Need help identifying positive lead

[gasfan]

Can someone tell me which lead is positive on the Century gold C-1200? One is larger than the other. Not sure if that's the one.

Many thanks

[badman]

Yes, the larger as almost invariably positive. I'm assuming this is for the woofer- if so, take a battery (no more than 9V please!!) and touch a lead to each terminal- if the cone moves outwards (away from frame) then the battery + is on the driver +.

[Lee in Montreal]

A simple 1,5v battery will do. Enough to push the woofer's cone.

[martin2395]

1.5V is enough for sure!!
9V will be quite loud

[gasfan]

A belated but serious thank you, guys.

[Audione]

Yes, the larger as almost invariably positive. I'm assuming this is for the woofer- if so, take a battery (no more than 9V please!!) and touch a lead to each terminal- if the cone moves outwards (away from frame) then the battery + is on the driver +.

If you check a JBL product, the positive pulse will drive the speaker to the rear. JBL is the only company that winds their voice coils in the opposite direction than everybody else, which makes the positive pulse move the cone or diaphragm to the rear. Everyone else the positive pulse drives the cone forward. DJ types quite often bring blown components to be repaired at my shop after, trying to get more beef at a gig, they add a pair of non JBL speakers alongside their JBL's and daisy chain them together from the same speaker wire. That makes them out of phase, cancellation occurs, the DJ keeps giving the system gas, then component failure.

[gasfan]

Interesting. I wondered why JBL always makes a point in stating the 'black' terminal connected to hot makes the cone move forward. If they wind the coil in reverse, why don't they reverse the color of the terminals also? That way there would be no misunderstanding. Strange.

[badman]

If you check a JBL product, the positive pulse will drive the speaker to the rear. JBL is the only company that winds their voice coils in the opposite direction than everybody else, which makes the positive pulse move the cone or diaphragm to the rear. Everyone else the positive pulse drives the cone forward. DJ types quite often bring blown components to be repaired at my shop after, trying to get more beef at a gig, they add a pair of non JBL speakers alongside their JBL's and daisy chain them together from the same speaker wire. That makes them out of phase, cancellation occurs, the DJ keeps giving the system gas, then component failure.

It's not all JBL products that are oriented this way, which makes it even more frustrating. Usually they're designed that way to make the wiring flip for 2nd order filters work without confusing wiring conventions.

Definitely a PITA.

[Tim Rinkerman]

I think Mr. Lansing was just trying to stick somewhat with normal standards. In most 2 wire standards, black is hot. The red denotes it as audio. The negative, or neutral in a common ac circuit is white. Just an educated guess....

[JeffW]

You can read up a little more on it Here