that is waterproof (eg., filled with silicon) and 2) how to you connect that plug to a speaker? My speakers have standard binding posts. Do I just attach a short run of cable to the binding post and then put the female Neutrik on the other end?
You're welcome Karl! 1) Yes the Neutrik STX series of connectors are weatherproof to IP54 in mated condition. 2) These connectors are only for speakers with the corresponding speakon chassis connectors. If your speaker has binding posts just use those with banana plugs, spade lugs or even bare wire.
Could I use speakon 4 pin connectors between my dac and amp / speakers with 3 pins populated (hot, cold, shield / ground) to have run a balanced setup? (I am building my own dac and amplifier).
I would use XLR connectors instead - speakon is designed for speaker-level connections and relatively heavy gauge wire. It's also an unshielded connector.
Thanks for such a detailed video. I have learnt so many things about professional audio that i cannot thank you enough.
You're most welcome Sameer!
I have a concern about the speakon connector..and this is it. As you know, the speakon connector has 4 (or more) pins (+1..-1.... +2.-2). If I start from +1-1.. and +2-2.. with 2 connections to 2 passive speakers of 8 ohms, these are converted to 4 ohms.. or remain at the impedance of 8 ohms
Hello Florin, the pins are independent, so if you connect one speaker on +1/-1 and a second one on +2/-2 they do not interact with one another. Just bear in mind that the standard wiring for fullrange speakers is +1/-1 so any deviation from this can introduce wiring errors into your system.
@@GLBProductions thank you very much for your reply..it helps me a lot!
You're welcome :)
Hi ! First of all I would like to thank you so much for uploading this video. I went to electronics parts market. Got to see some variants of this connectors. Price would also vary drastically. I chose MX brand available here, rather then Nutrik as you have used. I saw that also. But there was price difference of over the times and as this was my first time with this connectors I choose MX. Almost similar but I know Nutrik is much better. Next time I'll use that only. I got lot of information about connectors through video.
Now about making connections, your video made it so simple that it was like piece of cake. I could make it very easily. +1 -1 pair was used. I made two 50 meters cables. Wire used was not that you have shown but my purpose was served very well. This has helped me setting up our door audio system, cascading four speakers. I have attached lugs also in parallel to these connectors so that I can connect it to my amplifier also.
Once again I thank you from bottom of my heart. May The God be always with you, helping you.
In future I strongly suggest you use only Neutrik brand connectors. The others are much cheaper but their quality is also MUCH worse! Remember that you can be dealing with quite high voltages here - not a place to skimp on quality.
@@GLBProductions Definately.
Thanks for the great explanation. I have the same, but it looks like my connector is stuk in the sleeve. How the heck do I get it out of the sleeve?
On the newest version of this connector there is no more sleeve - only the body of the connector, strain relief and tail cap. Check carefully.
Singapore. Another place I want to visit. As soon as I stop buying music equipment I'll be on the plane.
Where can I get the little screws that clamp the wire down inside the connector. I ordered nL4 screw and I recieved a bag of mounting screws. Anyone know?
I've never seen the screws sold separately - you may need to recycle an old set. Or just replace the entire connector - I consider them wear items, just like the cable itself.
Can I let one side without the speakon connector if I don't have the speakon port on the amplifier and let only the speakon connector at the other end to go to the speaker?
Sure, just ensure that positive goes to +1 and negative goes to -1.
@@GLBProductions thank you very much
Just a small amount of.... Loctode? What is ot? You put on a cable before feed it in..
Also, can cable be wired before feeding in?
Loctite - it's a thread locking compound 😄 The boot has to be on the cable before it is connected - the cable strain relief can be added afterwards.
@@GLBProductions thank you)
Hi Bruno, I have noticed XLR cables are wired in two ways, one is the standard two wires to pin 3 and 4 and the shroud braiding goes to pin 1. The other is when an XLR cable has a separate silver bare wire in it and it is first soldered to pin one then it continues on to be soldered onto the metal tongue that extends from the housing. To me this looks like they are grounding that silver wire. Why would there be two different methods of wiring methods? Maybe this is why my cable tested illuminates the red LED light when the wire is soldered to both the lin and that metal tongue.
Yes the second method you describe referred to as a grounded shield - the idea is that the shell of the XLR connector is tied to the shielding in the cable (the silver wire you mention) which in theory will ground the casing of the equipment that it is connected to. The objective of this is to connect the audio and electrical grounds together to ensure they are both the same. In practice this is not really necessary, although some people swear by it. Both methods are fine :)
Hi.
