Which is + which is -

[imported_maviceuk]

I have a small Panasonic amp with white and grey output cables to speakers.

Each pair has one plain and one striped cable (white & wite/black stripe, grey & grey/black strip)

left & right I can check but is stripe neg or pos ?? ....anyone know?


Usual elec convention is stripe is neg but auto doesn't always follow convention !!


cheers

 

[rafA4]

When i run into that i always use the strips as (-) and the plain as (+) and when there are two strip wires i use the primery colors as (+). Try that if you notice that when u hook up 1 speaker and there is more bass than 2 speakers flip the + and - on one speaker that just means there backwards no biggy.

 

[imported_AudiAuto]

I've been told that it won't really make too much difference as long as you have done it the same way on both speakers

 

[richy]

the line is used as a guide but your expensive wire sometimes only allows current to flow one way and so its always worth getting it right...

 

[imported_Yaseen]

[ QUOTE ]
richy said:
the line is used as a guide but your expensive wire sometimes only allows current to flow one way and so its always worth getting it right...



[/ QUOTE ]

I suppose you could check this by attaching a normal AA size battery to the stereo end of the wires and hearing if the speaker 'pops', showing the current has flowed through.

 

[noslojo]

Hey NoggyS3

What to do is keep the connections uniform for that amp ie if you use the striped cable as -ve the do that for both outputs. That's the easy bit as then both speakers will move out and in 'in phase'

The thing you still need to consider is that are the front speakers then 'in phase' with the rest of the system ? There's no hard and fast rule to say that it should be as many competition systems deliberately run certain speakers out of phase to help with the 'sound stage'. So what I'm really saying is it will be down to a little trial and error and let your ears decide. Once you have the easy bit sorted (see previous paragraph) then it's just a matter of swapping the connections over on both front speakers to see if they integrated better or worse with the rest of the system then use the one that you like the sound of most.

HTH

Kev

 

[noslojo]

With regards the directional cable issue, there are some RCA cables etc that should be used in one direction only but that's not anything to do with current only flowing through it in one direction but more to do with the interference protecting properties of the sheilding etc. Electrical current will flow in whatever direction the connected component(s) draw it. It's also whats connected to the cable that dictates how much current is drawn down the cable hence the reason that when you get a short, more current is drawn through the cable (to try and maintain the required voltage level). Obviously cables can only handle so much current and if you pass too much current through it will heat up, the insulation will melt and may cause a fire !
I also know that some audiophiles claim to know when a cable is connected either one way or another due to the way that it was manufactured.
Again it's not that it can only be used in one direction but they say it sounds different depending on which way it is connected and some speaker cable manufacturers do have arrows on their insulation to support this. I don't know of any scientific evidence that would back this up though and feel that it's just another way of trying to justify a high price.

 

[imported_micko2602]

[ QUOTE ]
No_Slo_Jo said:

Again it's not that it can only be used in one direction but they say it sounds different depending on which way it is connected and some speaker cable manufacturers do have arrows on their insulation to support this. I don't know of any scientific evidence that would back this up though and feel that it's just another way of trying to justify a high price.


[/ QUOTE ]
Totally agrree with you on this one.
Ive worked in the electrical/electronic industry for years, most of it with Rolls Royce, and we used hundreds of different types of cable for different circumstances eg current, voltage, heat, resistance etc, but never were we informed or told it had to be connected a certain way. Sounds like another marketing ploy to me.

 

[imported_micko2602]

[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
I always run my speaker cable on a slight incline to get more power to the speakers.

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif

 

[imported_cocain]

[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
I always run my speaker cable on a slight incline to get more power to the speakers.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe you mean decline as this would explain the hi gain settings on your amp set up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif