If you have ever received a speaker from a friend or purchased one without marked terminals, you may have encountered a problem when wiring it up. This is because when speakers are wired improperly, they are out of phase, resulting in poor sound quality. While modern DSP can fix this on the fly, it’s still best to make sure your speakers are wired correctly.
The first step is to determine which terminal is positive and which one is negative. If they are not marked, you can use a simple battery to test the polarity of the terminals. In this post, we will show you how to use a battery to test the polarity of a speaker.
To begin, you will need a standard battery, such as a double-A or triple-A battery. These batteries are one and a half volts, so they will not damage your speaker.
Take the speaker you want to test and attach your red wire to one of the terminals. Then, attach the black wire to the other terminal. Clip the other end of your red wire to the positive terminal of the battery and the other end of your black wire to the negative terminal.
If your assumption about which end is positive is correct, the speaker should move outward. If you have the wires flipped, the speaker will move inward. This way, you can easily determine which terminal is positive and which one is negative.
It’s a simple and common trick that many people use to test their speakers. It only takes about five seconds of your time, and it’s well worth it. So, next time you encounter an unmarked speaker terminal, you know what to do!