General Forum

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Vienna — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:22:34 GMT

Available on a drum of 100m are :

Powerlink Mk 3 (5 pins connected = 4 wires + shield) white
Powerlink Mk 3 (5 pins connected = 4 wires + shield) black

Available on a drum of 300m is :

Powerlink Shielded (all 8 pins connected = 6 wires + 2 separate schields ) grey

Alternativly you can install a Cat 7 cable of type S/FTP (shielded / foiled twisted pairs)

If used as a substitute for a PowerLink-cable it's not the higher bandwith of a Cat 7 compared
to Cat 5 that matters - it's the separate shielding of the pairs that counts in the analog world
of a PowerLink connection!

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

beolion — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 04:38:26 GMT

Yes, it was in a drum, but I am surprised that they are so thin.

But I was told that they dont use them anymore, they use some grey cables now that are as thick as cat5 shielded cables.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

.......... — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:25:24 GMT

Probably fully wired powerlink cable in white from the drum.

When I worked for Bang & Olufsen in installation, this is what we would have used.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Peter — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:39:09 GMT

Probably CAT5 cable at a guess.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

beolion — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:16:29 GMT

During our re-build of the house 2½ years ago, my dealer used some very thin white cables to our rear speakers, and they attached the powerlink connectors afterwards. What kind of cable is that? They can certainly NOT be shielded.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

joeyboygolf — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:34:12 GMT

Carolpa:

@Graham

simple questions:which was earlier the MCL handbook or the ML handbook? Which PL is discribed in the first and which one are in the second?

if PL already existed before the BL3000 etc. which speakers were PL connected?

I see what you are getting at. Yes the fat grey ones were the first.

I am merely stating the convention that has been used on this forum and by B&O over the last 30 years or so.

See here

http://www.beoworld.org/faq_view.asp?id=41

You, however are free to call them whatever you like.

If you order a Mk1 powerlink cable from a B&O dealer, don't expect to get a fully wired version!

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Vienna — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:18:45 GMT

Dear ALL

There are two product lines of PowerLink-Cables - a "fully mounted" and a "thin" product line

My classification as Mk 0 and MK1 are no official B&O terms - just introduced
by me to clarify the course of history ...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THICK - FULLY MOUNTED - VERSIONS (for display data, BLb 5, MCL-2P,...)
CAN BE USED FOR ALL SPEAKERS:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mk 0" - the "Original" PowerLink-Cables from the 80s and early 90s - discontinued mid 90s
- was FULLY MOUNTED
- had diameter of approx 7mm
- can still be used for all previous and recent speakers
- was available in grey and black

"Mk 2" - thinner version of the "Mk 0" - discontinued 2010
- was FULLY MOUNTED
- had diameter of approx 3,5mm
- can be used for all previous and recent speakers

"DOUBLE SHIELDED" - RECENT VERSION

- SHOULD BE USED FOR ALL ISTALLATIONS !
- is FULLY MOUNTED
- has diameter of approx 5,5mm
- can be used for ALL previous and recent speakers
- has improved shielding compared to it's predecessors (and the thin versions)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THIN VERSIONS (NO display data, NOT for BLb 5, MCL-2P,...)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mk 1" - the "ORIGINAL THIN" PowerLink-Cables from the early 90s - discontinued
- 4 pins connected (3 wires + shield) - NO DISPLAY DATA
- had diameter of approx 2,5mm
- can ONLY be used for older speakers like Beolab 6000/8000/4000Mk1
- can NOT BE USED for recent speakers

"Mk 3" - RECENT VERSION

- this version is marked with a triangle / an arrow on the plug
- IMPROVED VERSION of the thin "Mk 1"
- for all current speakers (exept BLb5s)
- can be used for previous speakers NOT REQUIRING display data
- 5 pins connected (4 wires + shield)
- has a diameter of approx 2,6mm
- should only be used to a max lenght of 10m per cable
- should only be used if a thin cabel is MANDATORY

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

jimbojimbo3 — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:14:01 GMT

joeyboygolf - YOU ARE THE MAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Based on the little knowledge i've acquired before, during & after this forum, i will tend to go along with you but Graham is a true 'BEOWORLD'.

