why don't power amps use 1/4" outs?

[RockNRoling]

How come you can't find many power amps with 1/4" outs any more? Sure speakons and Binding posts are better, but you would think that I wouldn't hurt to still put them in? So now i gotta buy adapters or cut off the ends of my brand new cables to put a banana plug on. Thats just dumb!

 

[Robert S.]

Re: why don't power amps use 1/4" outs?

On high wattage power amps, 1/4" jack connections don't handle the power very well. Speakons are rated for higher wattages and pass current better.

 

[Hellion]

Re: why don't power amps use 1/4" outs?

I had the same answer as Robert S. A quarter inch jack doesn't have a lot of contact area (just that one little point on the tip where the jack meets it) and some of the power amps made today put out enough power to weld with (not really, but you get the idea)! Banana plugs and Speakons are a lot better equipped to handle that load.

 

[Artie]

Re: why don't power amps use 1/4" outs?

. . . and some of the power amps made today put out enough power to weld with (not really, . . .

Actually, you're quite correct. My Crown DC150A will weld. I've got the fat-fingered speaker wire to prove it. :smack:

And the DC150 is the "small" Crown.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: why don't power amps use 1/4" outs?

My Rocktron does, but then again it's a *guitar* power amp, so it only makes sense there to use .25" connectors. I do agree with the contact area thing, but it works out here very well, also it avoids some confusion with accidentily using shielded cable instead of speaker cable ... a classic no-no.
I guess the idea is to avoid confusion in the back of a dark rack ... ie ... accidentially plugging the output of one channel of a power amp into the input of an effects processor ... :saeek: