Fitting Speakon connectors to Hartke cab

[SisterAbdullahX]

I hope to be getting a nice new Genz Benz amp soon, and since I don't have the cash for a new cab as well I was wondering how easy it would be to convert the jack input on my Hartke 4.5xl to Speakon, as I've heard it much improves the performance of the amp/cab. Any ideas/diagrams?

[Spartacus]

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='545045' date='Jul 20 2009, 12:25 AM']I hope to be getting a nice new Genz Benz amp soon, and since I don't have the cash for a new cab as well I was wondering how easy it would be to convert the jack input on my Hartke 4.5xl to Speakon, as I've heard it much improves the performance of the amp/cab. Any ideas/diagrams?[/quote]

Its easy to do. Rarther than enlarge the holes in the Hartkes input plate its easier to get a new one with the right size cutout for a speakon socket as theyre larger than a jack. Try [url="http://www.cpc.co.uk"]CPC Farnell[/url] or [url="http://www.bluearan.co.uk"]BlueAran[/url] or a Maplin near you. You can also get speakon sockets and readymade combined sockets and plates from CPC and BlueAran.

You need to decide if you want a 2 pole or 4 pole socket. 2 pole is usually for mono cabs or 4 pole for stereo or biamping. Helps to remember that 4 pole plugs will only fit 4 pole sockets, but 2 pole sockets will fit 2 pole or 4 pole plugs, so id fit a 4 pole socket in case you ever need to use a 4 pole lead.

The cabs internal connetions need soldering to the +1 and -1 terminals on the speakon socket, usualy white or hot to +1 and black or ground to -1.

[SisterAbdullahX]

[quote name='Spartacus' post='545105' date='Jul 20 2009, 08:40 AM']Its easy to do. Rarther than enlarge the holes in the Hartkes input plate its easier to get a new one with the right size cutout for a speakon socket as theyre larger than a jack. Try [url="http://www.cpc.co.uk"]CPC Farnell[/url] or [url="http://www.bluearan.co.uk"]BlueAran[/url] or a Maplin near you. You can also get speakon sockets and readymade combined sockets and plates from CPC and BlueAran.

You need to decide if you want a 2 pole or 4 pole socket. 2 pole is usually for mono cabs or 4 pole for stereo or biamping. Helps to remember that 4 pole plugs will only fit 4 pole sockets, but 2 pole sockets will fit 2 pole or 4 pole plugs, so id fit a 4 pole socket in case you ever need to use a 4 pole lead.

The cabs internal connetions need soldering to the +1 and -1 terminals on the speakon socket, usualy white or hot to +1 and black or ground to -1.[/quote]


Cheers for that, Sparticus. Just one more thing, the 4.5 has the 5" speaker in it, so obviously there'll be a crossover in there, so I'll need the 4 pole, right?

[Spartacus]

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='545148' date='Jul 20 2009, 10:09 AM']Cheers for that, Sparticus. Just one more thing, the 4.5 has the 5" speaker in it, so obviously there'll be a crossover in there, so I'll need the 4 pole, right?[/quote]

No, youd only need to wire the 4 pole to feed the tweeter and woofers seprately if you were using a biamp head like a GK. The internal crossover splits the signal for you so you only need a 2 pole. but id recommend using a 4 pole just in case you ever end up using a lead with 4 pole connectors.

[SisterAbdullahX]

[quote name='Spartacus' post='545162' date='Jul 20 2009, 10:33 AM']No, youd only need to wire the 4 pole to feed the tweeter and woofers seprately if you were using a biamp head like a GK. The internal crossover splits the signal for you so you only need a 2 pole. but id recommend using a 4 pole just in case you ever end up using a lead with 4 pole connectors.[/quote]


You're an absolute top man!