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Making a speakon cable for rel sub


Bush thug

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Just wondering how i go about making a speakon neutrik cable for my rel sub.

I am thinking i need a speakon conector that has 4 inputs and use the +1 +2 and -1 also speaker cable should any do from memeory it was pretty thin or is worth going a bit bigger. 

I only need 3 metres so maybe using sonething like the audioquest rocket 11 which has the 4 cales for bi wiring would do. 

Any thoughts or help would be appreciated. 

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I just did this last month. 
I used kimber 8tc.

was worth it as there was a sound improvement I could notice. 
I only needed two cables as my amp is balanced. So it’s very clean and connects via banana, while my speaker cables connect via spades.

Jaycar has the original 4 connector speakercon. Not expensive.

watch the gauge of cable you use. The kimber 8tc just fit.

ill grab details for you shortly.

Edited by haygeebaby
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4 Pole InLine Neutrik Speakon - $14.95 from sources like Jaycar. Type NL4FX

There is another slightly cheaper option but you can tell the Nertrik is better made - and I believe they are industry leaders.

So I went Neutrik.

 

Assembly instructions here - under downloads. Shows the lengths you want to cut for the cable and sheath.

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nl4fx

 

They recommend pozidriv #1 screwdriver but you can get away with a small Phillips - expect some slip.

Small flat head screwdriver works better.

 

Max wire size is 4mm or 12AWG - for the entire plug cavity.

 

There is some discussion about how thick you really need the cable to be since it is just sending voltage.

Stock cable is 24AWG. Some say that is fine.

Some say 18AWG is best.

Who knows - my DIY setup uses 2x9AWG - because I had some spare 8TC and thats what the size was.

 

Connection details: (I think this is right - but double check - I can't take responsibility)

1+ right (red)

1- ground (black)

2+ left (yellow)

 

Good luck

 

 

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Edited by haygeebaby
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Yes - I have the original cable - they are in the pics attached.

Yes - In my setup I did notice better extension and detail over stock cable.

 

I think every situation will be different - as in hifi everything matters and makes a difference - good or worse or different.

Even REL make an upgraded cable and most reviews say there is improvement over stock.

 

What cable you use (copper - how pure, silver), how much shielding, what solder you use if any, what speakon brand, and what termination you use at the speaker terminal side - are all going to make a difference.

 

I'd rank this as a medium size improvement - and worth doing if you DIY and the costs are low.

 

Other areas of improvement will be your power, power cable, power plugs, power fuse, isolation/decoupling, and room placement.

 

Good luck Stephen. Post some pics and your impressions when you are done with your cable.

 

Edited by haygeebaby
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 08/04/2020 at 12:11 AM, haygeebaby said:

I
I only needed two cables as my amp is balanced. So it’s very clean and connects via banana, while my speaker cables connect via spades.

 

@haygeebaby I just made up a similar cable out of some old cord speaker cables but I used an XLR cable as it is an older Sonus Faber Sub with an XLR connector instead of a speakon.  I used two connectors to L and R positive and one to negative.  I have  a pair of balanced monoblocks and a balanced power amp I'd like to try the sub with.  I have seen a few REL guides saying with balanced power amps to only use the two positive connectors and not to use them with monoblocks, but to instead use the line-level inputs.  I'd prefer to use the high-level outputs.  Can using this connector with the ground do any damage to the amps? They are both Electrocompaniet.  Thanks

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Don't know Punkter.

Don't want you to blow up your equipment either. 

But I have tried with and without a ground cable in my setup. And both methods work.

I connect to the ground terminal which exists on Pass Labs amps - specifically for use with subs outlined in their manual.

I don't get hum from the sub when all equipment is switched on.

If I turn the subwoofer on before the power amp - I still get hum - even if I use the ground cable.

But in both scenarios - I get no hum during operation.

 

Are you getting any hum from your subwoofer when using only L and R on the XLR cable you made?

 

 

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Unfortunately, one of my monoblocks has stopped working! It would work at lower volumes and then cut out when I would turn it up.  It was the one with both the positive and negative coming out of it.  It worked ok for a couple of weeks when I disconnected the sub and now has stopped working all together! I'm not sure that it is because of the sub though as previously I had the sub connected with a different cable and it worked fine for a few weeks, it was only when I made up an XLR cable from better speaker wire that it started to have problems.  I'm keen to try again with another power amp that I have (thank god I have a backup!) but am worried just in case the problem is from connecting the sub.  I have tried both with and without the ground and have not had any hum issues.  I thought the ground placement was mainly to deal with any hum issues, so hoping my monoblock not working is just coincidence! As I don't understand how it could get damaged.  I might try speaking to the tech before I plug the sub back into my poweramp, probably without the ground.  Whaddyareckon? 

