Why I wish consumer amps & speakers used Speakon connectors

[Boomzilla]

For those unfamiliar with the Speakon connectors, they look like this:





So what's to like about Neutrik Speakons? Plenty:

1. The wire connectors in both the plug and the socket have a LOT of surface area and clamp to the wire tips with tighten-down screws

2. The wire jacket is stress-relieved by the connector, and it's TOUGH to yank a wire out

3. The connectors lock together with a quarter-twist, and once locked, provide a REALLY secure connection

4. The very best Speakon connectors are still dirt cheap compared to most wire terminals

5. The Speakon connections can be made and broken in the dark by touch - no more crawling around behind your speakers to see which terminal is red

So the comment also brings up the question, "What's to DISLIKE about standard consumer home speaker connections?" IMHO, plenty:

a) If you use bare wires, they're NOT easy to attach. The speaker posts have tiny holes in them and you've got to "thread the eye of the needle" to get your wires through there without strands escaping from the bundle.

b) If you use bare wires, your AWG is limited by the speaker posts' tiny holes.

c) If you use spade connectors, hooking up the speakers becomes a two-hand job. You've got to hold the spades under the terminals with one hand and tighten the terminal cap with the other. Half the time, the spade terminals are too narrow for the posts on your speakers; the other half of the time, your spades are WAY too large for the posts on the speakers, and the torque of tightening the caps causes the terminal to skew and maybe even come off.

d) If you use banana plugs, you may or may not get a snug fit. Banana jacks only roughly follow any size standards. If the fit isn't snug, the connection can be intermittent, or the plug may even fall out.

e) If you use "locking banana plugs," you may well damage the sockets by stretching them with too much plug torque. If you stretch the sockets, then from then on, you'll HAVE to use locking bananas, because the cheap friction-fit ones will no longer grip well.

f) Torque is always a problem with bare wires, spades, or bananas. If you (or some previous owner) has used "gorilla grip" while tightening stuff, the actual posts may be rotating in their mounts, and you'll never get a good connection again.

ALL the above issues are solved forever with Speakons. Should I ever build a pair of speakers again, I'll definitely be using Speakons. YMMV

[geebo]

I use them with my Crown amp that powers some height speakers. Very easy and secure connections and if wired correctly impossible to get the polarity wrong at the amp.

[audiobill]

I used them on my Dynaudio Gemini build - perfect for use with external crossovers, which I used.

"Over fifty parts come with the kit, including deluxe gold input posts for bi-wiring, and Speakon™ output connectors for fail-safe tweeter connection. "

[AudioHTIT]

I have them on my guitar / studio speakers, I made these myself about 50 years ago and switched them to Speakon about 8 or 10 years ago. I agree, an excellent connector for all the reasons you list, plus (one you missed), I can also use 'old standard' 1/4" (TS) cables from my old Fender amp (it also uses 1/4" TS, though I normally use a 1/4" to Speakon cable. One downside to some, is that you must put a connector on, whereas with a 5-way binding post you can use bare wires; you list this as a disadvantage, but I think fairly it goes both ways.

[SteveH]

Where were you fifteen years ago when I wired this up! 

[405x5]

Mar 30, 2020 15:15:21 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

For those unfamiliar with the Speakon connectors, they look like this:





So what's to like about Neutrik Speakons? Plenty:

1. The wire connectors in both the plug and the socket have a LOT of surface area and clamp to the wire tips with tighten-down screws

2. The wire jacket is stress-relieved by the connector, and it's TOUGH to yank a wire out

3. The connectors lock together with a quarter-twist, and once locked, provide a REALLY secure connection

4. The very best Speakon connectors are still dirt cheap compared to most wire terminals

5. The Speakon connections can be made and broken in the dark by touch - no more crawling around behind your speakers to see which terminal is red

So the comment also brings up the question, "What's to DISLIKE about standard consumer home speaker connections?" IMHO, plenty:

a) If you use bare wires, they're NOT easy to attach. The speaker posts have tiny holes in them and you've got to "thread the eye of the needle" to get your wires through there without strands escaping from the bundle.

b) If you use bare wires, your AWG is limited by the speaker posts' tiny holes.

