Owner's Manual SUBWOOFERS XLT, XLTE

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20
Community XLT / XLTE Series Owner’s Manual
6 ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION
6.1 LOUDSPEAKER CABLE
To get the maximum performance from your loudspeaker, copper wire and good quality connectors must be used.
6.1.1 Loudspeaker Wire Gauge
The most important factor in selecting loudspeaker cable is its resistance, which is a function of the wire gauge and
length. You want to keep the total resistance of the cable under 0.2 Ohms. Doing so will maximize electrical
damping (which maximizes the transient performance) and minimize power losses. However, for lengths over 100
feet, the wire gauges needed to meet this requirement are usually not practical to use for both physical and cost
reasons. Therefore, #10 AWG is recommended as the most practical gauge for those situations. TABLE 8 shows the
minimum wire gauges to use for various loudspeaker cable lengths. A larger gauge (lower number) than the
minimum listed is always acceptable. For each cable length both wires in the cable have been figured into the total
resistance.
Cable Length
Minimum Wire
Gauge (AWG) Total Resistance
10 ft (3 m) #16 0.08 Ohm
25 ft (8 m) #14 0.13 Ohm
50 ft (15 m) #12 0.16 Ohm
75 ft (25 m) #10 0.15 Ohm
100 ft (30 m) #10 0.20 Ohm
200 ft (60 m) #10 0.40 Ohm
300 ft (90 m) #10 0.60 Ohm
400 ft (120 m) #10 0.80 Ohm
500 ft (150 m) #10 1.00 Ohm
Note - Metric length conversions are approximate
Table 6: Loudspeaker Wire Gauge Selection
6.1.2 Loudspeaker Cable Selection
For portable applications use two conductor cable made with stranded copper wire having rubber or rubberized,
plastic insulation. Cable that is round will lay flatter, coil up easier, mate with in-line connectors better, and usually
last longer. Cables of various lengths with in-line connectors already attached are available from your musical
instrument dealer. Make sure it is at least the minimum wire gauge for its length as shown in TABLE 5.
If you chose to make your own cables, 2 conductor electrical cable, such as that used for heavy-duty extension cords,
works well. Flat-type cables such as zip or lamp cord are not recommended as they quickly end up badly twisted,
have less rugged insulation, poorer mechanical properties, and do not mate well with in-line loudspeaker connectors.
For loudspeakers, exotic (and usually expensive) audio cable is usually no better than standard electrical cable of the
same wire gauge.
For permanent installations, where speaker wire is permanently fixed in place, it is not necessary nor economical to
use cable intended to be flexed such as for portable use. PVC jacketed or similar, multi-conductor cable is easy to
work with and more economical. An excellent and probably the most economical wire is electrical wire such as
stranded THHN or THWN available in hardware stores and electrical supply houses.
6.2 INPUT JACKS
(See SECTION 6.4 for proper wiring of the connectors)
The XLT and XLTE loudspeakers have jacks that accept two types of connectors: Neutrik Speakons and 1/4 in.
tip/sleeve plugs.