With speaker polarity, you need to know more about the red wire since most equipment does set-ups that you need to connect the positive terminal from the amp to the same speaker you are using. Speakers have red wires that connect to the positive terminals, while the black wires connect to the negative side.
There are different methods you can use when testing the speakers’ polarity. You can use the technique of touching a 9V battery to the speaker’s terminal such that when it fails, you can try the second method.
Below are some of the methods you will try when the first method of 9 volts battery by touching it to the speakers’ terminal fails to measure the exact polarity of the speaker in an ohmmeter. There are the frequently asked questions and the conclusion at last.
How to measure the polarity of a speaker ohm meter

There are different methods I will discuss below that you will use to measure the polarity of a speaker. The methods take a little more time, but the good thing about them is that they are accurate. It only takes you to connect the wires to their correct terminals for successful polarity measure.
Five methods of measuring speakers’ polarity
Techniques |
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Essential products |
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it is cheap |
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gives accurate results |
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Shows details about the speaker |
speaker testers are available online, and you can check on them at Amazon since they have cheap products |
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Easier to use and readily available |
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saves on costs |
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Techniques functions
- is cost-effective; it is fast-free.
a) The 9-Volts battery method

Using the 9 volts battery method is very fast and free when measuring the polarity of a speaker. You can use different steps to make the process successful for your process. The tools you need are the battery and the speaker wires that lack the protective coating to expose the components beneath them. Below are the steps to follow when using the method:
i. Put one of the speakers’ wires on the battery’s positive terminal and the other on the negative terminal.
ii. Check the speaker cone’s motion, such as if it moves outwards, then the polarity is right, but when the movement is inwards, there is a reversed polarity.
iii. When the movement is centered, it should be slight that if you miss the center movements, consider repeating the steps.
b) The multimeter method

Using a multimeter is best since you will not need to get a new device for use. It is also good since it has a source of current when the equipment gets set at a low ohms range. The method works just like the 9V battery method that you need to check on the movement of the speaker cone.
Therefore, you need to check on the difference between two or more speakers to avoid phase problems with your work. When the movement of the speaker cone is either inwards or outwards, then the wiring is okay.
The only disadvantage with using the multimeter is that so long as you are using a piezoelectric speaker, it is either that the battery in the device will not be strong enough to provide the reading or that the product will be in a closed position that you will not notice the motion of the speaker.
c) Using a speaker tester method

The speaker testers are available online, and you can check on them at Amazon since they have cheap products. The best tools for this method are the speaker polarity tester, PAC TL-PTG2 Tone Generator, and others. After using the tools, consider turning them off when you have the polarities since it helps improve the life cycle of the battery. Follow the following steps to help you use the method above:
i. Fix the speaker tester using the gator clips they contain, the RCA connection, or any other style you know with the product you have.
ii. Switch on the unit so that you can get the reading
iii. Using the knob turns the frequencies to match the speaker’s needs.
iv. Using the testing button, check the polarity of the speakers using its terminals.
- Using a smartphone polarity testing method
When using the smartphone, ensure the speaker is wired, not wireless. The smartphone has applications that you can get through the Google play store and Apple App Store. To work with the app, ensure you make a strong connection such that the app causes a positive impulse through the system that helps you see if the polarity is correct.
- Using the online testing method
Sometimes you do not need to download the smartphone app for testing the polarity that you can upload your activities on a website or any online tool on the mobile device for the same purposes.
You need to have three variations of the in-phase and out-phase test files when using the online resources. The variations include:
- Rumble sound to produce bass frequencies that test if all connections are correctly wired.
- A high frequency ensures you can work with higher levels of the lower sounds.
- Guitar variation
Frequently asked questions:
- How do you know that the polarity of a speaker is inverted?
To identify the polarity of a speaker, if it is either correct or inverted, check on the movement of the speaker’s cone such that when it moves inwards, then the polarity is inverted.
- Does the polarity of the speaker affect the quality of sound?
The speaker’s polarity affects the quality of sound such that when the wires are wired incorrectly, the sound quality will be poor, and you need to ensure the connection is correct.
Conclusion
Some people keep asking if the polarity of a speaker is a key thing to check on, that it is good to check on it. Therefore, check on the article to get the ways of testing for the polarity of your speaker.
Remember to ensure that the connection of wires is good when checking the polarity. Be keen on the speaker’s movement so that you can know if the polarity is correct or inverted.