c) If you use spade connectors, hooking up the speakers becomes a two-hand job. You've got to hold the spades under the terminals with one hand and tighten the terminal cap with the other. Half the time, the spade terminals are too narrow for the posts on your speakers; the other half of the time, your spades are WAY too large for the posts on the speakers, and the torque of tightening the caps causes the terminal to skew and maybe even come off.

d) If you use banana plugs, you may or may not get a snug fit. Banana jacks only roughly follow any size standards. If the fit isn't snug, the connection can be intermittent, or the plug may even fall out.

e) If you use "locking banana plugs," you may well damage the sockets by stretching them with too much plug torque. If you stretch the sockets, then from then on, you'll HAVE to use locking bananas, because the cheap friction-fit ones will no longer grip well.

f) Torque is always a problem with bare wires, spades, or bananas. If you (or some previous owner) has used "gorilla grip" while tightening stuff, the actual posts may be rotating in their mounts, and you'll never get a good connection again.

ALL the above issues are solved forever with Speakons. Should I ever build a pair of speakers again, I'll definitely be using Speakons. YMMV

IMHO this is another example of overkill at its very best.
Bare wire, twisted with care is my go to always. Adds no additional expense and stays tight with most terminals.

Bill

[davidl81]

Mar 31, 2020 11:14:55 GMT -5 405x5 said:

Mar 30, 2020 15:15:21 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

For those unfamiliar with the Speakon connectors, they look like this:





So what's to like about Neutrik Speakons? Plenty:

1. The wire connectors in both the plug and the socket have a LOT of surface area and clamp to the wire tips with tighten-down screws

2. The wire jacket is stress-relieved by the connector, and it's TOUGH to yank a wire out

3. The connectors lock together with a quarter-twist, and once locked, provide a REALLY secure connection

4. The very best Speakon connectors are still dirt cheap compared to most wire terminals

5. The Speakon connections can be made and broken in the dark by touch - no more crawling around behind your speakers to see which terminal is red

So the comment also brings up the question, "What's to DISLIKE about standard consumer home speaker connections?" IMHO, plenty:

a) If you use bare wires, they're NOT easy to attach. The speaker posts have tiny holes in them and you've got to "thread the eye of the needle" to get your wires through there without strands escaping from the bundle.

b) If you use bare wires, your AWG is limited by the speaker posts' tiny holes.

c) If you use spade connectors, hooking up the speakers becomes a two-hand job. You've got to hold the spades under the terminals with one hand and tighten the terminal cap with the other. Half the time, the spade terminals are too narrow for the posts on your speakers; the other half of the time, your spades are WAY too large for the posts on the speakers, and the torque of tightening the caps causes the terminal to skew and maybe even come off.

d) If you use banana plugs, you may or may not get a snug fit. Banana jacks only roughly follow any size standards. If the fit isn't snug, the connection can be intermittent, or the plug may even fall out.

e) If you use "locking banana plugs," you may well damage the sockets by stretching them with too much plug torque. If you stretch the sockets, then from then on, you'll HAVE to use locking bananas, because the cheap friction-fit ones will no longer grip well.

f) Torque is always a problem with bare wires, spades, or bananas. If you (or some previous owner) has used "gorilla grip" while tightening stuff, the actual posts may be rotating in their mounts, and you'll never get a good connection again.

ALL the above issues are solved forever with Speakons. Should I ever build a pair of speakers again, I'll definitely be using Speakons. YMMV

IMHO this is another example of overkill at its very best.
Bare wire, twisted with care is my go to always. Adds no additional expense and stays tight with most terminals.

Bill

If I was going to install a system and never change anything for years than yeah bare wire is the way to go.  That being said I have fallen in love with Banana cables.  Just so easy to plug everything into the back of amps and speakers.  And I tend to swap stuff out a decent amount, or move things to re arrange.

[405x5]

Mar 31, 2020 11:18:44 GMT -5 davidl81 said:

Mar 31, 2020 11:14:55 GMT -5 405x5 said:

IMHO this is another example of overkill at its very best.
Bare wire, twisted with care is my go to always. Adds no additional expense and stays tight with most terminals.

