Speakers - Pull in or push out?

[Dave88LX 10+ year member]

Yeah, sounds like a stupid question, I know. I always thought that when speakers hit, the woofers went OUT. However, talking to people, some say that the speakers pull IN. When I'm trying to figure out my +/- on the wiring, (factory head unit for now, and the colors don't match up exactly), which way should they be? I know if they're out of phase, it's going to sound like *** and kind of 'cancel' each other out...

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[pwnt by pat 10+ year member]

It depends on how you wire 'em. Speakers do both "push out" and "pull in". They actually do both.

When you play a tone, it's like a wave. You have the middle, the crest, and the trough (bottom). When wired as one would assume (+ to + and - to -) the speaker will push out as you reach the crest. As the wave falls back down, the speaker starts to move in. As you approach the trough, the speaker has moved in as far as it moves out.

here:

http://www.bcae1.com/acdc.htm

http://www.bcae1.com/speaker.htm

basically what you can do is take a 9v battery and probe around with some paperclips in the stock harness. When you find the right pair, the speaker will "click". If you have someone watch the speaker you'll be able to find out which way it's popping, in or out.

 

[Dave88LX 10+ year member]

Hey appreciate the explanation. I've used the 9V pop test before, that's a good one. Other thing I've "heard" is that with subs, they're supposed to "pull in" so as to either a. compress the air that's in the box, or b. direct the air out of the port as the speaker pulls in. I know what you're saying about sound being a wave though. So they're supposed to go OUT when + is to + and - to -...is there situations where they are supposed to go in?

 

[ngallucci 10+ year member]

if you hook up the polarity correctly with the "pop test" the speaker/sub will go out. The pop test uses a DC battery (9V in your case) that will make the speaker pop "out" away from the magnet

 

[pwnt by pat 10+ year member]

If you hook - to + and + to - then the speaker will move inwards where it would normally move outwards.

The sub moving in before it moves out in a ported box shouldn't make a difference. The only thing chaning the phase of the sub will do is prevent/cure cancelation or allow the speaker to blend better, depending on install.