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Conference hips::uk_audioo

Title:You get surface noise in real life too
Notice:Let's be conformist
Moderator:GOVT02::BARKER
Created:Thu Jul 28 1988
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:550
Total number of notes:3847

104.0. "Phasing problems" by CRATE::HOBBS (Do you want me to drive man?) Thu Jul 20 1989 10:50

I know this has been discussed in AUDIO but...

I have warfdale diamonds being driven by cambridge alpha amp.
When I place one speaker above the other the sound levels decrease by about 75%
Now I know that this means that the phasing is wrong; however I have traced the
leads back and it all looks OK to me. Swapping one of the speakers leads around
(at one end only) fixes this.

The only thing I can think of is that the terminals at the amp end are
incorrectly wired. 

But does anybody else have any ideas?

Does anybody now how I can test for +ve -ve without scope, meter etc?
Im not really keen to open the amp up.
Any help appreciated.

			Matthew
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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104.1LARVAE::JEFFERYK-I-L-L-E-D, RevokedThu Jul 20 1989 12:5611
    
    Well, you could try another set of speakers, and see if the problem
    still exists. If both sound out-of-phase, then it is unlikely to
    be the speakers and much more likely to be the amp. Incidentally,
    the Diamonds are pretty easy to open up (I had to replace a woofer
    in my Dad's pair).
    
    Mark.
    
    By Cambridge Alpha amp, do you mean "Arcam Alpha" ?? or Cambridge
    P40 ?
104.2Above/below.neq.side-by-sideBAHTAT::SALLITTDave - @RKG & ICI, 0642432193Thu Jul 20 1989 13:1217
    re .0.....
    
    Why are you checking phasing by placing one speaker above the other?
    They should be placed side by side; placing one above the other
    will cause a change in sound because the dispersion above the speaker
    is not the same as below it, unlike L & R dispersions which should
    be identical.
    
    Changing the speakers to out-of-phase may well fix what you perceive
    with them placed vertically. What problem do you hear, apart from this,
    that makes you think you have a phasing problem? What is wrong with
    the system when speakers are connected normally?
    
    I would not advise futzing with internal wires until you check the
    phasing *properly*.

    Dave
104.3You can test phasing easilyLATINA::RUPEREZFails, but by another reason...Fri Jul 21 1989 13:5719
    Hi,
    Dave is right. In order to know if speakers are phased, you should
    put them in front each other separate between 2 and 3 inches, and
    sending a mono bass signal (an deep organ music in stereo will do
    the job too), you must move the balance knob until the sound you
    are hearing to decreases (out-phase), or increases (in-phase).
    They should be kept in-phase, but for measuring is better to check
    the out-phase position first, because with a good bass signal, the
    sound almost disappears (a test record would be ideal).
    You'll realize the balance knob is not in the supposed "center"
    position when that happens, this is normal, as no one amp has a real
    testing done when come out from factory (the big class might be...)
    You must turn your amp off when changing conections !!!.
    After knowing the "center" point you can, if you dare or know who
    can do it, open the amp and move that "center" point to the actual
    center shown on fascia.
    Setting up is an enjoying work too...
    Good luck
    Jose
104.4GRAMPS::WCLARKWalt ClarkThu Jul 27 1989 13:2033
    It is not uncommon to find leads reversed inside speaker cabinets
    from the crossover to the drivers, or in many cases, only one
    driver.
    
    One can check the polarity of the LF driver connections externally
    by connecting a small 1.5V drycell across the speaker terminals
    (disconnect the speaker from the power amp first).  Hook the +
    battery lead to the + speaker terminal, - to -.  The usual response
    from the LF driver is it moves out toward the listener, although this
    is not always the case.  Either way, the pair of speakers should
    move the same direction.
    
    It is not common to find amplifier wiring errors at the speaker
    leads.  Most amps are not balanced drivers. The + lead is normally
    fed from a single ended amplifier and the - lead is normally analog
    ground, and sometimes tied to the - lead of the other channel. Speaker
    driver terminals on the other hand are usually identical save for
    some indistinct marking near the + lead which makes it easier to
    get them backwards.
    
    Checking the phasing of speakers using music and listening for base
    is fine too, but you wont have any idea where the problem is if not
    right (you migh have an invert switch thrown in the preamp for
    instance).  Also, because the wave length of base frequencies is
    so large relative to speaker and room size, location of the 2 speakers
    is not real important to check relative phase between the 2.  You
    should be aware though that moving the speakers, or one of them,
    will alter the standing wave pattern in a room so it is possible that
    the combined LF output of the speakers may sound lower from a fixed
    location in the room when the speakers are closer together than when
    in their original position.
    
    Walt
104.5BURYST::EDMUNDS$ no !fm2r, no commentFri Aug 04 1989 04:039
    The easiest way to check speaker phasing right through the system is to
    placce both speakers face to face a few inches apart, and stick your
    head batween them as you play a MONO source (or use mono sw on
    amplifier) through them. If the sound comes from one central place,
    they are in phase; if it comes from each speaker individually, they are
    out of phase. Any doubt can be removed by reversing the phase of one
    speaker and observing the difference.
    
    Keith