@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?

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.

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

Carolpa wrote:

@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

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.

Probably CAT5 cable at a guess.

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. 

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.

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!