Probably is due to market differences. Here the price of the cables (not at retail) is mostly due to the copper (that is getting so expensive), so to the equivalent total section.
While I fully understand your point, I still believe that the improved compatibilty, the possibility to have a bigger equivalent section on the same cable size, the easyness of properly terminating and connecting 4 smaller wires in place of 2 bigger ones still bring advantages to the 4 wired cables on NL4.
It most surely is.
Good insulated cable is conservatively rated at 5A/mm^2 for short (i.e. less than 100 m) runs. Especially if the jacket is not crap 75deg PVC but 105 deg (or more ) PTFE or Silicone. So considering that you ampli is putting something like 100 V RMS at such power you have 1250W. That is CONTINOUS power, the like you hook an electric motor at full load to it.
BTW for my experience a 1.5 Hp motor (about your 1200 W) is normally hooked on 1.5 mm^2 wires, for short cable runs, so you are well on the safe side.
P.S. I realize now that the motor that I am speaking about is 3 Phase, so there is a SQRT(3) line current reduction. I would defenetly go to 2.5 mm^2 for single phase or DC motor.
4 conductor cables will always involve 2 times as many manufacturing steps as 2 conductor cables, and it's harder to jacket 4 wires than 2. Thicker wires have more strands and cost more to make.
If you are pushing 100V into a 4 Ohm load, 12G cable will give you 3V or 4V greater voltage drop than 10G. Considering that you need to go from 100V to 50V to get a 3dB loss in output from a given speaker, a 3V loss is inaudible.
You only need more than 12G for cable runs greater than 100' or loads less than 4 Ohms.
Move your amps closer to your speakers if you need speaker cables longer than 100'.
Putting loads smaller than 4 Ohms on your amps is running on the ragged edge, the domain of the foolish, the desperate or the properly equipped. Keep your loads above 4 Ohms or even better at 8 Ohms, and your equipment and you will breathe easier.
If you are pushing 100V into a 4 Ohm load, 12G cable will give you 3V or 4V greater voltage drop than 10G. Considering that you need to go from 100V to 50V to get a 3dB loss in output from a given speaker, a 3V loss is inaudible.
You only need more than 12G for cable runs greater than 100' or loads less than 4 Ohms.
Move your amps closer to your speakers if you need speaker cables longer than 100'.
Putting loads smaller than 4 Ohms on your amps is running on the ragged edge, the domain of the foolish, the desperate or the properly equipped. Keep your loads above 4 Ohms or even better at 8 Ohms, and your equipment and you will breathe easier.
Correct, sir. But the difference in output remains an inaudible fraction of a decibel.
Connectronics is one of the brands who make 13/4 and 13/8 speaker cables. There are a few other companies who buy the cable made to similar spec and have it labled up to their liking.
At my former employer which was one of the larger sound rental shops in the Northeast, we had according to inventory around 800,000 ft of NL4 and Powercon cables. We used SJOOW for a majority of it. Some was an SO variant, and it DOES fit. It's just tight.
I should add that we did not use the set screw in the connector, everything was soldered.
250ft NL4 was the longest we went, but we had a lot of it. Sometimes it's nessesary. Usually it was smaller cabinets at the end of it for under-balcony or some other type of fill or surround. Very rarely can we put a local amp nearby- there just isn't the space in most theaters.
At my former employer which was one of the larger sound rental shops in the Northeast, we had according to inventory around 800,000 ft of NL4 and Powercon cables. We used SJOOW for a majority of it. Some was an SO variant, and it DOES fit. It's just tight.
I should add that we did not use the set screw in the connector, everything was soldered.
250ft NL4 was the longest we went, but we had a lot of it. Sometimes it's nessesary. Usually it was smaller cabinets at the end of it for under-balcony or some other type of fill or surround. Very rarely can we put a local amp nearby- there just isn't the space in most theaters.
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Possibly the reason is due to many using NL4 before Neutrik decided to make an NL2. The NL4 has been around since the late 1980's.
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