I'm preparing some speakon cables for a "bridged" output. If memory serves me correctly, referencing another one of you videos, I do recall you saying a bridge output uses +2 and -2 connections.
Is this correct, if yes then which ones are they?
It depends on the pins that are used by your power amplifier and loudspeaker - you need to check the user manuals for both devices. In some cases this information will be on a sticker on the back of the speaker as well.
Hi, thanks for making this video! 2 questions... I want to make 10 AWG NL4 cables for a subwoofer, who makes the best cable? I know you mentioned Klotz, is Mogami or Canare ok or any other brands you recommend? Second question, with 4 cables, which color goes to which terminal? I know you said red is hot and goes to +1, blue to -1, what about the other two colors and terminals? Thanks in advance!
Honestly there is no 'best' speaker cable - any of the name brand cables will be fine. Klotz and Canare are the most common in my part of the world for professional applications. With 4-wire setups you need to see if the loudspeaker manufacturer has any specific instructions for wiring - if they do not you can use any color scheme you like as long as you are consistent.
@@GLBProductions Ok, I don't see anything specifically on their website, I'll email them to see if they have any instructions. Thank you!
Thanks for instructions well presented .will the speakon 2 pole connection be sufficient for 4 speakers in situ fixed on a wall as it is all new to me ,and i wondered if i would have to change to a 4 pin fixing for this venue thanks.
It depends on many things to be honest with you, but a simple installation with four fullrange speakers daisy-chained together will generally only use two pole connections. Consult a qualified installation specialist if you are not sure!
I am new to your posts,I find them most comprehensive and valuable,I follow and look forward to more similar topics
Welcome to the channel!
hi, my Ruark Vita 120 sub has this Neutrik cable with 2 wires Red/ black at other end but how do i connect these bare wires to my Yamaha AV amp ?....thx
Bare wires are designed to be connected to 5-way binding posts, but you need to find out if your AV receiver has a separate subwoofer amplifier built in.
@@GLBProductions hi, thank you for your reply....i have a yamaha RX-V640 av amp....at the back is a subwoofer pre out a single RCA.....but can't see 5 way binding posts but not sure
Hi Dino, on that amp the binding posts are the big red and black knobs in the 'speakers' section where it says class 2 wiring. This amp does NOT have an onboard subwoofer output, so you'll need to get another amp for your existing sub.
@@GLBProductions ok so where do i put the red and black wires ( i've found the binding posts) at the moment I've got 2 main speakers only connected
Bro...if we switch to power amplifier in bridge mode....
On speakon will engage 2+ for (positive ) and 2- for (com/ nagative) on the speakon connecter 4 pole??
Model: Peavey CS 3000 / CS 1400...
It depends on the amp - some have a dedicated speakon output for bridge mode, others use pins 1+/2+ on channel A speakon. Check your owner's manual or the printing on the back of the amp.
Super video with a clear and detailed step-by-step walk through the process. Thank you.
You're welcome!
Where can I purchase that speaker cable? Your Amazon link doesn’t work😕
Thanks for the heads up, description has been updated.
Link to connector is here: amzn.to/3eY1QPX
Speaker cable being used is Klotz, but any name-brand cable of good quality can be used.
@@GLBProductions where can I find this cable or what name brands do you recommend? I’m new to this
Klotz: www.klotz-ais.com/ Check their website for distributors in your region.
Can a 4-wire cable be used to wire 2 woofers together in parallel so each woofer has it's own set of wires going back to the same amplifier channel? In other words 1+ and 1- wires to one woofer and 2+ and 2- wires to the other woofer?
Yes it can, but if you are using the same amp channel to drive both why not just use a normal parallel connection?
@@GLBProductions The woofers are in a folded dipole enclosure and it would just be easier and more tidy to provide each driver it's own dedicated connection back to the amplifier.
Oh ok - sure you can use the connector in that manner but be aware that this is a non-standard wiring scheme, so be sure to label all connectors and cabling clearly.
Best connectors in the world 👍
Helped me convert my PIG HOG 14 AWG speaker cables to SpeakON on one end and 1/4" mono on the other. Subbed!
Awesome to hear that!
currently my band uses 16 ga wire 3(wire) xlr and 1/4" connectors for our 2 subs and 2 top speakers and our two stage monitors...would we get better sound with 12gauge (two wire) cable with a combo of 1/4" and speakon connections?
