Anyone know about Speakon Connectors/Cable (+1, -1, etc) ?

[tomana]

I have a used QSC 1450 on the way, to power two floor monitors. Both the speakers (Bose 310M) and the QSC 1450 have speakon connectors and I've been reading about these connectors and how they are +1/-2 etc and Neutrik makes an FX version, 3 vs 4 pole, etc. I read the manuals for both the amp and monitor and still have no idea what Neutrik speakon connector I need to acquire

Does the center hole on these speakon jacks accept a 1/4" TS plug? I don't need the fool proof connecting that the speakon connector offers (I see no other reason for using speakon ?) and I know how to solder up 1/4" cables

I would prefer to not use speakon cables and I already have Neutrik TS plugs on hand and would just need to get some speaker cable

Speaking of speaker cable, what gauge would be most preferred for a 100 ft, 50 ft and 25 ft runs ?

What's a better brand/model for speaker cable (for example, I use Canare Quad Star L4E6S for all my XLR cabling).

[pieterh]

Speakon connectors are the industry standard for connecting power amps to speakers - and not only PA. Ampeg and others use Speakon on their amps and cabs. No, the hole in the middle is not a tele contact.

The advantage of Speakon is that the contact is locking - a slight twist to clockwise and it's latched on, draw the metal bit back and turn anti-clockwise to release. Another advantage is that there is a 4-contact version (NL4) which allows for a single cable run to feed two different speaker sets - the internal workings of the relevant speakers allows pass-through of the unwanted channel so one cable can be run to eg top and sub. (The amp you mention has this facility on the output A connector where channel A sits on 1+/1-, and channel B on 2+/2-) The difference in cost is minimal and even where we use 2-core cable we still have 4-core NL4, we just use the contacts 1+ & 1-. What's more, even with good soldering if something happens and the cable is pulled out of its contact mid-gig you are left with a time-consuming repair. If it happens with Speakon you just need a couple of minutes and a small screwdriver.

To be honest, I don't know why you wouldn't want to use Speakon if the gear you have supports it. The amp you mention has Speakon outputs and binding posts so if you want to you could use bare wire at the amp end, though this is usually preferable for installations rather than gig work. I would imagine you need NL2fx or NL4fx and connect your live to 1+ and negative/return to 1- on both ends. The Fx variants are very secure and reliable contacts and our preference ergonomically.

Cable-wise you need to be looking at a cable with a cross section area of at least 4mm2 per wire.

[pieterh]

I've just looked at the specs for the Bose monitor which has pass-through for 2+/2-, so if you are planning to use it as a stereo or 2-channel system then NL4 is the way to go. Connect NL4s to a decent 4-core 4mm2 cable and use this to connect the amp to the first speaker from output A. Use a second cable from the first speaker to the second wired to 2+/2- from the first speaker and to 1+/1- at the receiving end. If using more of the 4-core cable between the speakers in this example then leave two of the conductors unconnected or you could end up with serious problems if you get your cables mixed up!

[tomana]

I just went back and read the 310M tech data sheet and now I see the NL4 mentioned (I must have glossed over it since I wasn't sure what it ment).

Makes sense to me now. I can run a 4 core speaker cable to 310M, then since the 310M has two NL4 connectors wired in parallel I can then use the second port to run to the second 310M using the pin-outs you just gave me.

Very helpful info; many thanks for taking the time to post all of that

[pieterh]

You're welcome! Hope it works out well for you!

[tomana]

found it, 4mm2 is 12 gauge AWG

[BTF]

Another advantage of Speakon connectors is their current handling capabilities.

A 1/4" speaker plug has a small contact area at its tip through which to pass current. Some manufacturers use a special jack which touches the tip on two sides to try to rectify that. With a high-wattage power amp, you could conceivable choke the output using a 1/4" plug or burn the tip area, resulting in poor performance.

Speakons allow a power amp and speakers to function to their full potential.

Good Luck on your system setup!