POWERED SPEAKER CABLE SOLUTIONS
Gepco® Brand RunONE™ High-End Power Audio
Cable
Written by: Christopher Gazdic, Engineer, Gepco Brand Products
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1
AUDIO SOLUTIONS
2
LIGHTING SOLUTIONS
3
PA2 CABLE DESIGN
3
INTRODUCTION
With new and improved amplification processing, a lot manufacturers are starting to build
amplifying circuits into their speaker cabinets. These are called Self-Powered Speakers or Active
Speakers. These include subwoofers, two-ways, three-ways, line arrays and more. By doing this,
the need for a separate amplifier for the speakers is eliminated. Self-Powered Speakers are great
for tours, quick setups, DJs, traveling artists, meetings, permanent installations and more.
Traditional Amp and Speaker Setup: audio and power cables connect to the amplifier;
speaker cable is used to connect the amp to the speaker.
Power Cable
Speaker Cable
Audio Cable
Powered Speaker Setup: audio and power cables connect directly to the self-amplified
speaker.
Power Cable
Audio Cable
Self-amplified speakers have an input for power that connects with either an IEC plug or
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Neutrik powerCON connector. Some of these powered speakers even have an output for
power to daisy chain multiple speakers including line arrays or other powered speakers. All of
these amplifiers also have at least one audio channel input. Some even have two or three
channels of inputs with built-in mixers, equalizers and signal processors. Many of these powered
speakers also have an audio output so you can easily daisy chain the audio signal to other
devices or additional powered speakers.
1
AUDIO SOLUTIONS
While powered speakers are great to use and make travel and setup easy, the wiring can be
messy. Not only do you have to run a power cable to each powered speaker, but you also have to
run separate audio cables to each as well. This can create clutter on the floor which looks
unprofessional and can also introduce noise into your signals. With power cables running next to
the audio cables, electromagnetic noise from the power cable can get into your audio cable’s
signal. Most people can hear the annoying 60Hz hum from AC current when power cables are
run next to audio cables. In addition to noise and mess, running separate wires makes setup and
tear down more time consuming.
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The Gepco Brand RunONE powered speaker cable not only solves the issue of having too
many cables on the floor, but it also designed with shielding to protect the audio signal from
picking up the electromagnetic noise that can be introduced from the current in the power cable.
The PA2 cable combines two audio pairs and a shielded three conductor 14 gauge element for
power. It looks professional and eliminates the potential electromagnetic noise in your audio
signal. As an added benefit, running a single RunONE cable, instead of multiple audio and power
cables, saves time for both setup and tear down.
RunONE powered speaker cable not only works on powered speakers with audio, but it can
also be used for stage runs for audio input where power might be needed (e.g., digital drum kits,
keyboards, guitar amps, powered speaker monitors). By using the RunONE cable, you eliminate
the number of cables on the stage and also reduce the chances of electromagnetic noise getting
into your audio signal.
DRUMS
AMP
AMP
AMP
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2
LIGHTING SOLUTIONS
RunONE powered speaker cable can also be used for DMX lighting control. The 110 Ohm
impedance of the audio pair makes it a perfect solution for DMX-512 signals. Instead of running
separate power cords and DMX lighting control cable on the truss to each light, you can run a
single cable that combines the power and DMX lighting control together. For low power LED
lights, you can daisy chain the power and DMX lighting control to each light for better appearance
and easier setup.
PA2 CABLE DESIGN
The PA2 powered speaker cable by Gepco International has a unique design that combines
two pairs of audio with power all under one jacket.
AUDIO: The audio pair is an AES/EBU digital audio twisted-pair that features an extended 25
MHz bandwidth, ultra-low attenuation, mechanical stability and precision 110 Ohm impedance.
With the lowest available attenuation and precision impedance specifications, it allows for longer
runs of AES3 format digital audio over twisted-pair cable, line level audio, microphone level audio
and DMX lighting control signals. The conductors are 24 gauge 7/32 stranded tinned copper with
0.021 inch wall low-density polyethylene. It has a stabilizing polyethylene rod, 100 percent
aluminum/mylar foil shield protection with a 22 gauge 7/30 stranded tinned copper drain wire. It
has an overall polyvinylchloride jacket that is easy to strip for easy quick terminations.
POWER: The power element is a specially designed shielded triad cable that reduces
electromagnetic noise from the current to cross-talk with the audio elements in the cable. The
conductors are 14 gauge 41/30 bare copper with high flexibility, 0.016 inch polyvinylchloride with
a 0.005 inch nylon coating. A 100 percent aluminum/mylar foil shield protection with an 18 gauge
16/30 tinned copper drain wire that connects to the ground during termination to earth ground the
electromagnetic noise. It has an overall 0.045 inch polyvinylchloride jacket.
OVERALL CONSTRUCTION: The PA2 has two audio elements with one shielded power
element with fillers for roundness and increased flexibility. It has an overall 0.073 inch flexible
polyvinylchloride jacket that is extremely durable and flexible in high and low temperature
environments. The overall cable is AWM 2464 listed (Appliance Wiring Material).
3