Speaker wire polarity.
FOAK
stay with me.
I am changing speakers in my car and I wish to verify the polarity of
the speaker
wires themselves.
I don't need advice in determining the polarity of the speakers, just
the wires that lead to
the speakers.
Thanks in Advance!
Charles Schuler
"FOAK" <jacobs...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1166300529.5...@16g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
Not sure that I understand what you want to do. I'll guess that you want to
identify the wires because they are not marked or coded in any way. If you
have a voltmeter, you can connect a AA cell at one end and then measure the
dc polarity at the other end.
Arfa Daily
"Charles Schuler" <charle...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:cq2dndxNIuGLwBnY...@comcast.com...
identifying mark(s) on them. Are they individual wires, or a piece of twin ?
If twin, there will usually be a stripe on one wire, or text printed along
the sleeve, or a difference in the sleeve profile between top and bottom, or
even the strands inside may be different colours - gold in one conductor,
silver in the other. If it really is two absolutely identical wires, then
you will need to get at both ends, and use a battery and meter as suggested
by the other poster. Alternatively, you can connect to the speakers with no
regard to polarity, then use at 1.5v cell at the far end. The speaker cone
will move either out or in. So long as you then pick one wire to arbitrarily
be "+", and arrange for the same direction of cone movement on the other
speaker, to arrive at a similar arbitrary "+", then your speakers will end
up correctly in phase with one another.
Arfa
w9gb
ARE YOU ASKING FOR WIRE COLOR USED?
WHICH ONE USES THE RIB IN ZIP CORD? or
WHAT?
gb
FOAK
>
> ARE YOU ASKING FOR WIRE COLOR USED?
> WHICH ONE USES THE RIB IN ZIP CORD? or
> WHAT?
>
> gb
I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
to the negative terminal?
Charles Schuler
Does not matter ... just be consistent with all the speakers.
CJT
If you have stereo, the left and right channels should be consistent.
If one of the speaker terminals is grounded at the speaker, you need
to connect that one to whichever terminal at the radio is grounded.
--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.
FOAK
> >
> > I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
> >
> > One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
> >
> > Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
> > to the negative terminal?
>
> Does not matter ... just be consistent with all the speakers.
I'm only replacing one speaker. The speaker terminals are marked + and
- .
(The old speaker has no markings on it.)
The wire pair is marked, one wire is a solid color, one wire is
striped.
There must be some way to determine polarity.....
Charles Schuler
>
>
>> >
>> > I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
>> >
>> > One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
>> >
>> > Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
>> > to the negative terminal?
>>
>> Does not matter ... just be consistent with all the speakers.
>
> I'm only replacing one speaker. The speaker terminals are marked + and
Well, then just connect it and stop worrying!
CJT
>
>>>I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
>>>
>>>One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
>>>
>>>Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
>>>to the negative terminal?
>>
>>Does not matter ... just be consistent with all the speakers.
>
>
> I'm only replacing one speaker. The speaker terminals are marked + and
> - .
If that's the only speaker, then "polarity" is irrelevant.
If you're replacing one speaker in a stereo system, then connect
it consistent with the other one. That means determining the
polarity of the other speaker, which you can do with a 1.5 volt
battery. But you already said you don't need help with that.
>
>
> (The old speaker has no markings on it.)
>
> The wire pair is marked, one wire is a solid color, one wire is
> striped.
>
> There must be some way to determine polarity.....
>
FOAK
> >
> It doesn't matter. Electrons can't see the stripe. But ...
>
> If you have stereo, the left and right channels should be consistent.
>
> If one of the speaker terminals is grounded at the speaker, you need
> to connect that one to whichever terminal at the radio is grounded.
>
I just did some checking, speakers use ac, correct? At least in home
speakers do.
If my car speakers use AC then polarity should mean very little, as in
I
won't fry anything???? That's my main worry, destruction thru reverse
polarity.
For the speakers in question I am using the striped wire to connect to
the
minus terminals on the new 5 1/14 inch speakers. They sound fine and
a lot better than the old ones.
Charles Schuler
> I just did some checking, speakers use ac, correct? At least in home
> speakers do.
Yes and yes.
> If my car speakers use AC then polarity should mean very little, as in
> I
> won't fry anything???? That's my main worry, destruction thru reverse
> polarity.