All other things being equal heavier gauge wire will give you better sound. Whether or not the upgrade is worth the extra weight and cost is another matter 😉 In the above example the 1/4" connector is the weak link.
@@GLBProductions your a great engineer bruno..keep up the excellent work!!
one question.
you mentioned rubber jacketing, would the pvc version be ok if the wire is stapled to a wall never touching the floor? And also, will the strain relief hold just as tight on the pvc jacket?
The reason I ask is my speakers will be hung on my wall and I dont want black wire snakeing up to them because of cosmetic look in room.
For home installation that should be fine. Whether the strain relief works or not depends on the cable diameter more than the material of the jacket.
Do you have a video on four conductor sperkon cable?
No - the wiring for 4-conductor speakon cables is not generic and is generally specific to individual speaker models.
thank you for video as today i bought 2 speaker cables which untill i got home reliesed shop gave me wrong ones for my 2xmax210 170.670 pa speakers 500 rms(w) max 1000(w) which only have 2 jack sockets and push clip speaker termals.its only amp VONYX VXA-2000 that have 3 speakon connections.the cables they gave me are NL2-NL2 1.5MM2 which is no good for speaker end.if i take 1 NL2 connector off and wire to speaker how would i do that iver using 2 jack sockets on back of speaker or the clip speaker termal connection
You need to connect the positive output terminal of the amp to the positive input terminal of the speaker and ditto for the negative. So +1 on the speakon connector should go to the red terminal on the speaker and -1 should go to the black terminal.
Thank you from Detroit
You're welcome Johnson!
On the other side of the cable so basically the red is positive and the blue is negative if it's the amplifier doesn't have the same connection correct...?
Correct :)
Thank you so much for the information..... Merry Christmas and happy New Year 🙋🏻♂️🌲🥧🥘🌮🌮🍰☕
You're welcome, Happy New Year to you too 😊
Hello friend.
Can I bi wire with these connectors & if so how should I do the connections?
Thank you I advance Vaggelis.
Bi-wiring is primarily a hi-fi technique - this connector is used mainly for pro-audio applications. As such you will rarely find bi-wire compatible speakers and amplifiers with these connectors. Note that bi-wiring is NOT the same as bi-amplification, which these connectors are perfect for.
@@GLBProductions hello again friend & thank you for quick response.
Let me explain:I run the cerwin vega xls 15 with the yamaha px5 power amp.
Can I use a 4 wire cable (4x2.5mm) I have ,to bi wire the speakers?
I am thinking to use the two red wires to 1+ & the two whites to 1- to the speakon connector & the two reds & two whites to the four speaker terminals with banana plugs.
Am I right?
Thank you in advance Vaggelis.
Yes you could do that, but you might have difficulty fitting two wires into the speakon terminals as they are designed for only one. Better to use the binding posts in my opinion.
@@GLBProductions ok mate thank you for your advice.
Back in the day we used banana plugs and 12 GA. Heavy duty stranded zip cable. Cheap and bulletproof.
Yeah the big issue with banana plugs is that they can be inserted in two directions so polarity reversal issues were very common in older systems. The exposed contacts were also vulnerable to damage if they got stepped on. Otherwise they're good connectors - lots of contact area and relatively difficult to pull out. Much better than guitar jacks!
You're absolutely correct. Now that you mention it they were color-coded (red/black- both dark LOL) and there is nothing to stop someone from flipping them over in a dark club, etc. - disaster. Before the banana plugs we just tinned the ends of all the speaker cables and stuck them in the screw terminals! There's a recipe for phase-reversal problems de-luxe LOL.
BTW - I wanted to chime in on "tinning" the ends of conductors. What we've found (over 40+ yrs of dealing with cables - I'm old....) - it does keep the stray strands together - but there's a very bad downside - it also creates a weak point right at the base of the "tin" and the conductor will fail right there - shearing off inside the jack and often just inside the insulation (where you can't see it) and wreaking all manner of havoc. What's worse ... they don't fail all at once - it happens over time (with the speaker vibration itself contributing) and it's intermittent... your cable goes from 12 ga. to 18 ga. to 32 ga... and eventually down to 1-2 strands still intact - enough so you can NOT find the offending cable with a simple continuity check at the show - it'll show up as A-OK with the load from a 9-volt battery ... but nowhere near enough conductor left to carry the signal current from a 1000 watt amp. This can cause amps to overheat...speakers to self-destruct.. etc. This is far worse situation than a bare conductor just pulling out of the jack.
