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Consequences of Reversing Speaker Wire Polarity and Identifying + and - Leads

Stepej 33262 6
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Treść została przetłumaczona polish » english Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu
  • #1 5488313
    Stepej
    Level 12  
    I know that I should always connect + to + and - to -, but I know that if I connect it the other way around, the speakers sound the same. Can something happen to them (or the radio) if they are connected backwards? Is there a loss in power or sound quality?
    What is the rule if I have a two-core cable and one is two-colored and the other one is single-colored, which one will be the plus and which will be the minus?
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  • #2 5488335
    powalla
    Moderator of CarAudio
    Read how the loudspeaker works......


    PS: it is only important that the pairs (L and R) are connected the same way
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  • #3 5488368
    Stepej
    Level 12  
    I read on Wikipedia but there is no answer to my question. Perhaps it is, but it is written too "wisely".
    I would like a simple answer so that I can understand why it is important to connect the cables correctly.
  • Helpful post
    #4 5488390
    flytm
    Level 16  
    if I am connected the other way around, the low tones will cancel each other (no bass)
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    #5 5488416
    maxtz
    Level 27  
    Stepej wrote:

    I would like a simple answer so that I can understand why it is important to connect the cables correctly.

    So, as the saying goes:
    If you connect one speaker correctly and the other the other way around, they will work alternately - one will push the diaphragm and the other will pull it in. This arrangement results in a "shallow" and not full sound. :(
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  • Helpful post
    #6 5488421
    elkard
    Level 36  
    Hello.
    Here is an excerpt from the audio device`s manual.

    Consequences of Reversing Speaker Wire Polarity and Identifying + and - Leads

    Of course, this does not only apply to the subwoofer.
  • #7 5488443
    wasylwek
    VIP Meritorious for electroda.pl
    The omnidirectionality of low-frequency wave radiation is not a sufficient condition for proper interaction of the subwoofer with the main speakers. The assumption of omnidirectional radiation is already met in the range of approximately 300 Hz, but the operation of the subwoofer-satellite system with the crossover frequency in this range is weak, and the acoustic integration of individual ranges is not proper.

    This problem results from the phase relationships between individual loudspeakers that cooperate in processing the entire acoustic band. In a loudspeaker assembly, the loudspeakers operate in a specific electrical and mechanical configuration so that they radiate in phase in the crossover frequency ranges. The wavelength of the 300Hz wave is about 115 cm, which is much longer than the diameter of the diaphragm of even a very large woofer (hence the condition of spherical wave radiation is met), but 1/2 of this wave is only about 58 cm, and at such a distance there is a shift phases by 180º. This means that at a crossover frequency of 300Hz, moving the subwoofer forward or backward, relative to the satellite speakers and the listener, causes a phase shift of 180º within the range where both parts of the system should work in harmony.

    Although we can find many places where it will work properly (interaction with satellite speakers will be in phase from the listener`s point of view), the positioning of the subwoofer is not completely arbitrary. We can reduce this inconvenience and increase the freedom of positioning the subwoofer by lowering the crossover frequency (the interacting waves will be much longer, and it will be more difficult to cause harmful phase shifts, for example 1/2 of a 100Hz wave has a length of about 1.7 m). You can also always reverse the phase of the subwoofer, even if there is no special switch or phase shifter system, by swapping the cables supplying the control signal. So this is not an unsolvable problem, but it is advisable to experiment with the setting and connection method.
    [via some Google link with the entry speaker phase]

Topic summary

Connecting speaker wires with reversed polarity can lead to significant sound quality issues, particularly in bass response, as low tones may cancel each other out. When one speaker is connected correctly and the other is reversed, they operate out of phase, resulting in a shallow sound. It is crucial to maintain consistent polarity across all speakers in a system to ensure proper acoustic integration and phase alignment. For identifying + and - leads in a two-core cable, typically, the two-colored wire represents the positive (+) lead, while the single-colored wire represents the negative (-) lead.
Summary generated by the language model.
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