Speakon versus 1/4"...

TylerDurdenPSSC

TylerDurdenPSSC

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Which route do you take, and why?

Personally, I run a speakon out from my head to cab #1, and if a second cab is neccessary, a 1/4" daisy chain.

But, why are the majority of cabs made with 1 speakon, and 2 1/4"??

Isn't the point of a speakon to retain quality as well as locking security?
 
Speakon sockets are sealed while the second 1/4" socket allows air in and out - which is a bad thing in a bass cab. 1/4" sockets can become 'tired' and 'weak' - and it has been known for them to blow out of high powered cabs while speakons lock in. 1/4" jacks briefly short-out when unplugged which, although you shouldn't unplug while on, it sometimes happens and could damage the speaker (or embarass you on a quiet stage). 1/4" sockets (and sometimes the jacks) have a metal chassis which is part of the return signal - speakons are properly insulated. 1/4" jacks 'encourage' people to use instrument cables instead of speaker cables.

Speakons are better in every way, except price.
 
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hugh and kettner claim the base bass 600 puts out to much power for a 1/4"jack to handle,and to only use speakon cables.As colin said the 1/4"can pop out while playing, had it happen to me on a older cab I had.I thought the amp blew up when the sound just shut off.And I sure unplugging a amp like that when cranked up can't be good.
 
I have both, but always use speakon if i can. My logic is that if 1/4 were better, they never would have invented speakons in the first place lol
 
Then its settled!

Companies can now officially stop installing 1/4" inputs, and start installing 2 speakons instead!

Come on, I mean, it only makes sense!!! Lol.
 
I have a speakon to 1/4 inch only because older amps don't have speakon connectors. I have a 1 foot speakon to speakon on my list of little things to get when i get round to doing my next string order.

But yeh speakon are a lot safer than 1/4 inch jacks + you can't mix em up with guitar leads.
 
TylerDurdenPSSC said:
Then its settled!

Companies can now officially stop installing 1/4" inputs, and start installing 2 speakons instead!

Come on, I mean, it only makes sense!!! Lol.
Click to expand...

But having said that, I love the fact that my profet has a 1/4 jack option because it means i can use the pre-war Peavey amp at the hall where i practice instead of lugging my warwick cab around everywhere.
 
I've been doing some digging, and I found that ibanezs prometheous series do not have 1/4" in/outputs... but then again, discovered that little tidbit shortly after discovering that ibanez even makes bass rigs anymore!!! LOL.
 
Well, you just convinced me on Speakon. Only i discovered that there are different speakon connectros which one should I use? 4-pole? 2-pole? connecting the tc rh450 to a warwick pro 115.
 
2 pole is all you'll need as you're not bi-amping.

From Wikipedia...

Speakon connectors are made in two, four and eight-pole configurations. The two-pole line connector will mate with the four-pole panel connector, connecting to +1 and −1; but the reverse combination will not work. The eight-pole connector is physically larger to accommodate the extra poles. The four-pole connector is the most common at least from the availability of ready-made leads, as it allows for things like Bi-amping (two of the four connections for the higher-frequency signal, with the other two for the lower-frequency signal) without two separate cables. Similarly, the eight-pole connector could be used for Tri-amping (two poles each for low, mid and high frequencies with two unused).
 
I only use speakon... nice to have the jack option though, just in case something happened to the speakon cable (and the spare speakon cable)
 
Speakon definitely, simply on the basis that they are more robust. Bearing in mind that the cables hang. I don't see any risk of a loose connection or anything like that happening. My guitarist is constantly complaining about it, wishing Marshall would update and start using modern components instead the piddly little jack cables and sockets that work loose over time.

Unfortunately I don't think a speakon cable would fit on a bass, so for that reason I use the right angled jack, fed through the strap, and the other end I thread through the rack handle to the input so there's no strain on the cable or socket at that end either.
 
Speakons do have a downside... I was in a band where one of the guys kept ramming the speakons in the wrong way on the PA amps. If you're big and ugly enough (or a drummer) you can jam them in upside down... and they're not coming out again in a hurry!
 
saxonbass said:
Speakons do have a downside... I was in a band where one of the guys kept ramming the speakons in the wrong way on the PA amps. If you're big and ugly enough (or a drummer) you can jam them in upside down... and they're not coming out again in a hurry!
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WHAHAHAAHAAHHAHAHAHA (or a drummer)...... ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!! jam them in upside down - no wonder drummers get all the chicks.

But SRSLY - My Fender TB-600 amp came with a 1/4" jack lead altho it does have two speakon outputs...
I own two 8ohm cabs. How do I best hook them up? Daisy chaning them or having each cab on its own output?
The reason I do not know this is because my old amp only had one output so I never questioned what would be better...
 
DiMarco said:
But SRSLY - My Fender TB-600 amp came with a 1/4" jack lead altho it does have two speakon outputs...
I own two 8ohm cabs. How do I best hook them up? Daisy chaning them or having each cab on its own output?
The reason I do not know this is because my old amp only had one output so I never questioned what would be better...
Click to expand...

It makes absolutely no difference at all. See thread.
 
It might make no difference,but there is one 1/4" jack & one speakon on the back of "Warwick's" current amp range.
To run 2 leads from the head means using one speakon & one 1/4" cable.
Possible?yes.
Less than ideal?definatly.
 
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