speaker hook up help please?

[Monsterpop]

hi folks

i just bought a set of M-Audio Studiophile BX5 a speakers
ive somehow managed to expect that they would have phono inputs for hooking up to my Mbox2,but alas not

could anybody tell me whats the correct cables to buy to do that please?

im still confused as to why each speaker has to plug into the wall seperately even! i guess a trip to Frys is required!~~

[bennychico11]

phono I/O is for a turntable
You need 1/4" TRS cables for your speakers....two of them.

you need to plug in each speaker into the wall because they have separate power amps in them. Active speakers need to be plugged into the wall.

[Monsterpop]

hi Benny
thanks for replying mate;-)
im sure you know by now that im a beginner at everything it seems!
i left my turntable back home in Scotland,
so thats one less input to worry about

so,to continue my dumbness,,what does TRS stand for ?
i have habit of buying exactly what i dont need !

[bennychico11]

Tip Ring Sleeve

it has to do with the contacts that are on the connectors. TRS means there is three contacts while TS (tip/sleeve) means there is only two.
TRS cables are used for stereo signals and balanced signals (we're concerned with balanced signals when talking about speakers). TS cables are for unbalanced signals.
truth is you might not find a lot of cables labeled "speaker cable" that are TRS cables. A lot of them are TS...which is just fine too. Over long distances is when you get concerned about using TRS for balanced signals. Here is a TS one http://www.zzounds.com/item--CBISC14

[Monsterpop]

hi again Benny
aaah,,i see;-) basically just like a normal guitar lead plug i guess.
my reason for asking so specifically is that i really seem to be suffering setbacks aplenty just getting myself set up here in the USA!

first i had a while of tryin to be CERTAIN that whatever Mac i got would run the Mbox

then when i did, i had a real hard time getting the authorization code to get it to even run. then i got around to buying monitors from MF,
which were of course broken and had to be returned.
So it was of course my own fault that i expected these new monitors would have stereo phono connectors..DOH!

its very frustrating to have them laying here,
but have no cables to connect up.
wow,pretty expensive for 50 foot cables i see!
thankfully 3 or 4 feet cables will suffice for my set up
if id known, id have ordered some when i got the monitors,
but typically i was clueless~~!

so basically i just need two jack to jack 1/4 inch cables and im set!
Frys is the nearest big store,
so maybe i can ask my wife nicely to drive me there tomorrow after work

i hope they have such a cable!

whats the idea of having the XLR/Mic type connectors on the speakers also ?

[bennychico11]

the XLR is just there for another option. Some people may have XLR outputs on their mixer...or prefer to use XLR for their balanced outputs.

When you go looking for cables (I'm assuming Fry's is an electronics/parts store?...never been to one), just ask for a 1/4" TRS (or TS) to TRS (TS) cable. At whatever length you need. TRS or TS will work fine.
Here's some cheap 3' TS cables: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=241-821
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=241-310

[Monsterpop]

aye,i guess so

yes,Frys is a big electronics place
which seems to be full of people who dont know anything about the stuff they are selling as far as i can see
so avoiding asking any questions is the best option i reckon;-)
i bought an ext hard drive a few weeks ago there,and asked a guy if it was mac compatible

he then proceeded to go online and look on their own website,before admitting that he had no idea;-0
thank you mate, i really appreciate all the help you have given me;-)

im the original clueless newbie, no matter how long i do stuff for

hehe

[Monsterpop]

i ordered those cable from the link you sent me mate,so thanks yet again;-)

cant wait to get some speakers hooked up
as my ears are killin me from headphone abuse!