Thanks everyone for trying to help.

PS: Where do you find this triangle on on this cable pls.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Carolpa — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:03:41 GMT

@Graham

simple questions:which was earlier the MCL handbook or the ML handbook? Which PL is discribed in the first and which one are in the second?

if PL already existed before the BL3000 etc. which speakers were PL connected?

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Peter — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:48:04 GMT

joeyboygolf:

The thick grey ones were pre the Mk1 when speakers with displays were the only powerlink speakers. They were simply described as powerlink cables at the time. Not many people will have seen these cables or indeed used them and those that have are slowly loosing interest, moving to iPOD or are dead.

Rumours of my demise are however exaggerated!

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Peter — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:45:18 GMT

Happy to agree with Graham. I still think of the original ones as Mk1 which is my mistake - I have quite a few of those which can be used for anything but are very thick.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

Dennis — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:35:50 GMT

Joeyboygolf is the one that's right, MKII is fully wired - And when I asked on the forum which wires I should buy for my Beolab 3000's and Beolab Penta's, the answer was MKII, which I use now with the 3000's and Penta's, and the displays works.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

joeyboygolf — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:56:58 GMT

Carolpa:

joeyboygolf:

Not like you to be so wrong Peter!

Mk1 are the original thin cables, shielding not good but work for most non ICE or display speakers.

Mk2 are thicker (3.5 mm) and are fully wired with good shielding, for speakers with displays and Beolab 5. Also required where switching is required such as MCL2P.

Mk3 developed with more shielding for Beolab 3 and similar ICE speakers to overcome humm. Have triangles on the plugs.

There is yet another developed recently to replace Mk2 which is not yet familiar to me. It has been discussed on the forum.

Joeyboygolf,

Peter is right.

The fully wired cabels are mkI. They originate from the BL3000, BL5000 and Penta mkII series were you need the information data for the displays. Later with the introduction of the BL6000 & 8000 the thinner mkII were introduced.

So, next time I supply a pair of speakers with displays to one of my customers, I will supply Mk1 cables and put him in touch with you when they don't work. OK

You can believe what you like........ but Mk2 are fully wired and for display speakers.

This question has come up at least 50 times since I have been a member of this forum and still people get it wrong or introduce other spurious cables just to confuse the novice even more!!

The thick grey ones were pre the Mk1 when speakers with displays were the only powerlink speakers. They were simply described as powerlink cables at the time. Not many people will have seen these cables or indeed used them and those that have are slowly loosing interest, moving to iPOD or are dead.

Then the thin value models were introduced for Beolab 6000/8000. These were disignated Mk1

The 3.5mm were then introduced as Mk2, fully wired versions for switching applications and displays. they were disignated on the B&O boxes as MkII.

The Mk3 were designed with more shielding than Mk1 to overcome hum problems when Beolab 3 were introduced. They have triangles on the plugs. I suspect they are cheaper to produce than the Mk2 and are slighly thinner, to placate some people who thought the Mk2's looked ugly in some situations. They are not fully wired and do not support displays on speakers or trigger devices like MCL2P.

This is the convention that has been followed since I first became a member back in the Beoworold days that we don't talk about any more. To re-introduce another convention at this time would simply be confusing to those who STILL need to ask the question.

If you ask Lee at LifeStyle or Steve at Soundsheavenly for Mk2 powerlinks you will get the fully wired type.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

jimbojimbo3 — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:40:21 GMT

Hi guys,

'Am still non the wiser - infact, 'am more confused now than i was before entering the forum.

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP.

Re: POWERLINK CABLES !!!

jimbojimbo3 — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:23:43 GMT

That was very helpful.

Cheers all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!