wiring one speaker out of phase

[bigfish786]

Still wired up out of phase. To my right side speaker. Since doing this the bass has been transformed. That’s using three different amps in the space of a week.

 

[WayneKerr]

Still wired up out of phase. To my right side speaker. Since doing this the bass has been transformed. That’s using three different amps in the space of a week.

How very weird... but if it suits then

 

[AJM1981]

I'm thinking if your speakers where wired out of phase you'd have a "hole" in the centre of your soundstage

i once miswired my old B&W's and the effect was indeed a gap in the bass region. So when the bass is ok, it is probably not miswired indeed.

 

[Gray]

Still wired up out of phase.

...Christmas or no Christmas, I'm coming round with a meter soon - if I have to walk 🤨

Seriously, you can't be out of phase, surely.

 

[nopiano]

Still wired up out of phase. To my right side speaker. Since doing this the bass has been transformed. That’s using three different amps in the space of a week.

Then it must be one speaker driver was wired up wrongly, or maybe the terminals themselves. Out of phase mid and top just sounds ‘woozy’ and vague, but out of phase bass simply cancels and fades away.

As you report firmer bass, then at least the bass drivers are together. Do you have a test record, CD or similar to try?

 

[bigfish786]

Then it must be one speaker driver was wired up wrongly, or maybe the terminals themselves. Out of phase mid and top just sounds ‘woozy’ and vague, but out of phase bass simply cancels and fades away.

As you report firmer bass, then at least the bass drivers are together. Do you have a test record, CD or similar to try?

my thoughts are that the internal wiring of one speaker has been done wrong. When I’ve looked inside the internal wiring is blue with no markers On for positive or negative. So it could have been a simple mistake. Whatever has happened, my speakers now sound great with the wiring as it is.

 

[WayneKerr]

Just performed an experiment with my speakers and wired them out of phase... good god, awful is the only word for it, no central image and very very strange bass. If I had taken delivery of them in this condition they would have been returned pronto... possibly my amp too.

 

[bigfish786]

I’ve done a bit of research on this, so was curious to find if my speakers were wired correctly, so I went and bought a 9v battery to check. I took the cables from the amp on both speakers and tapped them on the battery. The speakers both moved forward when I did this, so they are both in phase, I’ve connected them back to the amp and now they sound fine the right way round. Got me wondering if I’d connected them wrong on the amp? But if I had, I did it on all three amps that I used 🤷‍♂️ who knows. I’ll just keep checking so I’m 100% sure everything is set up right.

 

[nads]

This is why I like cables that have a trace or a different profile for rack wire. Makes putting the coloured banana plugs on easier.

good to hear you have it sorted now.

 

[bigfish786]

This is why I like cables that have a trace or a different profile for rack wire. Makes putting the coloured banana plugs on easier.

good to hear you have it sorted now.

I’m hoping so. everything is wired up correctly, and sounds alright. 👍

 

[Gray]

I went and bought a 9v battery to check.

If ever there's a next time, whip a 1.5v. out of a remote control and use that instead.

(Put your 9v one in a smoke detector).

 

[WayneKerr]

This has been a very interesting thread. Had me scratching my head, and I still am Problems like this is what this forum is for

 

[bigfish786]

This has been a very interesting thread. Had me scratching my head, and I still am Problems like this is what this forum is for

You are not the only one scratching his head. When I wired one speaker out of phase I was expecting a drop in bass but got the opposite.
I’m working away for a few days now, but I’ll continue experimenting when I get back.

 

[bigfish786]

When I got home, I did the out of phase test again, and to my surprise I got the opposite effect as last time, so theoretically I have the system setup correctly now. I may have accidentally wired the speakers out of phase last time, but I’m now convinced I’ve got it right this time.
Now playing around with speaker positioning as the Musical Fidelity amp is a completely different beast to the marantz so I’m trying to find the sweet spot for this combo whilst testing a new XLR cable too.
Loving it.