My 2 way bóokselfs sound a little weird, centre image is a bit off, so I check the polarities of both speakers with a voltmeter. It seems that both inputs to the speaker's woofer and tweeter polarities was reversed. The voltmeter needles going backward. I have been told if you measure across the speakers positive and negative terminals, the needle should move forward to the right.
(Both speaker measure the same), could someone with crossover experience give me some guidance on this.
Please see video:
Thank you.
(Both speaker measure the same), could someone with crossover experience give me some guidance on this.
Please see video:
Thank you.
There's no standard for absolute polarity in recordings, so only the relative phasing of the drivers in the enclosure can matter
(as long as both the left and right speaker speaker systems are connected in the same way).
You could try reversing the tweeter polarity in both speakers at the same time, and see if you can hear a difference.
But many speaker systems have rather poor imaging by design, room acoustics, etc.
(as long as both the left and right speaker speaker systems are connected in the same way).
You could try reversing the tweeter polarity in both speakers at the same time, and see if you can hear a difference.
But many speaker systems have rather poor imaging by design, room acoustics, etc.
Chances are, the tweeters are wired in reverse polarity because the system was designed that way. Some crossover setups cause a suckout at the xo point when drivers are wired with the same polarity.
Touch a 1.5v to the speaker inputs, and observe the woofer cone movement. They should move the same direction.
This is correct. by often used practice, but not enforced law, the woofer moves towards the listener when + connects to + and drivers above may or may not be swapped relative to the woofer, but should do the same on both speakers.
Last edited:
The meter is set to DCV, music playing. This is not the way to check polarity.
Set them face to face with heavy bass playing in mono.
If the bass cancels out, the woofers (or the entire speaker systems) are out of phase.
If the bass cancels out, the woofers (or the entire speaker systems) are out of phase.
Tried that and both are correct, but trying to check the tweeters, the movement were too small to detect.
There are different ways you could do this.
Try looking at the back of the tweeter for +/- Follow the wiring. You can check this by measuring a plot of the response by frequency, to see if it is smooth through the cross. Sometimes the reversed polarity will be better (as has been mentioned).
Try looking at the back of the tweeter for +/- Follow the wiring. You can check this by measuring a plot of the response by frequency, to see if it is smooth through the cross. Sometimes the reversed polarity will be better (as has been mentioned).
Once the woofers are the same, there's several remaining possibilities.
One tweeter may be connected incorrect polarity.
Both tweeters are connected incorrect polarity.
Both tweeters are connected correct polarity. (unlikely if it doesn't sound right. )
So... You can swap polarity of one tweeter, and listen.
Swap polarity of the second tweeter, and listen.
Swap both, and listen.
Last resort... measure.
One tweeter may be connected incorrect polarity.
Both tweeters are connected incorrect polarity.
Both tweeters are connected correct polarity. (unlikely if it doesn't sound right. )
So... You can swap polarity of one tweeter, and listen.
Swap polarity of the second tweeter, and listen.
Swap both, and listen.
Last resort... measure.
Tape a ribbon strip of toilet paper or similar over the tweeter to see polarity movement.