Magic Cable® for pendant loudspeakers
Biamp's Magic Cable is a patent-pending composite cable designed for hanging pendant loudspeakers. The cable has both electrical conductors and structural elements, making it ideal for pendant loudspeaker applications. This article is intended to provide supplementary information on Biamp's Magic Cable, and to detail the compliance advantages that can be realized when specifying Magic Cable. For more detail on product handling and installation, please see the applicable Installation and Operations Guide.
The cable
Magic Cable is a patent-pending composite cable comprised of two stainless steel aircraft cables, two 18 AWG conductors in a separate jacket, and integrated ripcords that allow the installer to easily slice through the cable jackets as needed. The Desono P6 and P6-SM pendant loudspeakers come integrated with an attached 15 ft. (4.5m) of Magic Cable, which allows them to be suspended up to 14 ft. (4.2m) from the ceiling.
Magic Cable can also be purchased in either black or white bulk spools, or precut hanging whips, for extending Desono pendants in lengths beyond 14 ft. (4.2m), as well as installing pendant loudspeaker models without a factory attached length of cable, such as the DP6 and P30DT loudspeakers.
UL Certified
The UL certification logo may look familiar. It's a mark of certification by the Underwriters Laboratories. UL was founded in 1894 and for well over a century has been testing and certifying products for safety, developing more than 1,500 standards, with the intent on making our world a safer place to live and work.
UL Certification provides peace of mind, not only that the product you are working with is safe, but that the manufacturer has considered this safety in the design of their product; often going though rigorous and costly testing, understanding the importance and weight that such a rating holds.
Biamp's Magic Cable is UL 13 Class 3 Indoor/Outdoor rated.
Importance of UL certification
The US National Electric Code (NFPA 70:2020 Section 725.135(K)(1) and Table 725.154) states that when installing products with exposed cable lengths cables, such as hanging pendant loudspeakers, the cable cannot exceed 10 ft. (3m) unless it is Class 3 rated. Most composite cables that include integrated stainless steel members are listed to UL 758 (AWM, or Appliance Wiring Material) and cannot be Class 3 rated, so their length for this application cannot exceed 10 ft. (3m) without obtaining a waiver from the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
Biamp's Magic Cable is listed to UL 13 and is Class 3 rated, so it can be installed at any exposed length. UL 13 is referred to as the Standard for Power-Limited Circuit Cables. With this rating, Magic Cable is “listed for purpose”, meaning there’s no need to seek a waiver if installed longer than 10 ft. (3m).
Biamp's Magic Cable not only affords an easy, safe, and clean looking installation of pendant style loudspeakers, but the compliance advantage of being UL 13 Class 3 rated ensures that an installation can be completed confidently, regardless of ceiling height and/or length of exposed cable.