Powered Speaker Cable

[Brian]

I'm looking for a nice combined audio/mains cable for some powered speakers. I don't mind if it's a ready made solution or cable by the meter. The VDC stuff is nice but relatively expensive. Any other suggestions?

[pete10uk]

My philosophy in life is buy the good stuff the first time. You know the vdc stuff to be good, bite the bullet and you'll not regret it. If you want to save your pennies run 2 cables.

 

The amount of times I've purchased a good idea cheaply, and lived to regret it every time I use the product, has tought me to buy right first time.

[Chappie]

I've been using the Sommer equivalent recently. It's a similar price to the VDC, but there is a greater choice with regard to the number and type of cores available.

[Brian]

...buy the good stuff the first time...bite the bullet and you'll not regret it...The amount of times I've purchased a good idea cheaply, and lived to regret it every time I use the product, has taught me to buy right first time.

 

Too true.

 

I've been using the Sommer equivalent recently.

 

It was seeing your hybrid cables on Monday feeding the UPA-1s that reminded me I ought to sort some cables out for my new boxes.

 

I take it it's the Sommer 'Monolith' range I need to look at?

[MarkPAman]

CPC have these with PowerCons fitted and these with 13A & IEC

[Chappie]

It was seeing your hybrid cables on Monday feeding the UPA-1s that reminded me I ought to sort some cables out for my new boxes.

 

I take it it's the Sommer 'Monolith' range I need to look at?

The ones you saw were probably made of VDC Ambicore (I presume you were at the Royal Albert Hall?) as I only needed one signal to each box when we made them. The last batch I bought was Sommer "SC-MONOLITH 2 HV" (the HV bit means 2.5mm), which gives me 2 signal lines. It's nice cable and it worked out marginally cheaper per-metre than the single-line VDC cable (although it does need to ship from Germany).

[Brian]

Thanks Phill,

 

I'm quite liking the idea of a cable with two signals in. Some breakout boxes to sit under stands will make for a nice tidy system with the extra cost of the cable being offset by needing less of it.

[Matt Riley]

As long as you are careful with the voltage drop / current rating then this stuff might be worth a try?

[Jivemaster]

I've used this;

http://www.terralec.co.uk/power_cable/power_and_signal_cable/18175_p.html

 

It's all you want except cheap!

 

Beware there are some leads available with a sheathed signal cable and three mains cores all inside another sheath, -trouble is that when you want to terminate the ends you have three mains cores with no sheath so you need lots of shrink and braid. The Terralec cable has a sheathed signal wire and a sheathed mains wire inside another sheath -much easier.

[mervaka]

For mine, I just wired up some 1.5mm HO7. I use a lot of pairs of things (top/sub, pair of mons etc) so I've made up some 16A male to 2x IEC female Y leads, although this compromises the IP rating of the 16A plug, I'm guessing the IECs never had that IP rating to begin with.