Speaker wire polarity.

[Michael A. Terrell]

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.


--
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

 

[David Naylor]

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

 

[CJT]

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.

 

[Arfa Daily]

It only matters if one of the speaker leads is grounded at the speaker.

This is absolutely correct. There is no issue with " + " or " - ". The
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]

.... 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.

 

[Dave Plowman (News)]

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.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

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.

Having the speakers as close and even as practical is always a good idea.


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 [email protected] London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

--
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

 

[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.

 

[CJT]

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.







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.

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)]

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.

 

[ChrisCoaster]

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.


--
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

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

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?


--
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

 

[Leonard Caillouet]

Come on guys, chill.

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

 

[Dave Plowman (News)]

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.


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).

 

[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:

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 .........

 

[Arfa Daily]

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 .........

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)]

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 .........

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.;-)