So what we do now is strip the wire longer than needed - tin the usual 1/2" or so... then trim it again so there is maybe 1/8" or less of "tinned" end down in the jack. That puts the "tin ball" *ahead of* the set screw inside the jack - it eliminates 'strays' without creating the shear point. Try it! Start doing it this way and (combined with your loc-tite... a VERY good tip BTW) - you'll seldom if ever have to fool with a plug once you build it. It's all about making everything as fail-safe and bulletproof as you humanly can - and the smallest details (like the Loc-Tite or the tinned end) are the difference between a real Pro and an amateur.
Great advice, thanks very much for your contribution! What a lot of people don't realise is that even though there is a stress relief which clamps to the cable jacket it is still possible for the internal strands to move independently as the cable flexes, causing the issues you describe above. And yes I agree that the best possible build quality is the way to go with cables - a little bit of extra time and effort will give you a cable that lasts hundreds of shows rather than a couple dozen ;)
how do you connect 2 yamaha S115V speakers in parallel?
Connect a standard speakon cable from the unused speakon connector on the first loudspeaker to either speakon connector on the second loudspeaker. Done.
The most wonderful explanation, brothers
great video.....can u use this for passive subwoofers...?
Yes, as long as the sub uses the +1/-1 pin assignment on its input - check your owner's manual to confirm.
@@GLBProductions ok great thank you
If I have 2 speakers, each at 8 ohms and each with two conductors, could I wire them up to a 4 conductor Speakon jack to get a parallel connection at 4 ohms? Basically just connecting the positive and negative leads of each speaker to +1/-1 and +2/-2 lugs on the jack, respectively? Thanks
No that won't work because there is no connection between the two pairs of conductors - your signal from the first speaker would not reach the second one. The correct way to do this is to daisy chain the speakers, so amp -> first speaker and then output of first speaker -> input of second speaker. All cables are wired the same way, resultant load on the amp is 4 ohms.
Hi!
Is it possible to solder one neutrik connector to a 6.3 mm jack?
I bought a preamp to run my multieffects guitar processor through a guitar cab, but I'm forced to use these two different connectors :(
Yes, absolutely, in fact there are commercially available quarter-inch to speakon adapters.
@@GLBProductions thank you for your kind response :)
You're welcome Luca :)
Hi, I noticed that when connecting to a Stereo Amplifier the Speakon Connector has 3 cables, 2 positives and 1 negative. How do you wire these inside the connector..?
That is not a standard wiring configuration, so you need to check with the manufacturer.
@@GLBProductions Ok thanks for your reply I'll check it out with them.
Sir Bruno, please, what if the numbers (+1,-1 and +2,-2) are not present, how do you then know the correct cable connection??
All genuine Neutrik speakon connectors will have the numbers embossed next to the terminals - I recommend you use these. If the numbers are not present you will have to look up the position of the terminals online, which can lead to wiring errors.
My box is 4 spekers & 1600watt rms power (each of 400w & connect in parallel) at 2 ohm.So what is actual wire gauge needed for 30 ft run at 2ohms impedance load?
Plz reply it's an important........
Just google 'speaker cable gauge calculator' - there are several out there that will give you the info you need.
Here is a stupid cable question for you I have 14/4 shielded electrical cable want to know if I can use that for PA speaker cables
Yes you can, but remember that for speaker cable you only need two conductors, not four ;)
@@GLBProductions Perfect thank you very much
Thanks a lot sir for your very clear instruction I've got new knowledge about the wiring of speakon connector, and I will do my wiring in my new buy sounds to using speakon speaker outlet, thank you.
Great to hear that, all the best with your music!
Is it ok to use 12 gauge power cable. It has 2 wire inside. Blk/white. If not let me know. I will use it to hook up bass amp to bass speaker
Yes you can do that no problem.
Fantastic! Thank you very much, Bruno! I have never worked with speakon cables before.
You're welcome Krisztián :)
I really enjoyed your video. Your explanation is clear and pleasant to look at.
Thank you very much for all these important and useful details 🤗
You're welcome Franz, thank you for watching :)
Excellent tutorial. Thank you. All questions answered.
You're welcome Doug 😊
Such a great video - every moment of the 17 odd minutes is informative and relevant. Thanks so much!
