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Yep, saw that too from JRT over on PETT.
I run Forstner bits through my chucks regularly for easy cable clearance, but I get why they are doing this for safety sake. What I'm curious about is if the new plug fits the old jack, and the old plug fits the new jack?
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I'm pretty sure they are compatible with the original jacks. It would be suicide for Neutrik to force the pro-sound industry to change every jack on their existing passive cabinet inventory to comply with some new standard.
The new ones do fit the original jacks. I bet those special tools aren't completely necessary.
On Full Compass it looks like the OG Speakon is now branded Rean and cheaper. I guess Neutrik moved the molds to China.
FWIW I picked up one of these from Full Compass along with some other things I needed. You can't really open up by hand because the green ring is free-floating. But you can use a pliers wrench to hold the flats and spin it apart.
Otherwise, big changes are grub screws with T8 Torx heads instead of PZ1 screws, and a plastic plate in front of the screw terminals. (You can't remove the lever and allow the set screw to directly pin down the wire.) The strain relief is also different. They seem to have just slightly large wire holes as well, though I haven't taken a caliper to them. A 12AWG with ferrule crimped on - I like to do that because then you don't have potential for stray strands - fits more easily in the new one than the old one. Both can take a freshly-stripped 10AWG wire, at least the Belden one I had on hand. If it's a little janky both will have issues.
For home use I don't see any advantage to the new ones over the old ones, and a big disadvantage in that the colored bushings are gone. (I used the colored bushings to make replacing wiring on wall plates in a 7.1.4 channel system with 4 subs idiot-proof.) Maybe for pro use the multi-pronged strain relief is an improvement, and being harder to open up could cut either way I guess.
I use binding posts + spades here so I don't have a dog in this fight, but thanks for the teardown and report - these things are why I enjoy our community.