Combo jacks instead of XLR, 1/4 TRS, or 1/4 TS on Wallplate?

[x00011011]

Is there any reason to put XLR, 1/4 TRS, or 1/4 TS jacks on my studio rooms' wall plates, when I can just use all Neutrix Combo jacks?

I'm considering model: NCJ6FI-S
3 pole XLR female receptacle with 1/4" stereo jack without switching contact, solder cups, Non-PCB
http://www.neutrik.us/en-us/plugs-jacks ... -i-series/

I'm planning on using them for anything you could think of using a XLR, 1/4 TRS, or 1/4 TS jack for.

- Instrument Ins
- Mix Outs to Speakers/Headphones
- etc?

Is there anything you can't use a Combo jack for?

[Soundman2020]

The only place that I would be careful in using combo jacks is for mic inputs, as you could have phantom power on the connector. Inserting a TRS jack into that briefly shorts out the phantom power...

- Stuart -

[LiveWire]

Combos are a plastic body connectors while traditional XLR and TRS connectors from Neutrik are a better quality metal build

[Aaronw]

As long as the XLR and 1/4 TRS are on different cables you wouldn't have any shorts w/ phantom. They have 6 connections on the back of those connectors, so they're isolated. But if you're only use one cable and combining them, then yes, it could be an issue. I would recommend using two different wires on each connector. The only time this might be an issue, is if your console or inputs have two different mic and line inputs. Then you'll want to break it out in the control room if it's hardwired to the console, but aside from that, you should be fine.

[ElCapitan]

I know this is an old thread, but posting this info in case someone comes across it and might find this useful: the bezels on the XLRs are metal, however the inner connector is made of the same phenolic material that the combo jacks are. I’ve never found the combo connectors to be fragile. If you rear mount them, and go with a latchless model, there’s almost zero risk of sheering them off unless you have a cable plugged in and someone is careless... The only downside I can see to the combo connectors is that they’re not a d series punch, and so you may have to go custom with your panels as opposed to the many prepunched d series solutions out there. This is the reason I’ve largely stayed with dedicated XLR/TRS patch points. That said, Redco’s custom panels are really reasonable price wise.