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On 20/04/2020 at 1:40 PM, haygeebaby said:

 

Don't know Punkter.

Don't want you to blow up your equipment either. 

But I have tried with and without a ground cable in my setup. And both methods work.

I connect to the ground terminal which exists on Pass Labs amps - specifically for use with subs outlined in their manual.

I don't get hum from the sub when all equipment is switched on.

If I turn the subwoofer on before the power amp - I still get hum - even if I use the ground cable.

But in both scenarios - I get no hum during operation.

 

Are you getting any hum from your subwoofer when using only L and R on the XLR cable you made?

 

 

Ok, I've spoken to my tech, and he reckons that the ground shouldn't make a difference except for reducing hum.  I think in this case, not having ground applies to balanced output (Speakers) rather than balanced input (line level), which is what I have.  Is this what you have too?

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Got a cable made up from puresonics for it was not much more expensive for him to do it all for me the whole cable was $107 fitted and delivered for 6m mogami 2921 quad cable it is a xlr cable for a sonus faber sub. Changed subs since started post. I just wraped the tape around the brown cable so i knew which was the negative. 

20200504_163137.jpg

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15885752661498460047552490156959.jpg

15885753017758931477603505877531.jpg

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4 hours ago, Bush thug said:

Got a cable made up from puresonics for it was not much more expensive for him to do it all for me the whole cable was $107 fitted and delivered for 6m mogami 2921 quad cable it is a xlr cable for a sonus faber sub. Changed subs since started post. I just wraped the tape around the brown cable so i knew which was the negative. 

20200504_163137.jpg

20200504_163144.jpg

15885752661498460047552490156959.jpg

15885753017758931477603505877531.jpg

Which sonus sub are you plugging into?

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  • 1 year later...
On 20/04/2020 at 6:17 AM, punkterfuge said:

Unfortunately, one of my monoblocks has stopped working! It would work at lower volumes and then cut out when I would turn it up.  It was the one with both the positive and negative coming out of it.  It worked ok for a couple of weeks when I disconnected the sub and now has stopped working all together! I'm not sure that it is because of the sub though as previously I had the sub connected with a different cable and it worked fine for a few weeks, it was only when I made up an XLR cable from better speaker wire that it started to have problems.  I'm keen to try again with another power amp that I have (thank god I have a backup!) but am worried just in case the problem is from connecting the sub.  I have tried both with and without the ground and have not had any hum issues.  I thought the ground placement was mainly to deal with any hum issues, so hoping my monoblock not working is just coincidence! As I don't understand how it could get damaged.  I might try speaking to the tech before I plug the sub back into my poweramp, probably without the ground.  Whaddyareckon? 

@punkterfuge,

Sorry to jump so late on this thread, but I have a similar configuration to yours, and wanted to check how it went in the end on your side...

 

The subwoofer (Sonus Faber Gravis B1) accepts either RCA (line in) or XLR (high-level) inputs.

I have an all-in-one amp (Aura Note v2 - excellent device though not popular) which I had to extend with a pair of Crimson mono-channel amps, as the sound from a class D on my speakers (Sonus Faber Minima FM2) was too flat (class AB clearly improved the setup, though class A could have been even better).

 

The subwoofer is currently plugged on the line OUT (RCA) of the integrated amplifier, while the speakers are fed from the 2 mono-channel amps.

Going XLR (which I really would like to try for the many advantages it provides) implies using balanced outputs from 2 separate amps not electrically connected (no common ground, etc.), which might be the reason for the issues you experienced...

 

I am quite reluctant trying this road unless you have managed to get your Electrocompaniet fixed (I hope for you) and running well with this "Rel" configuration. I see many examples of 1 sub fed by the channels of 1 bi-channel amp, seems fairly standard, but by a set of 2 mono-channels, I can't seem to find any proper setup instruction...

 

I would really be grateful if you could update on how you went after this misfortune.

 

Thanks in advance & kind regards - Seb

 

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