Bill

If I was going to install a system and never change anything for years than yeah bare wire is the way to go.  That being said I have fallen in love with Banana cables.  Just so easy to plug everything into the back of amps and speakers.  And I tend to swap stuff out a decent amount, or move things to re arrange.

Maybe I’ve got a bit of an edge, but after 36 years of making a living doing electrical mechanical, I can swap out connections real quick.....no matter what’s at the beginning (or the end!)

Bill

[Loop 7]

Agree completely.

My REL sub has this type of connector I think.

[DYohn]

Speakons are designed for quick and reliable multiple connects and disconnects in mobile live sound reinforcement. Why are they not normally used on commercial equipment? One, they are not needed since the average user sets up once and forgets it, and two they are expensive by comparison. If you want them, you can adapt them to your system I suppose.

[donh50]

A lot of pro companies recommend them, and Benchmark shows better performance with Speakons than bare wire or bananas. I'm with Boomzilla, wish more consumer products used them. They are as easy to connect and disconnect as bananas, just a twist and pull (or push), but have positive capture and retention so are less likely to get yanked out accidentally whilst mucking around behind the rack.

[405x5]

Apr 3, 2020 22:52:35 GMT -5 donh50 said:

A lot of pro companies recommend them, and Benchmark shows better performance with Speakons than bare wire or bananas. I'm with Boomzilla, wish more consumer products used them. They are as easy to connect and disconnect as bananas, just a twist and pull (or push), but have positive capture and retention so are less likely to get yanked out accidentally whilst mucking around behind the rack.

Better Performance?
You need to elaborate on that one!

[donh50]

Apr 4, 2020 9:21:48 GMT -5 405x5 said:

Apr 3, 2020 22:52:35 GMT -5 donh50 said:

A lot of pro companies recommend them, and Benchmark shows better performance with Speakons than bare wire or bananas. I'm with Boomzilla, wish more consumer products used them. They are as easy to connect and disconnect as bananas, just a twist and pull (or push), but have positive capture and retention so are less likely to get yanked out accidentally whilst mucking around behind the rack.

Better Performance?
You need to elaborate on that one!

There's an article on the Benchmark site and a review at ASR. Basically lower contact resistance. I do not know how they compare to locking banana plugs, but whilst I use bare wire myself a good connector can actually provide lower resistance than bare wire depending upon how the connection is made. Also, over time bare wire will compress and loosen, ditto spring-loaded things like standard banana plugs, so in the long run something like speakON's (Neutrik's capitalization) may provide lower resistance.

In the real world, IIRC the difference was measurable but insignificant, like many things audio (and otherwise).

[vcautokid]

Seems dreadfully obvious. Amazing a stupid opportunity even by custom makes not taking advantage of what has to be one of the best speaker connections ever made. Everything else is doing it the hard silly way. Really. The most positive connection with low error in connecting. As a running joke the 5 way binding posts were invented by the same idiots who invented HDMI. Oh now there is something to think about. Of course I made that up, but since we are picking on stupid connections at this moment, lets give HDMI some center stage. Not everyone uses the secure lock system because nobody really talks about it. How many times have I seen loss of signal because this stupid cable slips out. Yeah. Powerful vote on Speakon,XLR,BNC,and any other cable that won't let you get it wrong.

[adaboy]

Apr 4, 2020 14:57:42 GMT -5 vcautokid said:

Seems dreadfully obvious. Amazing a stupid opportunity even by custom makes not taking advantage of what has to be one of the best speaker connections ever made. Everything else is doing it the hard silly way. Really. The most positive connection with low error in connecting. As a running joke the 5 way binding posts were invented by the same idiots who invented HDMI. Oh now there is something to think about. Of course I made that up, but since we are picking on stupid connections at this moment, lets give HDMI some center stage. Not everyone uses the secure lock system because nobody really talks about it. How many times have I seen loss of signal because this stupid cable slips out. Yeah. Powerful vote on Speakon,XLR,BNC,and any other cable that won't let you get it wrong.

Don't forget BNC connection vs RCA.

[vcautokid]

Covered in my post adaboy near the end, but yeah! BNC is a positive connection twist to lock.