Speaker Polarity Check With A Household Battery

In audio circles this is a very often used "trick" to determine proper polarity when wiring up your speakers in cases where the terminals aren't marked. Even when the terminals are marked, it might be worth your time to use this test because I have found some cases where the terminals were marked incorrectly.
I just took what we all know and dropped it in to a quick video that will hopefully be useful to newcomers when they are stumped on how to figure out which speaker terminal is positive and which is negative. It is also suggested to use a 9V battery, if you have one on hand, to test subwoofers.
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[@wowchad]

I knew I’d seen this trick in the past, but done w/ a 9v battery. I couldn’t remember if correct polarity pushed the cone in or out so thanks for posting a refresher for me👍🏼

[@rompstar]

9 volt is ok on woofers, but don't use it on tweeters ;)

[@dan9809]

Thank you. You're explanation is very clear and easily understood. That's a great trick. Now I just have to sort through the 16 speakers and find the one making the buzzing noise when I have no sound on. I know it's coming from the Polk speakers because my Carver 505 has separate volume controls for each channel. I got everything for free at different times. My other speakers are JVC and came with one of those old Pioneer stereos with only the green colored light. It has the classic silver front, brown back and like a zillion tubes inside. But that thing has some power. I don't use it anymore because the right doesn't make any sound now. One day it just stopped working on that side. Oh ya. The polk speakers had a built in amp in both, but didn't work. I just feed the wires through both sets on the back (sub & whatever the other one is). But I thought I had more power before. I moved them into a different room and they don't seem to make the floor shake or stuff fall off the shelves in that room

[@milotheaccountant]

Dude thank you so much! I just installed new deck speakers in my car and was thinking "Okay, there's more bass, but i lost all of the midrange and the treble sounds super pokey and harsh". Literally had it set in the head to like max out the bass and remove all highs. Thought i just made a bad choice with the speakers until i found this!

[@LucasVWGolfR]

Great video with basic explanation. I just upgraded the subwoofer fitted to my Audi SQ5 to a Hertz MP165.3 Mille and the factory subwoofer had a green and black wiring loom going to it but absolutely no markings on the speaker or loom as to which was + or -. I took a gamble that the green was + and the black was - (as it made sense to me) and using the test with the battery, I was able to confirm this was correct. Thank you.

[@joeasbury974]

This is also a good test for speaker wiring that is already in cars and to test speaker location.

[@yungskitzo661]

This was very informative 👏

[@8bitsamurai6]

Had to look this up after buying some speakers at the pull it yard and Guy i was talking with ask if I had a battery to test them. Def will carry one with me. Ive heard you can do it with a 18v as well.

[@chrisninoboualouch3185]

Good explanation👍

[@aldiakaroofus]

You're the one that explained this the best way, kudos!

[@chuckshipley9917]

Thank you

[@littlemarv1717]

good information there

[@7eis]

Can confirm on 2015 Toyota proace front door speakers Front left white: positive Front left white: negative Front right white: positive Front right white: negative

[@Rene_Christensen]

There is actually more to this than meets the eye. For a positive DC voltage you want the displacement to be outwards, as shown. But this consequently means that above the driver's resonance frequency, it will move INWARDS for a positive voltage. And that is exactly what you want, because the pressure is proportional to acceleration, not displacement; the two are in opposite phase. It will also immediately move outwards for the applied DC voltage, without first going inwards, because it is a minimum phase system. So while the test is correct, not that many people correctly understand why it is this way.

[@sonibonanza9935]

thank you for support me !

[@deyandimitrov588]

Thanks!

[@tanman7879]

Thank you!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You're welcome!

[@stefanfixni6715]

Thank You, I got better high tones and low tones.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You're welcome!

[@bankroll424]

Will it destroy my amplifier if I leave the speaker wires inside the amplifier while doing this test with a battery? Should I unplug the speakers from amp?

[@beautyofnature5924]

It is very interesting 😅

[@bhataamir1989]

But in headphone little speaker condition 😢

[@rickyrudica5698]

😎👍 Thank you!!

[@avjake]

I tried my car battery. Really improved the excursion.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

But it was awesome to see!

[@mdhsabh]

@@ErinsAudioCorner ...before the smoke!

[@81stefan1]

thanks Erin 👍🏽this is a easy way to check Is there also a way to check the polarity of tweeters ?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks. I've not used it for tweeters but I know some have used a 1.5V battery (like a AA battery). With the minimal excursion they have, though, I'm not sure how easy it would be to tell. An impulse response will tell you but that requires additional hardware and measurement signal.

[@bahamastech1642]

Will wrong polarity cause the deck to get extra hot?

[@richheckelmann]

A simple test with two speakers is face them together playing the same source. If the bass decreases because the phases cancel out then one of then is out of phase or different polarity

[@thefatimasecret3034]

It doesn't matter if you just have 1 speaker. I try to use wrong polarity(inverse polarity) on 2 speakers too. The sound is ok too. Sounds not good if I try 1 speaker with the right polarity and the other one is wrong polarity.

[@littlemarv1717]

thx

[@tariqal-khawaldah590]

Is that work with small speaker that exists inside kids toys

[@timmytfpv7316]

how can i find out polarity of factory wires in the door

[@speedygonzales8253]

Great video 📹 you are saved my time ⏲️ 😀 👍

[@kevineriksson1950]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@Banshee421x]

How does that Audio frog sound like?

[@bill9271]

how can i tell on a vintage soft dome midrange (ADS) speaker that you can't see thru. ?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

The only way I know is to conduct an impulse response and view that. There are also “polarity checker” things. Maybe there’s an app for that now?

[@serafinnieves8137]

I tried that on my car speakers and nothing happened . The battery is new. Does that mean the speaker is no good?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Odd. If the speaker doesn’t move it is likely indeed bad.

[@aLiRazA-sc7tv]

it was not marked on my speaker cables which cable was negative i was using them in reversed polarity before watching this trick...!!

[@hyperphil9782]

What if a very small speakes can you see it in your visual eyes

[@Ironman-BB]

Maybe in very close way.

[@Sclassmercedes]

That will only work on weak speaker .. that won’t do anything to a stiff strong subwoofer

[@ImBeneficial]

I was wondering would this work on a 15 inch subwoofer I found, but just tried and no luck. I think the 9v battery would be the better substitute right?

[@Sclassmercedes]

@@ImBeneficial yes but even if the sub move it can still be partially blown

[@ImBeneficial]

@@Sclassmercedes So just so I'm clear, double A batteries prolly wouldn't move it at all right?

[@Sclassmercedes]

@@ImBeneficial it will but if your sub is beefy for a example 1000 watts or more you might just hear a small thump with no movement .

[@sharonandjoedaldine571]

Thank you