Brand:

• Neutrik

Models:

• Various Crown and JBL

Overview:

​A guide to Neutrik® Speakon® NL4FC Connector Assembly.

Key points:

For amplifiers, the most popular termination device on professional products has been the dual banana (which incidentally was pioneered by Crown with the DC300 model).  However, recent regulatory requirements in Europe have outlawed the use of the dual banana plug and forced users to terminate speaker  cables with spade lugs or bare ends—an approach that is clearly not advantageous to the customer who wants to reconfigure his system or quickly change out a defective product.  It is possible that similar regulatory controls will appear worldwide over the next few years.  One solution to this problem is to use the Neutrik® Speakon® connector.  Here at Crown, we wanted to develop a system for you that eliminated the need for specialized, time-consuming, interface cables.  The major loudspeaker manufacturers have been using Speakon® connectors for the input termination on their products for several years now, so you can be assured of the connector's reliability in the workplace.  With Speakon® connectors, you can plug straight from the amp to the speaker, and start making those great sounds right away.  The Speakon® connector meets all known safety regulations.  Once wired correctly, the connector cannot be plugged in backwards, causing the type of inverted polarity situations that are common with banana hookups.  It will provide a safe, secure and reliable method of interfacing your amplifier to the load.  Crown's Guide to Neutrik Speakon NL4FC Connector Assembly will take you through the steps for simple and accurate NL4FC connector wiring to fit your specific system and requirements.

Assembly Instructions:

To assemble the Neutrik Speakon NL4FC connector, complete the following steps:

1. Slide the bushing (E) and chuck (D) onto the end of the cable as shown below.*
   
2. Strip approximately 3/4-inch (20-mm) of casing from the cable end.  Strip approximately 3/8-inch (8-mm) from the end of each of the conductors down to bare wire (C).     
   
3. Insert each wire into the top of appropriate slot of the connector insert (B) as shown above.  Use a (1.5-mm) Allen wrench or flat blade screwdriver to tighten the side connecting screws    
   
   

   NOTE: 

   Your NL4FC connector kit should contain both a black and a white chuck.  Use the white chuck for cable with a diameter of 0.25 to 0.5 inch (6.35 to 12.7 mm).  Use the black chuck for cable with a diameter of 0.375 to 0.625 inch (9.525 to 15.875 mm).

    
   1. If the Mode switch is in the “Stereo" position (for stereo configuration), connect the positive (+) and negative (–) leads of each wire to the appropriate Channel 1 and Channel 2 connectors as shown above.  You may use all 4 poles of the Channel 1 output connector to feed both speakers, if you wish.   
      
   2. If the Mode switch is in the “Bridge" position (for mono configuration), connect the load across the positive (+) terminals of the connector as shown above.  For BridgeMono Mode, non-inverting output, Ch1+ is the positive (+) and Ch2+ is the negative (–).     
   3. Never short or parallel the output channels of an amplifier to itself or any other amplifier.
      
4. Slide the connector insert (B) into the connector housing (A), making sure that the large notch on the outer edge of the insert lines up with the large groove on the inside of the connector housing.  The insert should slide easily through the housing and out the other side until it extends approximately 3/4-inch (19-mm) from the end of the housing.    
   
5. Slide the chuck (D) along the cable and insert into the housing, making sure that the large notch on the outer edge of the chuck lines up with the large groove on the inside of the connector housing.  The chuck should slide easily into the insert/housing combination until only approximately 3/8-inch (9.5-mm) of the chuck end extends from the back end of the connector as shown above.     
6. Slide the bushing along the cable and screw onto the end of the connector combination as shown.  Note that the bushing features a special locking construction which will prevent disassembly of the NL4FC connector once this cap is tightened into place.  Before tightening, you may want to test the connector in a live system to make sure it has been assembled properly.