Do any consumer loudspeakers use Speakon / NL4 connections?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by ribonucleic, Feb 13, 2018.

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  1. ribonucleic

    ribonucleic Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    SLC UT
    And if not, why not?
     
  2. dadbar

    dadbar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland OR
    My REL subwoofer uses them.
     
  3. ribonucleic

    ribonucleic Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    SLC UT
    Sorry, I should have specified floorstanding speakers - not subs.
     
  4. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    I have the oddest speaker system (S.A.P. J2001). It has an exposed, three-box crossover. From one box, a cable connects to the woofer cabinet. The wire to the woofer cabinet has a Speakon connector. What is really strange is that the speaker utilizes an old fashion terminal strip for the connections from the amp to the speaker, so that the only easy to make connection would be thin bare wire. It is possible to jam a tine from a spade lug into the terminal strip (how I use to make the connection), but, this only worked with tiny lugs. I ended up replacing the terminal strip with a WBT binding post.
     
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  5. Gibsonian

    Gibsonian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa, USA
    Good question of why not. I think they are a very good design for home hifi and for pro audio.
     
  6. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I believe the new Giya G1 Spirit uses a Neutrik SpeakON NL8 (8 pole) connector between the external crossover box and the loudspeaker.

    [​IMG]
     
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  7. BIGGER Dave

    BIGGER Dave Forum Resident

    Speakon connectors were designed for quick setup and quick breakdown in the Pro Audio field. They also featured the following advantages:
    • No possible confusion with low-current XLR microphone cables or 1/4" instrument cables, which are normally shielded (speaker cables are normally not shielded).
    • They lock into their sockets with a twisting motion, making them significantly less prone to disconnection than standard phone plugs.
    • They are shielded from human touch, preventing electrical shock from a high-powered amplifier.
    • The contacts do not short out during connection or disconnection. This can be a benefit when working with sound equipment that is in operation.
    • The chassis receptacles are airtight, so do not provide an air leak path from speaker enclosures.
    AFAIK, Speakon connectors was never designed for home audio use, and are usually limited in the cable gauge they will accept.
     
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