How can I connect 4 speakers in parallel or series using only speakon cables

Simple: You need an amplifier with 4 outputs.

You cannot simply connect speakers in series as it will increase their Impedance rating and best case this will only cause low volume music, worst case damage your amplifier.

If you connect them in parallel this is even worse as it will lower the Impedance rating severely (by half) and surely damage your amplifier.

This is the reason why line arrays work so different from “normal” PAs.

So my advise: If you got only one amp with 2 outputs, use only 2 speakers.

As I said. You cannot and you should not.

I forgive you. I did not recommend this procedure as the original poster seems to be unaware of the impedance setting he is in at all, or he would have included more info already (aka what impedance the speakers have).

Hence I did not want to put up how to calculate all this stuff AND in most cases you void any warranty of all involved products if you pull it off.

So have I done this? Yes I admit I have done such things.

Would I recommend it? Not to anyone, as things can go badly wrong and you will not be covered by warranty and in extreme situations and you blow out the clubs/venues electrical system you might not even be covered by insurance. This is why I see that solution, even if you can calculate the risks, as something for Pro’s only and do not try this without a pro who knows what he is doing. As if things go wrong, they could potentially go very wrong.

Hey Nonso,

Last reply from me in this thread. Pay close attention as I will only say this twice :-).

Assuming all the stuff you are assuming is correct.

2) Serial connection. NEVER. Forget the notion, forget it’s technically doable. Do NOT use serial connection with your speakers (or anybody else’s). Period.

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1) Parallel connection. My turn for assumptions. Your amp has speakon (if not you’ll need banana-plug, bare metal – if you have speaker terminals on your amp or xlr to speakon adapter cables). Your speakers have double speakon.

1) Amp -> speakon cable 1 -> speakon connector 1 on first speaker

2) speakon connector 2 0n first speaker ->speakon cable 2 ->speakon connector (either one) on second speaker.

Repeat for other channel.

Done.

The two speakon connectors on the speakers are already wired to provide parallel connection. So you need no custom cables, don’t need to change anything on the speaker.

Couple of observations:

If your speakers have only one speakon connector, you are gonna need a parallel splitter like this one:

http://www.pulse-audio.co.uk/5051259011434.shtml

You’d hook it up at the end of the speakon cable coming from the amp. Then you run one (short) speakon cable to speaker 1 and the other to speaker 2.

Use 4 identical speakers. DON’t mix and match. Something will break sooner or later. Because even if the impedances match, there could be severe power handling differences and such. Don’t put your gear through that.

Listen to the Pro’s and only do this if and when you are 100% sure you got the correct setup.

As usual, but more so in this particular case, we take no responsibility for any solution given here.

Hope I have answered your question fully, there is nothing more to tell, really.

Greetinx and good luck,

Chuck

This link explains how series and parallel work, however not with speakons. You will need to get the soldering iron out if you want to setup the cables how you want and making assumption that the speaker has both in and through connector points

http://www.bcae1.com/spkrmlti.htm