No, nothing will be fried except your ears and brain if you play it too
loudly.
> For the speakers in question I am using the striped wire to connect to
> the
> minus terminals on the new 5 1/14 inch speakers. They sound fine and
> a lot better than the old ones.
With stereo speakers, they should be in-phase ... if they are out-of-phase,
there will be cancellation of the lower frequencies ... but no frying!
johnr...@hotmail.com
Charles Schuler wrote:
<snip>
> With stereo speakers, they should be in-phase ... if they are out-of-phase,
> there will be cancellation of the lower frequencies ... but no frying!
Actually the OP was saying car speakers. If they are in the doors or
facing each other (one in the dash the other on the rear, they need to
be out-of-phase. If they are side by side, then they need to be
in-phase. And Charles is right - if you get it wrong all those lovely
bass notes will be reduced. So just try it one way then the other, and
if the bass sounds better one way - wire it that way. And like Charles
says - no frying, as they are AC.
HTH,
John
Bob Shuman
I personally would make sure the polarities are the same on both (in phase)
since this is the way the music was originally recorded to be played back.
Bob
<johnr...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1166320540....@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
CJT
What he said.
Michael A. Terrell
>
> Why would you want them out of phase if on facing doors? Explain.
>
> I personally would make sure the polarities are the same on both (in phase)
> since this is the way the music was originally recorded to be played back.
Try it for yourself. If they are facing each other and in phase the
sound waves create a dead zone where they cancel out. If you reverse
one side they are aiding each other. When they are on the same wall the
effect is reversed. What is real fun is when someone puts speakers
along all four walls for paging, and you can't hear anything in the
center of the room. Sometimes you want a dead zone, and if you can
place the phase the speakers properly it is amazing. I installed a
sound system in a high school football stadium about 30 years ago. They
told me they wanted to be able to use a live microphone from goal post
to goal post for the band. It worked so well that the coaches from
visiting teams never failed to complain, "My boys can't hear your PA
system!" I would jusT smile and tell them to "Teach your boys to play
ball, not to listen to the game". Losing coaches have no sense of
humor, but the school was thrilled with the way it worked.
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
Dave Plowman (News)
FOAK <jacobs...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I'm only replacing one speaker. The speaker terminals are marked + and -
> (The old speaker has no markings on it.)
> The wire pair is marked, one wire is a solid color, one wire is
> striped.
> There must be some way to determine polarity.....
They usually have different sized terminals.
--
* What do they call a coffee break at the Lipton Tea Company? *
Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
Dave Plowman (News)
<johnr...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Actually the OP was saying car speakers. If they are in the doors or
> facing each other (one in the dash the other on the rear, they need to
> be out-of-phase.
Not so.
> If they are side by side, then they need to be
> in-phase.
At least that bit's correct.
--
*I get enough exercise just pushing my luck.
Dave Plowman (News)
Michael A. Terrell <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Try it for yourself. If they are facing each other and in phase the
> sound waves create a dead zone where they cancel out. If you reverse
> one side they are aiding each other. When they are on the same wall the
> effect is reversed. What is real fun is when someone puts speakers
> along all four walls for paging, and you can't hear anything in the
> center of the room.
I'd suggest you actually try this. You just don't get cancellation in the
centre. You will if the speakers are so close as to near touch one another.
--
*I finally got my head together, now my body is falling apart.
Dave Plowman (News)
FOAK <jacobs...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
> One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
> Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
> to the negative terminal?
It's most usual to identify the negative.
--
*He who laughs last has just realised the joke.
Michael A. Terrell
>
> In article <4584BF3D...@earthlink.net>,
> Michael A. Terrell <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Try it for yourself. If they are facing each other and in phase the
> > sound waves create a dead zone where they cancel out. If you reverse
> > one side they are aiding each other. When they are on the same wall the
> > effect is reversed. What is real fun is when someone puts speakers
> > along all four walls for paging, and you can't hear anything in the
> > center of the room.
>
> I'd suggest you actually try this. You just don't get cancellation in the
> centre. You will if the speakers are so close as to near touch one another.
I replaced a system like that at Microdyne while I worked there
becasue you couldn't hear any of the speakers in the center of the
room. I replaced them with a grid of ceileing speakers, all in phase.
