Speaker leads-- which is + and which is -?

[WinkOsmosis]

I'm trying to use some Yamaha PC speakers that I had dismantled... The left speaker connects to the subwoofer with an RCA cable. It's not in its casing-- just a bare speaker. How can I tell which lead is + and which is -? Is there a standard left and right that all speakers follow? I'm assuming that the insulated wire of the RCA is + and the other one is -.

Edit: Pic

 

[NutBucket]

It doesn't really matter so long as they are in phase.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: NutBucket
It doesn't really matter so long as they are in phase.

How can he get them in phase if he can't tell which wire connects to pos or neg?

 

[Linflas]

He wouldn't have to know as long as he hooks up both speakers the same way ie. shielded wire to left lug on both and center wire to the right on both. Sometimes speakers will have an embossed + and - on that white mounting piece with the lugs or printed on the metal close by.

 

[HiTek21]

You need a multi meter and test for continuity

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Linflas
He wouldn't have to know as long as he hooks up both speakers the same way ie. shielded wire to left lug on both and center wire to the right on both. Sometimes speakers will have an embossed + and - on that white mounting piece with the lugs or printed on the metal close by.

The right speaker is in the casing, and it has a volume control and a switch. It connects to the subwoofer/amp with a ps/2 or svideo type of cable.

 

[StageLeft]

Back track from the elbow socket all the way to the speaker inversion and you can test for synonymity with a diffusion-meter (from radio shack).

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Back track from the elbow socket all the way to the speaker inversion and you can test for synonymity with a diffusion-meter (from radio shack).

MrsSkoorb told him to say that. After all she was the one that installed the car stereo.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Back track from the elbow socket all the way to the speaker inversion and you can test for synonymity with a diffusion-meter (from radio shack).

MrsSkoorb told him to say that. After all she was the one that installed the car stereo.

buuuuuurn!

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Back track from the elbow socket all the way to the speaker inversion and you can test for synonymity with a diffusion-meter (from radio shack).

MrsSkoorb told him to say that. After all she was the one that installed the car stereo.

buuuuuurn!

😀😛🙂

 

[thebestMAX]

If RCA, Outside is always or should be ground (-), signal (+) is pin.

 

[dejitaru]

The anode generally displays the diacritical.

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: aves2k

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Back track from the elbow socket all the way to the speaker inversion and you can test for synonymity with a diffusion-meter (from radio shack).

MrsSkoorb told him to say that. After all she was the one that installed the car stereo.

buuuuuurn!

😀😛🙂

😀😀😀😀

 

[iwearnosox]

Phase is easy on anything but tweeters. Take a 9 volt battery and attach - to -. Briefly tap + to + and the cone will move in towards the magnet.

This is a good trick when you have a wire but can't see how it's attached to the speakers, like in cars.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Phase is easy on anything but tweeters. Take a 9 volt battery and attach - to -. Briefly tap + to + and the cone will move in towards the magnet.

This is a good trick when you have a wire but can't see how it's attached to the speakers, like in cars.

But are - and + on a battery the same as + and - on other stuff? I know the yellow and red cables on a molex connector are called + but they are really negative.

 

[iwearnosox]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Phase is easy on anything but tweeters. Take a 9 volt battery and attach - to -. Briefly tap + to + and the cone will move in towards the magnet.

This is a good trick when you have a wire but can't see how it's attached to the speakers, like in cars.

But are - and + on a battery the same as + and - on other stuff? I know the yellow and red cables on a molex connector are called + but they are really negative.

Yes, they are the same.

Phase is also not an issue unless you have speakers that are out of phase with one another, it creates a bit of a pit in the sound where certain frequencies cancel each other out, making a little 3db "hole" in that frequency range. So even if you wired them out of phase they would be fine, as long as both are wired the same way.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: iwearnosox

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Phase is easy on anything but tweeters. Take a 9 volt battery and attach - to -. Briefly tap + to + and the cone will move in towards the magnet.

This is a good trick when you have a wire but can't see how it's attached to the speakers, like in cars.

But are - and + on a battery the same as + and - on other stuff? I know the yellow and red cables on a molex connector are called + but they are really negative.

Yes, they are the same.

Phase is also not an issue unless you have speakers that are out of phase with one another, it creates a bit of a pit in the sound where certain frequencies cancel each other out, making a little 3db "hole" in that frequency range. So even if you wired them out of phase they would be fine, as long as both are wired the same way.

So the lead I put the + of the battery on to make the cone go outward is the one I should connect to the center pin of the rca cable?

 

[thebestMAX]

.

 

[iwearnosox]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: iwearnosox

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: iwearnosox
Phase is easy on anything but tweeters. Take a 9 volt battery and attach - to -. Briefly tap + to + and the cone will move in towards the magnet.

This is a good trick when you have a wire but can't see how it's attached to the speakers, like in cars.

But are - and + on a battery the same as + and - on other stuff? I know the yellow and red cables on a molex connector are called + but they are really negative.

Yes, they are the same.

Phase is also not an issue unless you have speakers that are out of phase with one another, it creates a bit of a pit in the sound where certain frequencies cancel each other out, making a little 3db "hole" in that frequency range. So even if you wired them out of phase they would be fine, as long as both are wired the same way.

So the lead I put the + of the battery on to make the cone go outward is the one I should connect to the center pin of the rca cable?

It doesnt matter as long as you wire them the same. To know the answer to that question you'd need to tell me the polarity of the other end, though. If you're responsible for the other end's polarity then just wire it as you want.