On speakers, which side is the positive and negative because there is a larger and smaller connector and i've always just ran music through them and wired them whichever was I felt sounded clearer because it worked both ways.

 

Speakers in audio systems should be phased. They will work either way, but the overall system sound presence will be greater if they are phased correctly. If one speaker has its cone travelling outward on a positive half wave of electrical input, and the opposing speaker has its cone travelling inward on a positive half wave, the speakers tend to absorb the audio wave energy of one another. If both are phased together, both would be pushing their cones (and air) outward, and creating the greatest audio pressure for a given input wattage.

It doesn't matter which way you connect them, provided your connections are consistent at all speakers.

 

Thanks Vader and I just have to ask is there anything you don't know. You definately are a gift to this forum.

 

I think, don't shoot me if I'm wrong, that usually the smaller of the two is the Pos. That is the way I usually hook them up. Most of the ones that are marked are that way.
FBird

 

I've seen some that have large/small terminals, some that have a paint dot adjacent to one of the terminals, some that are actually marked "+" and "-", and some that have color coded pigtails and connectors, like factory speakers. As long as the connections are consistent, it shouldn't matter.

There isn't enough bandwidth on the entire internet to even begin to list the things that I KNOW that I don't know, let alone the things about which I have no clue.

 

The short answer is "lights in the front, darks in the rear." On GM cars, the rear speaker wires use the darker wire for positive.......the fronts use the lighter color.

RR: + dark blue/ - light blue
LR: +dark brown/ - yellow
RF: +light green/ - dark green
LF: +tan/ - gray

If you're just working on the speakers........this is also working under the assumption that the radio was installed correctly.....which it may not be.

ROUGH TEST FOR PROPER PHASE BY EAR:

You can put on some music with a lot of bass if you wish. But I find it easier to tune the FM radio to the static between stations.......this is called "white noise."

It helps if you turn the bass way up, and the treble way down.

Now, put the fader all the way to the rear, then listen closely and move the balance left to right.

Next, put the fader all the way to the front, and move the balance slowly left to right.

Next, put the balance all the way to the left, and listen while moving the fader.

You're starting to get the idea now.....put the balance all the way to the right, and move the fader back to front.

Here's what you're doing: You want to compare two speakers at a time, and listen to the bass. Naturally, the bass should be a little stronger with two speakers instead of one. If the bass drops way down with the two speakers playing, one of the speakers is connected backwards.

 

Oh, SURE! Give him ALL the secrets, why don't you?