The sopund level was even all over the 200 foot by 200 foot building
whin I finished.
BTW: I owned, and ran a commercial sound business for over 20 years.
David Naylor
Check carfully on your factory speakers sometimes they are marked
iehter with a + sign or a dab of paint.. The guy that said it does not
matter must be one of our customer that keeps sending in his radio with
blown outputs
CJT
It only matters if one of the speaker leads is grounded at the speaker.
Arfa Daily
"CJT" <abuj...@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:4585CBDC...@prodigy.net...
> David Naylor wrote:
>
>> Charles Schuler wrote:
>>
>>> "FOAK" <jacobs...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:1166307361.3...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
>>>
>>>> \
>>>>
>>>>> ARE YOU ASKING FOR WIRE COLOR USED?
>>>>> WHICH ONE USES THE RIB IN ZIP CORD? or
>>>>> WHAT?
>>>>>
>>>>> gb
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
>>>>
>>>> One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
>>>>
>>>> Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
>>>> to the negative terminal?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Does not matter ... just be consistent with all the speakers.
>>>
>> It Most certainly matter. in MOST cases the striped one is negative Check
>> carfully on your factory speakers sometimes they are marked iehter with
>> a + sign or a dab of paint.. The guy that said it does not matter must be
>> one of our customer that keeps sending in his radio with blown outputs
>
> It only matters if one of the speaker leads is grounded at the speaker.
>
terminals could be arbitrarily called " OMO " and " DAZ ". Provided that
there is no grounding at the speaker end, radio " + " could happily be
connected to speaker " - " and vice versa. For stereo, they should both be
connected the same way round because of phase cancellation in the bass, as
already pointed out, but that is the only caveat. If someone is bringing in
a radio with blown outputs, unless one terminal of his speakers is grounded,
then reversed connections is most certainly not the reason. If, however, he
is feeding the high level inputs of one of those nonsense 4 gigawatt amps,
then there may just be an issue, but even those usually have floating
inputs.
Arfa
Farticus
where the solid or striped wire goes on that speaker, + or -. Connect new
speaker accordingly. If the new speaker is not maked +, then connect a 1.5v
cell to the speaker. If the cone pushes out then the terminal connected to
the plus of the 1.5v cell is the positive (+) terminal of the speaker.
Q.E.D.
"Dave Plowman (News)" <da...@davenoise.co.uk> wrote in message
news:4e969b2...@davenoise.co.uk...
Dave Plowman (News)
Michael A. Terrell <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > I'd suggest you actually try this. You just don't get cancellation in
> > the centre. You will if the speakers are so close as to near touch one
> > another.
> I replaced a system like that at Microdyne while I worked there
> becasue you couldn't hear any of the speakers in the center of the
> room.
So complete cancellation? Care to put a figure on it? I'd say for complete
cancellation from a reasonable level you'd be talking about 40+dB. What
about reflections?
> I replaced them with a grid of ceileing speakers, all in phase.
> The sopund level was even all over the 200 foot by 200 foot building
> whin I finished.
Having the speakers as close and even as practical is always a good idea.
> BTW: I owned, and ran a commercial sound business for over 20 years.
And I've installed hundreds of temporary PA rigs.
--
*A nest isn't empty until all their stuff is out of the attic
Michael A. Terrell
>
> In article <45857980...@earthlink.net>,
> Michael A. Terrell <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > > I'd suggest you actually try this. You just don't get cancellation in
> > > the centre. You will if the speakers are so close as to near touch one
> > > another.
>
> > I replaced a system like that at Microdyne while I worked there
> > becasue you couldn't hear any of the speakers in the center of the
> > room.
>
> So complete cancellation? Care to put a figure on it? I'd say for complete
> cancellation from a reasonable level you'd be talking about 40+dB. What
> about reflections?
Reflections from what? We are talking about a production floor with
over 100 workbenches at odd spacings, some with an enclosed back and top
shelf, others that are open, with the test equipment stacked on heavy
utility carts. It wasn't a studio or auditorium where you can do a quick
and dirty layout. Even a 20 dB drop with hundreds of fans running, the
sound is completely masked. The only way to get the sound where it was
needed was from overhead, in a rough 20" * 20" grid. Some variations
were required to place some speakers between rows of benches so two
groups could hear and not be blasted out of their seats. It was a
background music and paging system, not a rock concert.
