Right then, I've just put all new JBL speakers in my Vrs and a new head unit, the sound is much improved but not quite as good as I hoped.

So I'm wondering if I have my speakers out of phase....

does anyone know a good way to check?

Alternative can anyone tell me the wiring colours for a mark 1 octavia VRS?

Cheers all!

Usually the loser frequencies cancel each other out so the sound is a bit ‘thin’. A quick swap of one of the connectors should easily change the sound and if it gets better with more bass then they might have been out of phase. If you can sit in the middle of the front speakers, an out of phase should have a strange sound that makes them sound almost as if them are surrounding you with sound, but not in a good way. You will lose all stereo information too. A typical orchestra has violins on the left and Bass/Cellos on the right. Try some classical music and if the orchestra sound like they are sitting on your roof , playing underneath your car or even are inside your head, then they are OoP.

Try it with hifi speakers and you will easily hear the difference and once you know what to listen for, you will be an expert in OoP and can go into Currys and point out how half their hifi is OoP

Oooh another way that sometimes works is, cover one of your ears and so equipped with your mono listening device (your unblocked ear) you move your head backwards and forwards along the imaginary centre line of the speakers. OoP will give you sweet spots and dead spots (where the channels cancel each other out). It’s not perfect in a car, as you get many reflections off the windows, but in theory it should work.

thanks Amanda, I'll try your suggestions. Not sure my ears will be up to the job but I can but try!

I can pretty much guarantee your ears will be up to it. You just need to recognise the odd sound that OoP produces. Do try the hifi version first and once you have swapped the leads on one speaker a few times and listened to the difference, you will recognise the sound again when you go to your car. When I started in sound, I wasn’t aware of compressors in most radio shows, nowadays I can barely stand to listen to many radio programs because I hear the pumping of those compressors

You playing with it already Dan???

Right then, I've just put all new JBL speakers in my Vrs and a new head unit, the sound is much improved but not quite as good as I hoped.

So I'm wondering if I have my speakers out of phase....

does anyone know a good way to check?

Alternative can anyone tell me the wiring colours for a mark 1 octavia VRS?

Cheers all!

You can use a small 1.5 volt battery .Disconnect the cables (noting the way they are connected) .Put +ve to +ve on speaker ,and -ve to -ve ,The cone will move in one direction slightly ,normally out. Compare the direction of movement to the other speakers. You will not harm the speaker ,because only a small amount of current will flow.But to be certain, keep the battery connected a short time,enough to notice cone movement.

You could also try this method if you don't think your ears are up the job (they are trust me, if your hearing is good enough to doubt, your ears are sending quality information to you brain for it not to be convinced). Anyway, play some thing you a very familiar with. Set the fader option to 100% front. Set the level fairly high so the bass is kicking and the high frequencies are a little brittle.

Set the balance 100% left . Good and loud? Plenty of broad band frequencies?

OK

Very quickly whip the balance 100% right? Good and loud? Plenty of broad band frequencies?

OK, so far so good.

Now slowly shift the balance to center. Does the sound seem to get richer and slightly louder? Does it sound fuller and more complete? Good, no phase problem.

If the tone seems to change from woolly to crisp and the level seems to dip and rise as you get close to the center then you probably have one speaker 180 degrees out of phase.

Do the same for the rear set by setting the 'fader' option 100% rear.

The problem is you could have just one speaker OoP and it could be one of the rear ones OoP with the front. That would not be so apparent but your brain would definitely know and you would have a nagging subconcious doubt about the quality of the sound you are getting.

Funny thing sound. When it's good we don't notice it but but when it's bad we often just get a flat 'feeling' from our music and speech.

Best

Mark

cheers for all the suggestions folks. I'll have a good play with it tomorrow and let you know how I get on. Shame the back speakers are such a bugger to get to in the estate!

right then, they were out of phase, my ears suggested they were so I looked at the stereo connector and rechecked the speakers and sure enough...

They sounds better now

in case anyone needs it the wire colours are

Driver side front +ve blue/white -ve Brown/white

Driver side rear +blue -ve blue/brown

Passenger side front +ve Red -ve Red/brown

Passenger rear +ve Green/red -ve Brown/green

Well done that man

right then, they were out of phase, my ears suggested they were so I looked at the stereo connector and rechecked the speakers and sure enough...

They sounds better now

in case anyone needs it the wire colours are

Driver side front +ve blue/white -ve Brown/white

Driver side rear +blue -ve blue/brown

Passenger side front +ve Red -ve Red/brown

Passenger rear +ve Green/red -ve Brown/green

In my Furby, (54reg) there is a brown and white and a blue and white wire passenger side rear.

And green and red and brown and green on the driver side rear....

All this has done is confused me. :S