You're most welcome, thanks for watching :)
Great Tutorial 👌👍 i was working on my speaker connectors too: 1 speaker cuts down in sound sometimes: the reason: i didnot use loctite on the screws in the past (when I was 12 years old or so🙈)
My advice: do not solder the cable ends: i did that too in the past and because of high power that is running through the speakon and the terminals soldering can cause burn speakon terminals: the cables can come loose too like this
greetings from the Netherlands
Thanks FJ - I no longer tin/solder the cable ends anymore, for the reason you state above :)
Thank you too, for your reply,
My tip to everyone: if you have thinner cabling ( I think 1.5mm² or thinner)
Step 1: strip the wires,
Step 2: twist the cores together and fold the stripped end back (you're doing it right if you fold it onto the insulation of the single wire)
Step 3: See if you can insert this into the connection terminal: with the stripped cores away from the screw
Step 4: l screw the wire onto the insulation
This way you get a strong connection that, together with the loctite on the screws, ensures that it does not (quickly) come loose.
Sorry for the much writing but before I forget: for thicker cabling (from 1.5 mm² or thicker or so I guess): Is it necessary to use those sleeves for around the cable-cores (unfortunately i don't know the exact name,but you know what I mean, i guess?): those can be pinched with special pliers: the best is one that clicks: because it tightens on torque.
With thicker cables you're getting the following problem with the "fold-on-insulation" method: the whole "package" (of insulation and stripped cores) becomes too thick to fit into the connection terminal: I used 2x 2.5mm² wire; the double folding method did NOT work, for this reason you will need thinner cabling, you will find out exactly how thin by trying the tips
I hope this is useful for everyone, i think it is important and helpful for everyone to share their tips and problems and that we're not laughing at about posts like that, because their always a learn moment for everyone
Greetings from the Netherlands
You are such a perfectionist Bra!!!
as soon as i saw the danley shirt i knew i could trust this man.
Glad you feel that way 😊
GLB Productions which Danley cabs have you worked with?
i have a working man 15 in combo that the head blew so im changing the mini plug to neutrix hardware. what do the combo wires mean? the wires are black, green and white however, the connector has the 1- 1+ and the 2- and 2+ how do i connect 3 wires with a 2 connector, should i use a 4 cable connecter and minus the fourth connection? Thanks!!
That's an interesting one - three wires of that colour is typically an AC power cable. Are you sure you're working on the cable that goes to the loudspeaker?
yes, its almost a 1/4 in but no cigar. it was on the actual speaker and plugged into the amp. ive asked and researched and people either know or dont know but cannot help me. i was sold the hardware at guitar center and the guy who sold it to me said i would find anything about it on the world wide web. NOT jaha anyway, an electrician said that the colors were as follow,
Green = ground
Black = positive
White = negative
needless to say, Im stumped
Ive tried different combos on the wiring but I dont want to blow up my new amp head and dont want to continue spending more money if i cant get it to work.
I believe that SWR uses a proprietary plug system and wiring and is the reason I cannot make it work. Some knucklehead that specializes in bass amps said he would help me for the low, low price of $380.00 and, he cannot use my hardware, he has to use his because, now get this, I have "inferior foreign junk" that he cannot warranty his work with. Thanks for reading and trying to help, i just dont want to throw it away it cost me $600.00 back in 94.
Sounds like a puzzle! The next step is to try and contact SWR - they are a shadow of what they used to be but it's worth a try. Failing that you'll need to dismantle the cabinet and see how the wires are routed to the speakers and/or internal crossover.
Thank you!! i will and have done the majority of the foot work and I really appreciate the information and tips you have given me. Its great to have people like ur self giving us "FREE" information. Thanks again!!
You're welcome Rick, hope you manage to get it sorted soon. Those are great-sounding combos, although rather heavy by modern standard ;)
Can these connectors be taken apart in the event a wire comes loose?
thanks for the info. After working in/ hobby of RF, for the past 30 years, I am now getting into the AF end of things.
again thank you. 73
Yes you can take them apart - use a wrench on the flats at the back of the boot to back it off. It will damage the ratchet mechanism somewhat but typically you can still re-use the connector.
@@GLBProductions thanks for the info.at this point I am still not wanting to use them. I feel that if one of these connectors in pluged into a speaker or an amp. I would rather have some one pull the plug out of the speaker or amp, than have them fall/ trip from stumbling on the cord., or even have the equipment fall and get damaged. .