>
> > I replaced them with a grid of ceileing speakers, all in phase.
> > The sopund level was even all over the 200 foot by 200 foot building
> > whin I finished.
>
> Having the speakers as close and even as practical is always a good idea.
>
> > BTW: I owned, and ran a commercial sound business for over 20 years.
>
> And I've installed hundreds of temporary PA rigs.
You set up temporaries. If you install them they are permanent.
I've had days were I started at 4:00 AM and didn't get home till
10:00 PM running from town to town providing sound from portable
systems. I've also spent weeks installing systems in very noisy
factories while in a work basket 30 feet off the floor and over 110
degrees while someone drove a propane forklift for each step of the new
wiring and each speaker. Try installing a system in a paper mill or
corrugated box plant while it's running at full capacity. 40 years of
it, starting at 13 years old.
> --
> *A nest isn't empty until all their stuff is out of the attic
>
> Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
> To e-mail, change noise into sound.
CJT
> ... its stereo, right? Just check the other speaker in the vehicle, check
> where the solid or striped wire goes on that speaker, + or -. Connect new
> speaker accordingly. If the new speaker is not maked +, then connect a 1.5v
> cell to the speaker. If the cone pushes out then the terminal connected to
> the plus of the 1.5v cell is the positive (+) terminal of the speaker.
> Q.E.D.
I don't think that is standardized, so you would need to check BOTH
speakers.
>
>
> "Dave Plowman (News)" <da...@davenoise.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:4e969b2...@davenoise.co.uk...
>
>>In article <1166307361.3...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>,
>> FOAK <jacobs...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I have two wires coming from my radio. The wires go to the speaker.
>>
>>>One wire is a solid color, the other wire is striped.
>>
>>>Which one goes to the positive terminal on my speaker and wich one goes
>>>to the negative terminal?
>>
>>It's most usual to identify the negative.
>>
>>--
>>*He who laughs last has just realised the joke.
>>
>> Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
>> To e-mail, change noise into sound.
>
>
>
CJT
When you two are through trying to figure out whose is bigger, you might
realize that you're talking about two different things -- car stereo vs
high ambient noise system.
Dave Plowman (News)
CJT <abuj...@prodigy.net> wrote:
> When you two are through trying to figure out whose is bigger, you might
> realize that you're talking about two different things -- car stereo vs
> high ambient noise system.
Anyone who has ever investigated a car setup - or installed their own -
will know that speakers mounted in doors are wired in phase. Which tends
to make other pronouncements from a source who says that's wrong equally
as suspect.
--
*When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty*
ChrisCoaster
FOAK wrote:
> I know this one will be too easy for some of you but I'm a newbie so
> stay with me.
>
> I am changing speakers in my car and I wish to verify the polarity of
> the speaker
> wires themselves.
>
> I don't need advice in determining the polarity of the speakers, just
> the wires that lead to
> the speakers.
>
> Thanks in Advance!
_____________
Simple way to determine polarity for any speaks:
Grab a 9-volt battery(or even a bulky 6-V lantern deal). Place one
speaker lead to the + and one to the - terminal. Watch - or have
someone else watch if speaker is too far away - the movement of the
cone driver as you remove and re-touch the + terminal. If the cone
pushes up(or out as the case may be) the polarity, or "direction of
motion" is positive.
You want all your speakers to move in the positive direction - that is,
into the passenger cabin.
regards,
-CC
Michael A. Terrell
>
> When you two are through trying to figure out whose is bigger, you might
> realize that you're talking about two different things -- car stereo vs
> high ambient noise system.
Do you always come to a gun fight with nothing more than an empty
cap pistol? I could forward all those Viagra ads to you, if it would
help you grow one.
Michael A. Terrell
>
> In article <45860DFE...@prodigy.net>,
> CJT <abuj...@prodigy.net> wrote:
> > When you two are through trying to figure out whose is bigger, you might
> > realize that you're talking about two different things -- car stereo vs
> > high ambient noise system.
>
> Anyone who has ever investigated a car setup - or installed their own -
> will know that speakers mounted in doors are wired in phase.
