Am I harming my equipment ???

shaggyb
shaggyb Posts: 4
edited October 2007 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
The speaker wire I ran for my rear surround speakers did not have any sort of markings on the sheathing to help me determine a positive vs negative wire. The wire was run above the ceiling drywall in my basement, so it would be almost impossible to trace it back to keep one marked as a positive lead.

I want to hook up my new surround speakers, but am concerned that I may cause damage to them not konwing if the signal is crossed (negative feed from receiver to positive input on speaker, etc.)

AM I AT RISK OF DOING PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO MY EQUIPMENT, OR AM I SIMPLY LOSING SOUND QUALITY ???

I know the easy answer is to get new/better wire, that would have a marking or color coding of the wires to determine polarity. I was on a tight budget when I made my wiring decision (No excuse...I know) and admittedly tried to cut corners....(Now I pay for that choice)

Any information owuld be greatly appreciated
Post edited by shaggyb on
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Comments

  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited October 2007
    No, you will not harm anything.

    Pick up a Fox and Hound, find a used one, borrow one from work / a friend and you can get it squared away in no time.

    http://www.mcminone.com/product.asp?product_id=74-335&catalog_name=MCMProducts

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited October 2007
    No damage, just polarity. If you had a multi meter that would reach, you could check that way.

    Hook your surround wires to you reciever's left and right front speakers. Switch reciever to stereo. Turn on music, check polarity.

    Or if you had DVE or AVIA disk. Real easy to check.

    When you get it right... MARK IT!!!!
    Monitor 7b's front
    Monitor 4's surround
    Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
    M10's back surround
    Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
    Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
    Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
    Harman/Kardon AVR-635
    Oppo 981hd
    Denon upconvert DVD player
    Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
    Mit RPTV WS-55513
    Tosh HD-XA1
    B&K AV5000


    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • shaggyb
    shaggyb Posts: 4
    edited October 2007
    I guess I am not to sure what I am supposed to do ???

    Am I checking for current ?? What exactly will the multimeter show me ?? What am I looking for ??

    Please help !!!!
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  • bigaudiofanatic
    bigaudiofanatic Posts: 4,415
    edited October 2007
    use a volt meter and on one end hook up a 9v battery than go to the other end use the volt meter which ever one is + mark it than go back to the battery and mark the wire that was hooked up to +. there ya go I do it all the time.
    HT setup
    Panasonic 50" TH-50PZ80U
    Denon DBP-1610
    Monster HTS 1650
    Carver A400X :cool:
    MIT Exp 3 Speaker Wire
    Kef 104/2
    URC MX-780 Remote
    Sonos Play 1

    Living Room
    63 inch Samsung PN63C800YF
    Polk Surroundbar 3000
    Samsung BD-C7900
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  • shaggyb
    shaggyb Posts: 4
    edited October 2007
    I found a different trick online using a 9v battery, and hooking it up to the ends of my wire runs (at the receiver). If the woofer jumped out when connected, thw wires were hooked up correctly, but if if jumped in, then it was reversed. i used this to mark my positive and negative leads and should be fine until I decide to upgrade the wires

    Thanks to all for the help
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