4343 polarity

[pyonc]

Hi guys,

I see some great threads on 4343 polarity in this forum, and get confused each time I read.
Currently my set-up in a bi-amp mode is as follows. I use an Ashly active 24dB Octave crossover:

LF: Speaker terminal BLACK goes to RED on the amp
M/HF: Speaker terminal BLACK goes to BLACK on the amp

I read from the threads that woofer is out of phase with mid/high in stock 4343.
Please advise me if this set-up is wrong.
Thanks much for your ruling in advance.

[hjames]

Hi guys,

I see some great threads on 4343 polarity in this forum, and get confused each time I read.
Currently my set-up in a bi-amp mode is as follows. I use an Ashly active 24dB Octave crossover:

LF: Speaker terminal BLACK goes to RED on the amp
M/HF: Speaker terminal BLACK goes to BLACK on the amp

Please advise me if this set-up is wrong.
Thanks much for your ruling in advance.

Sounds like the right way to go for the LF driver in your configuration ...

[pyonc]

Sounds like the right way to go for the LF driver in your configuration ...

How about M/HF? Some say speaker Black goes to amp RED.
Is the woofer supposed to be out of phase with M/HF in stock 4343?
My current set-up looks that way.

[hjames]

How about M/HF? Some say speaker Black goes to amp RED.
Is the woofer supposed to be out of phase with M/HF in stock 4343?
My current set-up looks that way.

Pretty sure that's correct - the Woofer gets connected backwards, the rest are normal polarity.

[martin2395]

@hjames, how is that?
All units in the 4343 have the same polarity (outward cone movement with positive voltage on black terminal) and the JBL tech note states that the 4343 by itself is also positive black.
Is there a phase shift while running the 4343 in active mode?

I'm very curious if that's true that the mid/hi section is out of phase with the woofer!

[hjames]

@hjames, how is that?
All units in the 4343 have the same polarity (outward cone movement with positive voltage on black terminal) and the JBL tech note states that the 4343 by itself is also positive black.
Is there a phase shift while running the 4343 in active mode?

I'm very curious if that's true that the mid/hi section is out of phase with the woofer!

Its NOT the stock crossover, Pyonc is using an Ashly External Crossover with 24db Slope -
that flips the bass out of alignment with the other drivers ...

Currently my set-up in a bi-amp mode is as follows. I use an Ashly active 24dB Octave crossover:

[martin2395]

I read that pyonc is using an active x-over but I've been told only to flip the polarity if the crossover has 18dB/oct slope and don't touch anything if it's 12 or 24db.

[hjames]

I read that pyonc is using an active x-over but I've been told only to flip the polarity
if the crossover has 18dB/oct slope and don't touch anything if it's 12 or 24db.

He's asked the same Q a couple times now - figure its best if he tries it for himself and see's what HE thinks ...
Giving him the right answer in the past has not cured his questioning

[pyonc]

He's asked the same Q a couple times now - figure its best if he tries it for himself and see's what HE thinks ...
Giving him the right answer in the past has not cured his questioning

That's true, but I thought I got the right set-up (LF out of phase with M/HF)
Then I got somewhat confused after reading the thread by martin2395, as he also mentioned here.
Now I think I have the right configuration if hjames's statement is true.
Again, this seems to have something to do with the type of active crossover, 12dB, 18dB or 24dB octave...
Anyway, I come to learn many things while reading you guys' great threads on this issue.
Thanks much again.

[hjames]

Which sound did you like better?
Woofer: black-black, red-red or reversed?

Whatever you do has to be that way on both speakers at the same time or its not a good test.

It not about what I say - educate your ears!!

That's true, but I thought I got the right set-up (LF out of phase with M/HF)
Then I got somewhat confused after reading the thread by martin2395, as he also mentioned here.
Now I think I have the right configuration if hjames's statement is true.
Again, this seems to have something to do with the type of active crossover, 12dB, 18dB or 24dB octave...
Anyway, I come to learn many things while reading you guys' great threads on this issue.
Thanks much again.

[Robh3606]

Again, this seems to have something to do with the type of active crossover, 12dB, 18dB or 24dB octave...
Anyway, I come to learn many things while reading you guys' great threads on this issue.

Typical rule of thumb 12db reverse polarity, 18db listen to see which sounds best, 24db same polarity. Just remember we are talking about acoustic polarity independant of how a driver may appear to be wired.

Rob

[pyonc]

Which sound did you like better?
Woofer: black-black, red-red or reversed?

Whatever you do has to be that way on both speakers at the same time or its not a good test.

It not about what I say - educate your ears!!

Well, I'm not so sure which sounds better.
Like you said, I think I need to train my ears better.

[ngccglp]

Well, I'm not so sure which sounds better.
Like you said, I think I need to train my ears better.

Hi assuming that the internal connections of all the drivers are all correct, then just connect red to red and black to black for both high and low frequencies. I asked Kenji from Jbl43.com and that's his reply. After having refurbished so many jbl, I trust his recommendations.

[pyonc]

Hi assuming that the internal connections of all the drivers are all correct, then just connect red to red and black to black for both high and low frequencies. I asked Kenji from Jbl43.com and that's his reply. After having refurbished so many jbl, I trust his recommendations.

Thanks for sharing Kenji's tip. I do see lots of Kenji's JBL systems on YouTube, too.
Kenji's advice seems to be in line with stock 4343 configuration.
If I follow Kenji's advice, my biamp set-up would be like this:
woofer cone will move in :speaker terminal black (+) to amp black (-)
mid/highs will move out : speaker terminal red (-) to amp red (+)
(this is the outcome of my battery test)

However, I reversed the woofer wiring like this:
speaker terminal black (+) to amp RED (+), speaker red (-) to amp BLACK (+).
So, woofers and mid/highs move in the same direction for better sonic effects.
What do you think?

[hjames]

Having the woofer out of phase gives a sharper edge to the cutoff (crossover) between low and mid drivers.

Thanks for sharing Kenji's tip. I do see lots of Kenji's JBL systems on YouTube, too.
Kenji's advice seems to be in line with stock 4343 configuration.
If I follow Kenji's advice, my biamp set-up would be like this:
woofer cone will move in :speaker terminal black (+) to amp black (-)
mid/highs will move out : speaker terminal red (-) to amp red (+)
(this is the outcome of my battery test)

However, I reversed the woofer wiring like this:
speaker terminal black (+) to amp RED (+), speaker red (-) to amp BLACK (+).
So, woofers and mid/highs move in the same direction for better sonic effects.
What do you think?