Reverse Polarity

[wired_af]

I was wondering...does wiring up speakers reverse polarity really matter?

Thanks!

 

[Redrig]

yes

 

[VairKing]

yup unless they are mounted inverted, the polarity should be correct...

 

[Robb]

Actually, if you wired them all in reverse, it wouldn't matter at all.

 

[Redrig]

robb, so your saying if i had 4 door speakers and hooked them all up backwards it would be the same as hooking them up normal? but if i wired one reversed and three normal the 3 would sound right but the one reversed would sound distorted?

 

[wired_af]

Ut oh....

What does wiring them reverse do?

I think i wired some of them reverse...I dont hear any bad sound quality or anythin jacked up.

Looks like I will have somethin to do this weekend!

 

[Redrig]

if you did they might be alright thats why im asking robb. you just might need to do them all the same.

 

[wired_af]

Yea...I have reversed polaritied speakers all my life..never noticed anything bad!

 

[Redrig]

what exactly do you mean by reversed polarity. basicaly hooking it up backwards? if so im almost certain that if you do 1 reversed and one normal the reversed 1 will sound like crap.

 

[wired_af]

By reversed polarity i mean hooking the + from the HU to the - on the speaker...and the - on the HU to the + on the speaker.

Thats reversed polarity.

 

[wired_af]

Yup, I have my self a job this weekend.

http://www.prosoundweb.com/live/articles/daverat/polarity.shtml

Tells all about reverse polarity speakers!

:frustrate

 

[MONMIX]

Distortion is not the issue when reversing the polarity in a speaker.
It has to do with the movement of the speaker.
Meaning it goes out when it is soupose to be moving in.
What you deal with then is what is called phase cancelation. Any given sound wave 180 degreese reverse of the same sound wave will become inaudable.

Point being, you want all your speakers doing the same thing at the same time.

 

[onelasttry]

In ported systems it DOES make a difference whether or not you are pushing when you should be pulling. It makes a difference anyway, but most especially in ported systems.

 

[brendan]

MONMIX hit it right on there!

 

[onelasttry]

if anyone is running ported or sealed make certain you are running proper polarity as marked by the amp and the speakers. i'm not talking about both running + and - so they sound in phase with each other, i'm talking about being in phase with the box. this really affects ported boxes that are tuned correctly because there is an audible difference in SPL when you push and pull at the correct time WITH THE BOX, not each other. it primarily affects the ported boxes more because they shift phase and allow the front and the backwave to collide.

everyone agree's that airspace in a box is critical, right?

ok, have you ever seen a sub on a sine sweep bias itself outward on certain frequencies (specifically lower freq's)? (if you haven't, go look, it will) This is what happens when DC get's in the signal. Certain higher frequencies induce a DC effect, as do lower one's. certain amps simply don't filter well and allow dc in the signal path. By running the sub(s) opposite of the polarity the amp and sub state, you are firing the bias into the car instead of the box.

Now if airspace is critical inside a box, firing the wave out of the box rather than into the box means that you are using the car side of the box rather than the chamber side for certain resonant frequencies. This decreases SPL on certain notes.

If you want a little test, reverse your leads on your amp (not one channel, all of them) and play a few bassy, yet overall challenging, songs at mid volume, then upper volume. you will notice a difference at the frequency the box is tuned at. On some it won't be terribly obvious, on others it could mean a db or two.

The most common comment on rephasing the amp is "i get a little better/deeper low tone's".

Give it a shot if you are not certain your subs and amp are perfectly inline with each other. Proper phase of the speaker makes all the difference in the world, but proper phase of the sub and amp to the box can really bring out the potential in your system.

Good luck!

 

[snobrder9186]

Uh Oh...

Wait a sec, how do you know if you wired your speakers in reverse polarity? I just installed my new Infinity's, and they sound good, but I am using the stock multicoloredp ) speaker wire. Is there like a test I could do to see if I have them hooked up wrong? Thanx

 

[onelasttry]

if they are in phase with each other, your ok. subs are mostly affected because they are totally dependant on resonance and focused on lower frequency spl.

Mids primarily just need to be in phase with each other and your good to go. if you got bass, you all good.

 

[MONMIX]

Although costly there are meters you can use. You play a CD that has a click program it will send tow positive pulses and one negative pulse the meter reads it accordingly. I have two but I can not loan them out.
Check your local yellow pages under " Sound Systems "
look for the guys who do concert systems or instal systems. Most of these guys will have a polarity checker around the shop. Offer him twenty if you drive by his shop and get him to check it.

Just not on a Saturday. We tend to be very busy on Saturdays

 

[wired_af]

Re: Uh Oh...

Originally posted by snobrder9186
Wait a sec, how do you know if you wired your speakers in reverse polarity? I just installed my new Infinity's, and they sound good, but I am using the stock multicoloredp ) speaker wire. Is there like a test I could do to see if I have them hooked up wrong? Thanx

This website will show you how to check you polarity:

http://www.prosoundweb.com/live/articles/daverat/polarity.shtml

Basicly you use a 1.5v AA battery and touch the wires from one speaker to the + and - of the battery. If the speaker cone moves in, the polarity is reverse, if the speaker cone moves out its wired correctly.

Thats what I did, 3 were reverse ....and its all fixed now!