[Julf]

What is the purpose of the little connector on the XLR which isnt one of the pins?

Chassis/shield of the connector itself.

[Julf]

I will leave it for now. Soldering the XLR was easy enough, though I dont really fathom how to make it look neat with the sheild and everything, but I am really struggling with the speaker terminals. I cannot ge the solder to take onto it, all Im doing it making a massive mess and covering the wire in more and more solder. What do I do?

Any pic? Sounds like you either have incompatible metals or a solder iron that isn't up to the job.

[zenpmd]

I finally did it (both amps), but very messy, here is an example...!

I have left nampon and input cable longer because Ghent Audio are making some speakeron backs soon so I will replace these and need the extra cable to do it. When I do do it, how should I run that cable to the back of the case? Any things to avoid?

http://s2.postimg.org/5gkv2jaah/IMG_20150514_162445.jpg

[*Scotty*]

You're right the solder joints don't look pretty. You should grasp the wires and wiggle them to see if they stay attached. It appears that you could easily have cold solder joints. If this is the case then they will sound bad and be unreliable. You may need to purchase a Weller gun and reflow the solder joints.
Scotty

[poseidonsvoice]

You're right the solder joints don't look pretty. You should grasp the wires and wiggle them to see if they stay attached. It appears that you could easily have cold solder joints. If this is the case then they will sound bad and be unreliable. You may need to purchase a Weller gun and reflow the solder joints.
Scotty

I agree with Scotty. Sometimes with speaker terminals if you've got an adjustable soldering station like a Hakko 936, I just turn the temp all the way up as the brass speaker posts need to be fully heated up and then solder should be applied, or else you end up with cold soldering joints which are unreliable and sound awful. A Weller soldering gun is also a possibility like Scotty said,  although somewhat awkward to use into a smaller enclosure.

Do you have anybody around you who can double check your work? 

Best,
Anand.

[Atlplasma]

I agree with Scotty. Sometimes with speaker terminals if you've got an adjustable soldering station like a Hakko 936, I just turn the temp all the way up as the brass speaker posts need to be fully heated up and then solder should be applied, or else you end up with cold soldering joints which are unreliable and sound awful. A Weller soldering gun is also a possibility like Scotty said,  although somewhat awkward to use into a smaller enclosure.

Do you have anybody around you who can double check your work? 

Best,
Anand.

Wouldn't you also advise using a clip on heat sink to protect the nonmetal parts of the terminal?

[*Scotty*]

A heatsink on the legs of a small part is sometimes required, but shouldn't be necessary when soldering to a binding post. The idea is that you can put enough thermal energy into the relatively small area where you wish to attach a wire that you will be able melt the solder and get the joint made before you have heated the entire piece past the melting point of the plastic parts. An iron like the Hakko 936 can put heat into its tip faster than the piece being soldered to can take it away. It has a relatively low amount mass that is heated very quickly, the the Weller gun has a lot of mass that pretty much stays hot enough to do the job no matter what.
If you have to use the gun you will have to make your solder joints from the inside going outwards following a procedure rather than doing the soldering in a hap-hazard manner. Even while using an iron like the Hakko 936 you will sometimes have resort to using a set procedure of soldering in order to avoid a situation of not being able to there from here. In other words the next solder joint can't be done because everything soldered before it has made it inaccessible and you can't get the iron in there to make the solder joint.
Scotty

[Julf]

http://s2.postimg.org/5gkv2jaah/IMG_20150514_162445.jpg

Ams I seeing right - do the speaker cables leave the nc400 speaker output terminals outwards (away from each other)?

[zenpmd]

That is correct. Is that bad?

[ZAKski288]

Maybe a better way is to not solder at all.  Drill a hole and wrap wire around binding post.



Also change the way your speaker wires come out of the amp. Both from the inside of the screw terminals. ZAK

[zenpmd]

Why don't you just wrap around on the inside?

[Davey]

Why don't you just get the right tool for the job and solder them correctly.....as mentioned above.

My goodness, what a silly-ass connection scheme that is.

Dave.

[ZAKski288]

Why don't you just wrap around on the inside?

Zenpmd , you actually use the binding post to clamp the wire from the amp, and the wire to your speakers together. Bare wire or spades, works great ZAK

[zenpmd]

But you could do that on the inside, under the screw?

[srb]

But you could do that on the inside, under the screw?

The idea is that the amp speaker output wire and the speaker cable are directly clamped together without needing to conduct through a high mass brass alloy binding post.  Not saying one way or the other whether there is an audible difference, but that's what they're talking about.

Steve 

[zenpmd]

Ah got you - so bare wire even on the end of the speaker cables?I'd be slightly worried about things working loose and making a rogue connection

[rif]

I think you're overcomplicating this. 

IEC ground to the chassis

Ground and shield to the XLR and that to the chassis. 

Done. 

At the chassis connection point for safety ground, doesn't the chassis paint/anodized also need to be sanded away?

[zenpmd]

At the chassis connection point for safety ground, doesn't the chassis paint/anodized also need to be sanded away?

I did, to make sure the connection was good:

http://s14.postimg.org/4idzuvjhd/IMG_20150514_100149.jpg

http://s10.postimg.org/ydwlvn5yh/IMG_20150514_100154.jpg

[Julf]

That is correct. Is that bad?

Yes. That is another thing Bruno has repeatedly warned about. You want to minimize the loop formed by the untwisted part of the speaker output wires, as they are connected directly to the feedback circuit.

ZAKs picture shows how to do it right.

[zenpmd]

Where were those statements made? Nothing in the data sheet. Its quite tough to feed them both from the inside like that.

Would putting them in the same direction (whic is easier to feed) improve the situation at all?