Tom Adams Posted May 30, 2001 Share Posted May 30, 2001 Many moons ago I came across a trick to determine speaker polarity using a 'D' or 'C' cell battery. If the + & - side of the battery was connected to the + & - taps of the speaker, the speaker cone would move outward. However, if the + & - of the batery were connected to the - & + of the speaker, the cone would move backward. I believe I'm recalling this correctly. So, my question is this, can the same type test be done to my RS-3's without doing harm to the horn? The reason I ask is that I have a sneaking suspicion I've got the polarity wrong albeit wrong on both speakers (I hope that makes sense). Anyhow, I am planning to tear my system down in order to introduce my new Mitsu widescreen TV into the fray and would like to make sure my in-wall wiring job is correct without having to take my RS-3's down. TIA Tom Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted May 30, 2001 Share Posted May 30, 2001 Noting that if you have BOTH speakers hooked up, uh, "backwards", then they are polarity correct with respect to EACH OTHER, which is the biggest issue. Whether this way round or that way round is "polarity correct" with respect to the music is a stickier issue... there's no absolute reference for which way the signal is laid down on a CD or vinyl... depends upon how the mics where hooked up, and how many stages in the mixing / mastering console the signal went through. In many multi-mic masters, there is no correct polarity, because the engineers didn't insure that each track was laid on tape with the same polarity as all the other tracks. You can try flipping the leads on BOTH speakers and see if you hear a difference... minimally miced (micked? Miked?), uh, recordings that use a minimal number of microphones will tend to show you a greater difference when you flip the polarity around that will multi-track / multi-miked rock and pop stuff... Yes, the battery will work, but only on the midwoofer. You won't be able to determine anything about the tweeter connections, being down in the throat of the horn. Even if you can see the drivers, they're going to move suce a small amount that you're not going to be able to see the motion. By the way, you may need to use a 9 volt battery to get sufficient excursion to be able to see it. It'll make a *pop* when you touch the leads, but the current is so small you won't hurt anything. Of course, this is coming from someone who has absolutely no credentials regarding the engineering of the RS-3s, so maybe you ought to wait till BobG or someone pipes in here and says that it's okay and won't hurt anything... Ray ------------------ Music is art Audio is engineering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BobG Posted May 30, 2001 Share Posted May 30, 2001 The test is fine. Just don't keep the battery connected for more than an instant. The thing about batteries is they'll deliver lots of current if given a low enough impedance. Ever carry a 9v battery in your pocket and have it come into contact with a coin? It'll light you up! Ray's point about absolute polarity is accurate. The key is to have all the speakers correctly wired with respect to each other. Do the test so that the cones of each speaker move forward when battery + is touched to speaker + (and - to -). Then everything will be cool. Sometimes, it may be possible to hear absolute polarity. That is, when the original recording mic sensed an air compression (vs. rarefaction) that the speakers create an air compression in your listening room. In my experience, with naturally recorded material, in pure 2-channel mode, proper absolute polarity seemed to have more dynamic punch and a bit tighter focus to the image. Of course, this could all be psychoaccoustic as I had no means to perform double blind confirmation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted May 30, 2001 Share Posted May 30, 2001 An excellent way to make sure your speakers are in phase with each other (sometimes the red and black input leads on the back of the speakers are wrong) is to place each speaker face-to-face about two inches apart. If the phase is correct, you will definitely hear bass with appropriate music (hint: don't use harpsichord music for the test). If the phasing is wrong, you will hear almost no bass due to the destructive interference created by the out of phase drivers. I always check any pair of speakers I aquire with this test to insure I'm in phase. You never know, especially with used speakers, somebody may have been tweaking and inadvertantly reversed the input leads, or possibly even an error at the factory. Klipschguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted May 30, 2001 Author Share Posted May 30, 2001 Thanks guys for all the great info (as always). As for the subject of absolute polarity....while I certainly don't possess a "golden ear", I also don't have a tin ear. (side bar: last hearing test I took had the audiologist asking me if I come running when someone uses a dog whistle. I said no, but I do roll over on my back when my belly is rubbed). Anyhow, having had my Heresy's for many years and listening to certain songs, there have been times recently with my latest speaker set-up that something just didn't seem right. Maybe it's just a perception thing. Then again, maybe not. But my gut (ear?) tells me that all is not quite correct. And yes it's more prominant with 2ch. recordings (which due to 5ch. stereo I listen to less & less). Add to this my anal retentive nature and you get the picture - a nagging thought about whether everything is precisely hooked up. Some how I get the feeling many of you reading this know what I mean. So, in order that I'm able to sleep at night and to save my marriage from certain doom (ok, so I'm overly dramatic), I'm probably gonna go back thru all my wiring (especially the in-wall stuff I did during new construction) and all the speakers. Using a 9v battery. For an instant. :-) Thanks guys. Tom Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seb Posted June 1, 2001 Share Posted June 1, 2001 *amateur pitching in* You know, there are many DVDs you can rent or maybe already have (if you have a DVD player, which I suppose you do since you use 5ch. stereo sometimes, implying a multichannel audio/video setup) with the THX Optimode series of tests on them. One of the tests tests the polarity of all the speakers rel. to each other. Might be of some use. DVDs I can think of that have those tests... Fight Club, Terminator 2 Ultimate Edition, Toy Story 2 Pack, and... My memory is failing. At 20 years old. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted June 1, 2001 Share Posted June 1, 2001 Seb - We've missed you. Where have you been hiding -- the Pro Media forums? Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seb Posted June 3, 2001 Share Posted June 3, 2001 hah... thanks dougdrake for noticing... i've actually been hiding on the 3dfiles.com bulletin board, a 3D oriented computer bb... that's because I just bought a new computer and needed some info, then I got hooked on PCs again, ect... but now I'm back here for good, because I'm getting a job as a salesperson in an audio/video store, so I'll need all the technical backing I can get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted June 4, 2001 Share Posted June 4, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Seb: but now I'm back here for good, because I'm getting a job as a salesperson in an audio/video store, so I'll need all the technical backing I can get! Of course, we'll be looking for some great deals in exchange ... D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seb Posted June 5, 2001 Share Posted June 5, 2001 haha! sure... and since the store (of course) carries Klipsch... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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