southdevonplayers Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 We have just been donated some PA system speakers, and I am [not our technician, who is away for a couple of weeks] trying to sort out the connectors to our existing equipment. Our existing mixer etc all connects via the large audio jacks, but these speakers connect via bare wire inputs (with no plug on the end). I am looking for an adapter or cable that I can use to link the two, and have found several options online, but am not sure of the terminology to make sure I am getting the right things, as there seem to be several sorts of the bare speaker wire???? Can anyone help with the correct terms so that I can be sure? It would be lovely to be able to have it all ready for when our technician comes back. (in our group we all have to do a bit of everything still as we are short-staffed, being a newish group!) Thanks ever so much Laura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owain Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Bare wires are a liability for short circuits etc. Better to retrofit the speakers with Speakon connectors if possible. These speakers are compatible with your system? Impedance or 100V line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 +1 bare wires are a liability Wait til your technician is available keep the stuff in it's carrier bag til then. Get the speakers wrong and you can destroy the amplifier too. I have a strong preference for "Speakon" connectors they work well and withstand the rigours of repeated mating. Big flange speakon connectors are available in case you need to fasten them to a wooden speaker cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamburgess Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Just give us the model of the mixer and the model of the speakers - and it'll be easy to sort out which cables you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serious_sound&light Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Big flange speakon connectors are available in case you need to fasten them to a wooden speaker cab.NL4MPR. I have found they are not as widely available as you might expect. I have a number of Opus 2x18" subwoofers that need new Speakons and I can't find any. Cerwin Vega V-152s used these as well,if memory serves, but mounted on a panel with a 2-way switch (strictly, pins 1+ and 1- are sub bass and 2+ and 2- are full range, but 1+ and 1- are often used with standalone full range speakers. Some high-end cabs have 8-pin Speakons. Channel 1 is looped through to a 2-pin Speakon for the sub, channel 2 goes into a passive crossover and channels 3 and 4 are for midrange and tweeter respectively (with the crossover switched out).But as has already been mentioned, check whether they are low impedance (i.e. 4 or 8 ohm) or 70v or 100v line. Using high voltage line speakers with a low impedance amp will result in low volume. The other way round will overload the amp. 100v line amps are normally fitted with circuit breakers to protect against this eventuality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Before getting into the niceties of speakons and 100V line systems, I think we need to go right back to basics. If the speaker has terminals to hold bare wires that strongly implies they're passive and need an amplifier to feed them. The mixer outputs on "large audio jacks". Yeah these could be speakons implying it's a mixer/amp. However, for somebody who doesn't do sound regularly the large connector could also be an XLR or even a TRS--meaning a line level output that would need an external amp. So, basically, before spending any money or risking hooking up something that could do damage, take a step back and let us know the make and model of both the mixer and the new speakers--as well as any extra bits and pieces that may have come with the package. To try and advise without more info is nothing more than guesswork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryNattrass Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 The "large audio jacks" could also be speaker level from the amp and my Yamaha mixer amp certainly has these, so as Bobbsy says some more investigation would be wise before making any decisions. If you can post some pics that would also help but bare wires on PA systems are never a good idea and are only really suited to fixed low level speaker installations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Let's not forget that many very decent brands of loudspeakers come with wire terminal versions for permanent installs. I know a place with some very nice 're-deployed' Tannoy 15" studio monitors hung from the bars in custome frames - very pleasant to listen to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Coming at this one from a slightly different direction: It would be lovely to be able to have it all ready for when our technician comes back. That's an admirable aim, but there's a danger that without knowing the full details - the spec of the equipment you already have, the spec of the recently acquired kit etc - you end up building something that doesn't interwork well. If I were the technician concerned, I'd be happier for you just to leave the stuff alone until I got back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Same as Bruce really. I rather think that if I were secretary of a theatre company and the technician took over my role without a by-your-leave, I might be a trifle miffed. Don't you? Or have I got that backwards, as usual? ETA but don't stop asking BR questions, better you do than go ahead and experiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southdevonplayers Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Same as Bruce really. I rather think that if I were secretary of a theatre company and the technician took over my role without a by-your-leave, I might be a trifle miffed. Don't you?Or have I got that backwards, as usual? ETA but don't stop asking BR questions, better you do than go ahead and experiment. We are a tiny group and all have to work on this, in between day jobs etc, and he had asked me to find out what I could, as he is learning himself. :) Before getting into the niceties of speakons and 100V line systems, I think we need to go right back to basics.I'm afraid that is technospeak which goes right over my head :) Basics are what is needed here. The speakers have red and black ports on the bag for bare speaker wires to clip into. Our outputs are the big plugs - like guitar amp plugs, so need to find something that goes between the two, the speakers are Sanyo, there is no model number on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lee Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 If you could post pictures of the speakers (Sanyo are not well known for making PA speakers) and the mixing desk it may well be easier for advice to be given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Sounds to me like they may well indeed be Hi-Fi loudspeakers, rather than the more suitable PA types - but there's no real problem using them. The guitar plug is fine as a description - 1/4" jack plug being the usual description. If you get a couple of these from the local Maplins or music shop, inside you will find they have two places to attach a cable. Make sure you DON'T but the 3 circuit type - like you find on headphones. These have a tip, a ring and a sleeve - a guitar plug has just two, the tip and the sleeve. You can buy jack plugs with screw terminals to attach cable, but soldering is the usual connection method. Get some cheap speaker cable. If the run to the speakers is long, or your amp power low, then get thicker stuff. If the amp has plenty of power and the room is small, then thinner will do. Don't spend a fortune on clever hi-fi stuff. Even mains cable can work fine. The only important thing is that you need to make the polarity of both speakers the same - so the tip of the jack plugs needs to go to the same colour connector on both speakers. It doesn't really matter which, but the both must be the same, or one speaker will 'suck' while the other 'blows' - which makes it sound a bit thin and lacking in bass. That's it. Can't make it simpler. What is certain is that your new speakers may be far too underspecified for your amp. Sanyo are not known for making pro audio, and these speakers could have a maximum power rating of just a few Watts. If your PA system is measured in hundreds of Watts, as is common, then your Sanyo speakers could have a very short lifespan. Hopefully they will have a sticker on the back. Look for something that says Watts RMS, if it says just Watts, or peak power or something like that, then it could be as low as a few tens of 'real' Watts, and frankly, a pile of poo! If you have an existing real PA with mixer, amps, speakers etc, then you may well be better off staying with them. Sanyo do NOT make PA systems, and in honesty, made pretty average home Hi-Fi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhuson Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 NL4MPR. I have found they are not as widely available as you might expect. I have a number of Opus 2x18" subwoofers that need new Speakons and I can't find any. Slightly OT for a moment but VDC are at time of posting showing 78 in stock VDC NL4MPR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete McCrea Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Seriously? What have the done with their website!?! It looks horrible! The old site was ok until the took the pricing off it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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