How do I tell if a Subwoofer is In Phase?

DaveClayton
DaveClayton Posts: 5
edited February 2010 in Subwoofer Hookup & Bass Management
I purchased an Eosone 10" Subwoofer driver from a liquidator to install in my own enclosure. The problem is that the woofer's contacts aren't marked in any way, so I don't know which is positive or negative. There is a skinny connector and a fatter connector.

I felt the woofer while playing a kick drum to it, to make sure that the woofer was extending on the kick, but it was hard to tell which one was extending, and I gave it my best guess.

I would appreciate your advice.
Post edited by DaveClayton on
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Comments

  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited January 2010
    Take a c or d battery and hook it up to the terminals. The woofer will push out when the positive of the battery is on the positive speaker terminal.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • DaveClayton
    DaveClayton Posts: 5
    edited February 2010
    Thanks for the advice! Will this damage the woofer in any way?
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited February 2010
    DaveClayton wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice! Will this damage the woofer in any way?

    Nope.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    edited February 2010
    ben62670 wrote: »
    Take a c or d battery and hook it up to the terminals. The woofer will push out when the positive of the battery is on the positive speaker terminal.

    Damn, learn something new everyday!

    Also, I always thought the fatter terminal was positive.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited February 2010
    here is the rule of thumb when placing a sub into a room.

    Front wall should be phase 0
    Side wall should be Phase 90
    Rear wall should be Phase 180.

    Basically you want to have your Sub "IN PHASE" with the other speakers meaning timing or stop and go the same way at the same time.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mufsoman
    mufsoman Posts: 631
    edited February 2010
    Mantis, does a front corner place fall under the 0 degree setting? When I slowly change the phase setting from 0 to 180, I hear no difference in the base sound. Should I? If I should, then what does it mean when I don't??
    Parasound HCA-2003A & 2205A
    Front: Rti12's
    Center: Csi A6
    Side surrounds: Polk Rti A1's
    Atmos: Mirage Nanosats
    APC H15
    Power cords by Pepster, Morrow MA4 IC's, AQ Midnight, AQ Chocolate HDMI's[/SIZE]
    The rest is TBD.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited February 2010
    mufsoman wrote: »
    Mantis, does a front corner place fall under the 0 degree setting? When I slowly change the phase setting from 0 to 180, I hear no difference in the base sound. Should I? If I should, then what does it mean when I don't??

    Front corner should be 0 phase setting. This means the driver is moving the same time as your mains and center channel. Phase is not a sound it's a timing.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • cpr0209
    cpr0209 Posts: 1
    edited February 2010
    test
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited February 2010
    fail.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • DaveClayton
    DaveClayton Posts: 5
    edited February 2010
    Thanks for the discussion and advice.
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