How would you do powered pa speaker cables?

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

I have a powered pa speaker and a mixer. There are "powered speaker cables" available (pair of cables made together, one AC power, one shielded XLR). However, they are EXPENSIVE!

If you were to do a separate XLR cable, with a separate AC cable (say 50 ft each) how would you join them side by side?

I have electrical tape, because of the sticky black residue.

Reason I am asking is a XLR cable and a plain AC extension cord are much cheaper.
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Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

I would not run them side by side, but rather keep them as separate as the venue allows for.
Reason is that even if you're dealing with low impedance drivers and well-shielded cable for the powered speakers, having the audio cable run perfectly parallel with a power cable of that length there will be some degree of "crosstalk" from the power cable.

Jim Park · From: Carson City, Nv

Scott, I do exactly what you are talking about when I do sound. I use 2 mains and 3 monitors and don't have any problems, but you must use XLR cables to not have issues. The reason for that is called Common Mode Rejection, whereby the X talk is in both signal conductors and is phase cancelled, and the pure signal is the only thing amplified in the speaker.

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Maybe my demands with regard to crosstalk noise are higher, but I would not rely on that both the ballanced output of the driver (in the mixer) and the input in the powered speaker are well-balanced enough to keep crosstalk at zero.

Keeping audio and power lines separate, is such a simple, and cheap, solution...

Michael Maddex · From: Northern New Mexico, USA

Scott, first let me say I totally agree with Georg on keeping the cable runs separated. However, if that is not possible or otherwise desirable, as it seems in your case, then I see at least three possibilities for joining the cables. First, for cheap, I would consider twist ties. Second, maybe use nylon cable ties. Last, and probably longest lasting, I would use short sections of heat-shrink tubing.

HTH. Good luck and let us know what you do.
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Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Here's why I am asking...

I can buy this "powered speaker cable" which runs $95 to $120 for a 50 footer... so two runs would be $180 - $240.

Or, I can buy two 50 foot mic cables for $38, plus two 50 foot AC extension cords for $24. That's two 50 foot runs of "powered speaker cable" for $62.

And the "pro" cable is nothing different electrically, other than both cables are sheathed together.
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Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Yeah, they look neat, but that's all there is to them - and the higher cost.

Jim Park · From: Carson City, Nv

Scott, your idea will work just fine .......it's exactly what I did....... And I have no problems at all. I even found some adapters to go from reg 110 to computer plug and taped them together. They were under 5 bucks a piece. I have even thought about getting a 7 conductor cable in bulk and building some custom length ones

Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Intresting observation. I've only a couple "dumb" questions to throw in this mix...aren't speaker cables generally "non-shielded" and mic cables "shielded"? How will this affect the sound quality and lifespan of your powered speakers, running mic cables(high resistance), as apposed to speaker cables(low resistance)? Please excuse my ignorance, if this is not applicable to the OP? Thanks

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Powered speakers don't receive speaker-level signals.
They have their own power amps, so they receive line-level signals and (in this country) 120VAC in another plug
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Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Edward, "powered speaker" means the power-amp is built in with the speaker, thus a powered speaker gets fed a line-level signal - in Scott's case from a mixer. Such "powered speakers" can have their signal fed through long and thin cables - type microphone-cables (or twisted pairs for that matter), as there is no speaker to drive through that cable.

Joseph Carlson · From: Grass Valley, California, USA

Can't beat $1.99:

http://www.harborfreight.com/household/cable-ties/8-in-black-cable-ties-100-pk-60263.html

Michael Butler · From: California, USA

have you checked monoprice.com?

you may be able to get what you need and fairly cheaply.

play music!
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Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

Thanks Georg, that clears that up for me. I'll admit, I've minimal experience with powered speakers...

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Better to power the speakers from outlets close to them, if you can. The shorter the power cables, the better.
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Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Well, I think I have decided to use the braided wire loom, or the spiral loom. Thanks for the replies.
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