Very nice and cheap Speakon Connectors and Sockets

[Think]

I recently got some very nice speakon connectors and sockets on ebay from china for 1/5 of the price in a European webshop... send to my home free of charge. The connectors at this seller were even send by airmail and here in about a week.



Make sure if there are any import tax or handeling charges for your country before you order!
In Holland you are fine as long as the order and shipping value is below. €22 I just ordered a couple of <$20 packages with a week in between or at an other seller.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I only use Neutrik. It's not like they're expensive, and I've seen instances where knockoffs have suffered failure.

[Think]

I just ordered a few at first to see what they are like and the quality really has really surprised me. There are other speakon connectors on ebay where I can tell by the pictures they are crap..... I have been and still are sceptical with stuff from China, but even my Vectron inverter/battery charger, (which are regarded as the best in Maritime environments and often used in ambulances and other critical stuff) is now made in China (Sweden before) as are many/most(?) amps and drivers.

Neutric's county of origin is Liechtenstein, a tax haven where they probably produce nothing more then stickers. I can't find anything about where they are made, and it would not surprise me they come from china as well.

I only have some very old original neutric sockets to compare to and they look, feel and thus far seem to be of the same quality.

I will report any failures; I have about 50 of both of them now and just ordered a few more.

//edit: I have cabled computers and server rooms in the past and have in comparison not much experience with audio, but I never broke any connector other that it was calculated/expected or while putting a connector on a cable. Is just use stuff where it is made for and have no problems with pulling a straight powercable at its cable from a socket, but don't do this with an angled one, a RJ45/network or speakon connector, because they are not designed for that.

If others buy them, please report your experiences here.

[Bruce Weldy]

I only use Neutrik. It's not like they're expensive, and I've seen instances where knockoffs have suffered failure.

+1

I use nothing but Neutrik. The knock-offs just aren't worth having a show go down because of a few bucks.

[Bruce Weldy]

Most of the Neutrik stuff is built in China, but the design and quality control is excellent.

[Grant Bunter]

The simplest way to see if the knock off is up to the task is to stand on one.
If it falls to pieces or cracks, then, they're no good.

Until I found a source in Australia for genuine Neutrik connectors (not just NL4/speakons but also XLR and 1/4" jacks) at reasonable prices, I used to get knockoffs as well. I did find not all are the same.
Some would not even fit into a genuine Neutrik fitting...

[Think]

The simplest way to see if the knock off is up to the task is to stand on one.
If it falls to pieces or cracks, then, they're no good.
.....

Just did this test with a connector with my 220lbs and size 15 Nike; no problem.

The rubber waterproofing looks like a plus for these compared to the original neutric. I'm also very pleasantly surprised with the screw connectors.

For $1 and $4 (10 sockets) dollars you can try/test them yourself.

//edit: some people seem to solder the cables to the screw connectors or only tin the ends and then screw them on, but both are bad practices!
They will brake much sooner then the only striped and screwed in ones will come loose.

///some other thing: I have been working at a computer company which sold so many 2nd hand / pre used computers, but most of the profit was made with selling cables. A €3.95 networking cable was about 25 cents to buy in bulk. So just as with magical audio cables, don't expect the magic or that price is a good indicator of quality you are getting. Weight is often a better indicator then price.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

If you have screw terminals use them. Do not tin the ends of the wire. Screw connections are quite secure because the copper wire deforms under the pressure of the screw. Tinning the ends makes the wire too hard to deform.

[Think]

If you have screw terminals use them. Do not tin the ends of the wire. Screw connections are quite secure because the copper wire deforms under the pressure of the screw. Tinning the ends makes the wire too hard to deform.

+10 but with these connectors there is a little plate in between the screw and the cable which works even better then regular screw connectors.

[David Raehn]

When you tin wires that are going to be flexed often, the point where the tinning ends is where the wire breaks.

Unless the connector has solder cups (that are far from the strain relief, by design),

Just don't do it.

[Bruce Weldy]

these connectors there is a little plate in between the screw and the cable which works even better then regular screw connectors.

That's exactly how the Neutriks are built....but, from the pics, the terminals on the Neutriks look a bit heftier.

[Think]

these connectors there is a little plate in between the screw and the cable which works even better then regular screw connectors.

That's exactly how the Neutriks are built....but, from the pics, the terminals on the Neutriks look a bit heftier.

What pics? I have been searching quite a long time to get a look at those before I ordered just 4 to see and test them. They are very solid, space is maxed out and the screws are not the well known chinese crap.

I allmost bought them for $3 each, elsewhere but found them a lot cheaper.

A tip to (almost) never brake a connector again: make sure that the strain of a cable on a connector is in the direction the connector is made for. With a straight connector, reces them all the way so that only the cable sticks out or use cable hooks like with servers. Any hook will do, like an screw in or threaded eyelet with a little opening to get the cable('s) in, be creative.

Cable hooks on a serverrack and on the wall.



Other beneficial practices based on my experiences:

Route cables across ceilings whenever you can, hanging on velcro cable ties, tie-raps (?) or pieces of rope is fine and better then tape.

Leave the excess cable on both sides so if has slack on both sides

Use at least duct tape (silver/gray at night for visability) or a rubber cable gutter if anyone other then you, has to cross a cable on the ground.

In some situations it might be more preferrable that a connector comes loose instead of some permanent damage to equipment or our fellow human beings or doings.

//edit: typo

[Bruce Weldy]

these connectors there is a little plate in between the screw and the cable which works even better then regular screw connectors.

That's exactly how the Neutriks are built....but, from the pics, the terminals on the Neutriks look a bit heftier.

What pics?

The pictures on the ebay link that you put in your first post on this thread.....

[Think]

Is the only one which shows a little of them. Are you serious?

[Bruce Weldy]

Is the only one which shows a little of them. Are you serious?

Having built probably 70 plus cables with the Neutrik connectors, the metal on the screw connector looks thinner in the pictures. That's typically where the cheaper connectors are lacking - thinner metal parts and less attention to tolerances....

But hey, maybe you've found one knock-off product that isn't junk. Every time I come across those, I usually end up regretting it. So, I just don't take the chance.