than one cabinet, check all cable connections in the chain. If you then suspect that the problem
may be a bad cable, you can use a 9 volt battery as a cable-tester. To do so, plug one end of the
questionable cable into your speaker cabinet, and then touch the phone plug on the other end to the
two terminals (+ and –) of the battery, contacting the tip and sleeve. When you connect the battery to
the phone plug, a good cable will will pass the voltage to the speakers, which will be indicated by both
an audible noise and the physical reaction of your speakers—the cones will move out. Disconnect the
battery, and the cones will move back in. (Reverse the battery, and the speakers will move in when
connected.) If you don’t hear anything and your speakers don’t move, then the cable is faulty and
should be repaired or replaced.
You can test for an intermittent cable by keeping the battery on the phone plug while swinging the wire
like a jump rope. If the cable is good, the speaker will remain in its battery activated position and not
make any noise. This test can be especially handy after making new cables or repairing old ones, and it
can also be used to check speaker phasing.
NOTE
NOTE
: Holding a battery on a phone plug continuously will drain the battery quickly, so don’t
overdo it. Conversely, this test will tell you if you have a dead 9 volt battery; if you know the
cable is good but the speakers don’t move, toss the battery.)
Before reconnecting your system and turning the amplifier on, make one last check to be sure all of
your cables are connected properly—especially your speaker cables. If a loose speaker cable is plugged
in while you’re playing, it could cause your AC or speaker fuse to blow. For this reason we recommend-
ed keeping several spare fuses on hand.
“I hear a tinny/hollow/lifeless sound.”
“The sound has no ‘body’ to it.”
“It just sounds bad.”
This could be because your enclosures are out of phase. Basically, this means that while the speaker
cones of one cabinet are moving out, the cones of the second cabinet are moving in. The net result is
that little or no sound is produced. To verify this situation, you can use a 9 volt battery. Turn off your
amplifier and unplug the speaker cable from the amp, leaving the other end still connected to the
enclosure. Touch the plus (+) side of the battery to the tip of the phone plug and the minus (–) side of
the battery to the sleeve of the phone plug. When you do this, the cone(s) in the cabinet should move
outward. When the battery is disconnected, the cone(s) will go back to their original position. Next,
repeat the procedure with the second enclosure; chances are the cone(s) will move in the opposite
direction (inward). If this is the case, the speakers are wired out of phase.
Take your battery and recheck the phasing of both speakers, using your speaker cable. If they check
out okay, then your speaker cable is miswired—that is, plus and minus have been reversed. You will
need to purchase a replacement speaker cable or have the cable rewired.
NOTE
NOTE
: Whenever you replace a speaker or have one replaced, use this test to make sure it has
been properly installed in the enclosure. You should also check all new or repaired cables the
same way.
If none of the above suggestions help, it’s time to call your friendly SWR Service Department, at (818)
253-4797.
20 • BASS SPEAKER ENCLOSURES OWNER’S MANUAL
