Off axis

[DFW40 10+ year member]

What does off axis mean? I have read that some speakers perform better mounted off axis. Is this different from wiring components out of phase?

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[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

What does off axis mean? I have read that some speakers perform better mounted off axis. Is this different from wiring components out of phase?

Yes, off axis is different.

On axis is having the speakers aimed directly at you. Off-axis is having the speakers aimed away from you. The further away from you they are aimed, the further off-axis they are (measured in degrees).

Take a home bookshelf speaker system, and aim both speakers straight forward directly at you....that would be on-axis. Now turn both speakers 30* inward ("toe" in), they are now 30* off-axis. Now turn them in another 30*....they are now off-axis to you 60*, etc etc.

Most speakers in an automotive setting will be used off-axis.... (obviously the speakers in a door are very off-axis to the listener)

 

[DFW40 10+ year member]

Assuming you have your 6.5's in the factory location and the tweeters up around dash level, do you reverse the polarity on the tweets or does it not really matter? Also so folks say wire one of the midbass' out of phase and see if it improves the response.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Assuming you have your 6.5's in the factory location and the tweeters up around dash level, do you reverse the polarity on the tweets or does it not really matter?

You can try it both ways and see.

Also so folks say wire one of the midbass' out of phase and see if it improves the response.

Flipping one of the mids out of phase will normally help the midrange response, but kill the midbass. That's one of the reasons going 3-way is an advantage....you can flip the phases of the midranges without affecting the midbass.