Yes stereo car radios and tape players. I also installed a handful of
Quad 8 track tape players in cars, back in the '70s. Car radios and
home stereos were part of the commercial sound division for the shop I
worked for. I probably installed over 250 car radios and stereos while
I managed that division. it was fill work, between the big commercial
jobs.
> Which tends
> to make other pronouncements from a source who says that's wrong equally
> as suspect.
Right. And just who are you? A couple hundred posts from 1999?
Leonard Caillouet
Civility in debate is a desirable attribute. I know that is perhaps heresy
on a usenet group but most readers do beleive it.
No one at this point can even sort out what your points were. All that it
has become is a pissing match. Drop it it you don't have some points to
make. Speaker phasing is just not that hard to figure out, and certainly
not worth all the fuss.
Leonard
"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:4586F2FA...@earthlink.net...
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Dave Plowman (News)
> Quad 8 track tape players in cars, back in the '70s. Car radios and
> home stereos were part of the commercial sound division for the shop I
> worked for. I probably installed over 250 car radios and stereos while
> I managed that division. it was fill work, between the big commercial
> jobs.
> > Which tends to make other pronouncements from a source who says that's
> > wrong equally as suspect.
> Right. And just who are you? A couple hundred posts from 1999?
I'd suggest you check maker's installations before sounding off. And then
refund all the money you ripped off from your customers.
It's quite easy to test your theory at home by turning your Hi-Fi speakers
so they face one another. And place your head between them to see if the
sound disappears (with a mono signal).
--
*A closed mouth gathers no feet.*
FOAK
> _____________
> Simple way to determine polarity for any speaks:
>
> Grab a 9-volt battery(or even a bulky 6-V lantern deal). Place one
> speaker lead to the + and one to the - terminal. Watch - or have
> someone else watch if speaker is too far away - the movement of the
> cone driver as you remove and re-touch the + terminal. If the cone
> pushes up(or out as the case may be) the polarity, or "direction of
> motion" is positive.
>
> You want all your speakers to move in the positive direction - that is,
> into the passenger cabin.
>
> regards,
>
> -CC
So far so good, allow me to restate the situation:
1996 Dodge Caravan, replacing front speakers only at this time.
Original speakers are unmarked, new ones are marked + and - .
So far so good.
Am now about to attach wires. Do the solid color wires go to the
pos terminals and the striped wires go to the neg terminals?
Just wondering .........
FOAK
> _____________
> Simple way to determine polarity for any speaks:
>
> Grab a 9-volt battery(or even a bulky 6-V lantern deal). Place one
> speaker lead to the + and one to the - terminal. Watch - or have
> someone else watch if speaker is too far away - the movement of the
> cone driver as you remove and re-touch the + terminal. If the cone
> pushes up(or out as the case may be) the polarity, or "direction of
> motion" is positive.
>
> You want all your speakers to move in the positive direction - that is,
> into the passenger cabin.
>
> regards,
>
> -CC
So far so good, allow me to restate the situation:
Arfa Daily
Let's just say " yes ". It ain't gonna go bang, as you were worried about,
as long as one of the terminals is not connected to the frame of the
speaker, and the speaker is not also screwed direct to the metal of the
door - just to be clear, that's BOTH conditions together. It's probably
gonna sound fine. All of the car radios I've ever seen, with speakers in the
doors, have been factory wired in phase, but if you feel that you are
getting echo-y, thin sound, just reverse one of them. Again, no bangs to be
had. Just as an aside. If the sound cancels in the middle of the vehicle,
how would you know ?? All of the standard road vehicles that I've seen have
seats offset to the sides ...
Arfa
>
Dave Plowman (News)
> 1996 Dodge Caravan, replacing front speakers only at this time.
> Original speakers are unmarked, new ones are marked + and - .
> So far so good.
> Am now about to attach wires. Do the solid color wires go to the
> pos terminals and the striped wires go to the neg terminals?
> Just wondering .........
It's most unusual for speakers not to be marked in some way. Are the
terminals the same size? Car speakers in this neck of the woods have
usually got one 1/8th and one 3/16th spade terminals. But if not other
posts here give the method of checking using a AA cell, etc.
There are conventions for speaker wiring colours in cars but it's a
question of knowing which one your maker followed - if any.;-)
--
*Always drink upstream from the herd *