Neutrik speakON is a fantastic connector. I use them on everything I build. It's a rock solid and affordable connector with great specs. What's not to like? 🙂
Tom
Tom
Better than the competition, or rather there is no competition you can call a connector (screw terminals? banana plugs? come on that's early 18th century technology...) The only problem I have is the a lack of a smaller version for low powered systems / 100V loops, which I think would be a mass-market success. SpeakOn's are too large for bookshelf speakers for instance.
Solid reliable connection,
capable (lots of amps!)
safe, no exposure to amp output voltages.
no shorting out amps by clumsiness.
polarized
Ergonomic (can install by feel safely and avoid moving equipment).
For mobile equipment I think its a no-brainer.
Now if only someone could come up with and popularize a good analog stereo line-level signal connector that's compact and affordable. RCA connectors are and always have been unfit for purpose.
Solid reliable connection,
capable (lots of amps!)
safe, no exposure to amp output voltages.
no shorting out amps by clumsiness.
polarized
Ergonomic (can install by feel safely and avoid moving equipment).
For mobile equipment I think its a no-brainer.
Now if only someone could come up with and popularize a good analog stereo line-level signal connector that's compact and affordable. RCA connectors are and always have been unfit for purpose.
It's easy to argue that XLR (of course ideal for balanced connections) is too big for home stereo use, but I've seen mini-XLR that's about the size of an RCA that would work great. I've seen discussion of balanced interconnects for home audio/hifi/high-end/audiophile (whatever you call it) for decades, but as far as I can tell (I don't read the stereo magazines, and rarely look at the websites) it hasn't begun to happen yet.
At this rate, balanced connections will use RCA, so a balanced stereo connection will use FOUR RCA connectors. It's what audiophiles have always had, it's what they'll want.
That would be good for staying unbalanced, but things definitely need to go balanced. There would inevitably continue to be bad designs that causes hum from ground loops, but balanced would help and ideally solve the ground loop problem.
That explains why I haven't been able to find a single regular male speakon connector for weeks. I guess it is compatible with existing chassis connectors?
Speakon connectors are one of those products where, despite cheaper copies of decent quality being available, I prefer to buy the originals just because I want to support companies that come up with such good stuff in the first place.
That's one of the extra-big 8-pole Speakons sticking out of the top. The woofer is 7"/180mm for scale.
I'd like to see a small version too, but you can use them on bookshelf speakers. Like this:
That's one of the extra-big 8-pole Speakons sticking out of the top. The woofer is 7"/180mm for scale.
I ones did a gig in the days that multicables were still used. We had to replace a whole bunch of these nasty fakes before we could soundcheck.
I previously used their PowerCons quite a bit in applications that would draw near full load for hours. They simply worked as one would wish; never a problem getting warm, or even with water splashes or if someone connected/disconnected whilst at load. Which one may think is exactly as it should be, yet unfortunately not the case with many alternative products these days. IMO a brand that designs and manufactures things properly and sells at a price which is sensibly commensurate. No boutique prices or dressed up cheep sh!te that'll frequently let you down.
The speakons have been similarly good when I've used them, so the new ones look quite appealing. At home, I've usually made a small recessed pocket or cup in the speaker for the sockets, so that the plug doesn't stick out so much.
The speakons have been similarly good when I've used them, so the new ones look quite appealing. At home, I've usually made a small recessed pocket or cup in the speaker for the sockets, so that the plug doesn't stick out so much.
Thanks. Yes, it's paint sold as "chromacoat", and is green/purple/brown depending on viewing angle.
Absolutely agree on the RCAs, hate those things. I've been bitten more than a few times with intermittent / poor connections. I have considered going to BNC connectors for the SE stuff.
I like 6.3mm (1/4in) TRS plugs a lot.
I never used them until they started to appear years ago on those cramped panels of multichannel DACs and streamers, and I must say they're quite good, compact and easy to handle.
Jan
I never used them until they started to appear years ago on those cramped panels of multichannel DACs and streamers, and I must say they're quite good, compact and easy to handle.
Jan
That is the way I am heading. Dislike RCA connectors. On all my DIY built gear I use speakons, powercons, BNCs, and XLRs, most of them Neutirk.
One can not imagine how many million Neutrik connectors are used worldwide, on a daily basis.
A bit of history:
https://fohonline.com/articles/milestones/neutrik-40-years-of-making-connections/
A bit of history:
https://fohonline.com/articles/milestones/neutrik-40-years-of-making-connections/
I use Linkwitz LX521.4 open baffle speakers. That needs 5 amps per side fed from an analog crossover.
Given the potential disaster of wiring it up wrong and putting the bass signal up the tweeter, I equipped the whole thing with Speakons. An 8-way and a 4-way from the amps to the bottom panel that houses the woofers, with some of the wires to an 8-way feeding the upper baffle. The feeds from the crossover to the power amps are XLR with colour coded caps https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/bxx and colour coded lettering plates on the chassis parts https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/dss .
Thanks to Neutrik parts the whole complex system is as close foolproof as I could make it.
Given the potential disaster of wiring it up wrong and putting the bass signal up the tweeter, I equipped the whole thing with Speakons. An 8-way and a 4-way from the amps to the bottom panel that houses the woofers, with some of the wires to an 8-way feeding the upper baffle. The feeds from the crossover to the power amps are XLR with colour coded caps https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/bxx and colour coded lettering plates on the chassis parts https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/dss .
Thanks to Neutrik parts the whole complex system is as close foolproof as I could make it.
Continuing my thoughts from #14.. my locking WBT RCAs have been working OK, I guess they had better for the price. If I had to do it all over again I would probably give the "tinyXLRs" by REAN a try. (RT3FC-B, RT3MPR)