I just wired cables for my bass amp with Neutrik SpeakON Connectors. Thank you to Bruno for your incredibly thorough tutorial. I especially appreciated all of the fine details you provided. One helpful tool I purchased is a wire stripper made in Germany (Stahlwille 12967). It makes stripping the outer jacker on cables 4-28 mm in diameter a snap, and is adjustable so the inner conductors are not damaged. It is by far the best wire stripper I have used. No more frustration of nicking the inner conductors. The first cut is made along the axis of the cable, then the hooked end is used to cut the outer jacker away. Make sure to point the hooked end away from the conductors while advancing it circumferentially, cutting just under the outer jacket. In the U.S. it is available at K.C. Tool (kctool.com). They also sell #1 pozidrive screwdrivers. The set I purchased is made by Felo. For the inner conductors, I used standard wire strippers by Klein Tools. Thanks again for the helpful advice!
Thanks 64, good suggestions on the wire stripper - having the right tool makes all the difference!
Sir, how to connect the output of one 1- mixer to 24-power amplifiers without compromising or degrading the audio signal coming out from Mixer.
Any way, thank very much for sharing your knowledge, your the best teacher...!
Hi Manuelito! You have 24 power amps to connect - is this a large installed system?
Clear and straightforward instructable. Thanks very much :)
You're welcome, thanks for watching.
What about other side of the cable should i do same +1 & - 1 speak on
Correct.
Can you attach these to regular 16 gage speaker wire?
Yes no problem.
Sadly I bought a 4-pack of 90 º connectors from amazon with 4-terminals but NONE of the terminals are labeled which sucks because I don't know which to connect the wires !
I suggest you return those and order the genuine Neutrik connectors - they make a right angled version which you may still be able to find in stock: www.neutrik.com/en/product/nl4frx
@@GLBProductions Hi Thanks - after a small eyeball measurement I realized that the 90º connectors I bought only saved 1/4" of distance. Not worth the effort. I believe it's a product that really doesn't even need to be in the marketplace !
Presumably that is why it's been discontinued 😅
I plan on building a subwoofer based on the Bose b1 subwoofer. Any advice on the wiring
If you're going to build your own sub I strongly recommend getting a set of speaker plans (which will also specify the correct drivers, crossover and wiring to use) and following it exactly - building speakers is a surprisingly exact science and you don't want to be figuring things out as you go.
GOD BLESS YOU MY SON.YOUR HELP IS A TREASURE.
You're most welcome Andreas!
The questions is can you fit a 10 gauge wire in there or even after you put a wire ferull and crimp it can you help me please I want 10 gauge wire for the speakers
The SPX series can just fit 10 AWG conductors but not with wire ferrules crimped on them.
@@GLBProductions ok yeah I saw it there’s no screw to hold it it has to be soder in thanks bro
That is the STX series, the ones meant for touring - they are all metal construction and super expensive ;)
@@GLBProductions so your saying the regular one meant for 12 gauge will still fit 10 gauge wire ? I know it’s. It rated for it I wondering will it still fit
You have to check the connector specs on the Neutrik website - it clearly states the maximum AWG that will fit.
Hey I purchased an 8pin for 4 full range 8 ohm speakers and 4 8ohm tweeters. I wanted to wire them at 2 ohms tweeters and speakers separately. Should I have bought the 4 pin instead? Let me know I'd greatly appreciate it.
It depends completely on how you want to wire the system up. Depending on your requirement and amp configuration both types can be used.
Hi Bruno, You have been such a big help in the past your my go to guy now. I have a PYLE pct-40 cable tester and all the XLR cables that are not made by Cable Matters never illuminate the red ground LED indicator which I believe is correct but all the Cable Matters cables do illuminate the red ground LED. Can it be that all the Cable Matters cables have a fault in the wiring or is there some other explanation? Thank you, chris
Hello Chris, which 'red ground LED' are you referring to? In one of your cable testers?
how would you wire a three wire connection bruno? with 12 gauge wire?
A three wire connection? I don't know of any speaker system that uses an odd number of connections, unless one of the pins is not connected...
@@GLBProductions how about two wire speakon to xlr would the connections be (speakon pin 1+ to xlr pin 2?) and speakon pin 1- to xlr pin 1? and leave pin 3 xlr unconnected?
You would need to check the wiring diagram for your specific speakers.
Where can i get 10 gauge wire like that loudspeaker wire you got?
The cable in the video is 14 gauge. Check your local pro audio supplier or any electrical/electronics supplier in your area.
Thank you, very informative and professionally done.
You're welcome :)
thank you! your instructions were extremely clear, concise and easy to understand fidsta uk
You're welcome :)