Rowley Birkin QC Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Not being really clued up on these sort of things I wondered why (and there's obviously good reason) most amp/cab manufacturers specify using speaker cables to hook up the cab/s to the head and not instrument cables? I know they are wired differently, but what would be the result of using instrument cables as opposed to speaker cables? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 They're not wired differently. The problem with instrument cables is that the wires are too thin to work reliably with an amplified signal. You have a thin inner core and a shielded 'braid' around it. A speaker cable is unshielded and has two nice hefty cores inside it. It's a little bit like trying to use a couple of lengths of speaker wire to jump start a car - it'll do it but those cables are gonna get mighty warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obbm Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Instrument cables are designed to carry signals of millivolts and milliamps. Because the signal is so small the cable is co-axial i.e.a central conductor with a surrounding grounded sceen around the outside to prevent unwanted intrusion of inerference. The conductor sizes are small. Speaker cables are designed to carry signals of volts and amps. The conductor sizes are large to handle the hefty signals but there is minimal chance of interference so the cable can be simple twin-core. Connect a guitar to to an amp with speaker cable and you will get a load of microphony and feedback due to the lack of screening. Connect a speaker to a bass amp with instrument cable and you run the risk of cable melt-down and the resultant decimation of the amp output stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 I can't add to the good explanations above, except to note that this is a very fair question and one encouraged by equipment makers using the same connectors for very different signals - something that would be considered very bad practice in almost any other areas of electronic equipment. Fortunately, speakon connectors seem to be increasingly used for speaker cables and one can only hope this trend continues to the point where the use of 1/4 inch jacks for speakers completely dies out - though I suspect I'll die out before that day comes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1334180640' post='1612333'] Fortunately, speakon connectors seem to be increasingly used for speaker cables and one can only hope this trend continues to the point where the use of 1/4 inch jacks for speakers completely dies out - though I suspect I'll die out before that day comes! [/quote] Just be thankful nobody thought to use IEC mains connectors... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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