Red and black speaker wire..which is negative?

Answer 1

It really does not matter which wire you use, the important thing is to make sure you user the same polarity throughout all of the system connections. General consensus is to use the black wire to all of the negative terminals.

Answer 2

It all depends on where the wire is installed!

In Direct Current systems, such as in a car or truck, a black wire may be negative but that should not be assumed. Always check first, using a voltmeter.

In Alternating Current household electrical wiring systems a black wire may be:

"Hot" in USA or Canada or other countries which use the same 60 Hz system.

"Neutral" in the UK in household electrical wiring done before 2005.

(After 2005 new household electrical wiring has to use Blue for Neutral, as for the rest of the European Union.)

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO

A HOUSEHOLD N ELECTRICAL WIRING JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power

at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work

AND

always use an electricians test meter having metal-tipped probes

(not a simple proximity voltage indicator)

to insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

Answer 3

In most cases, the black wire is the negative wire for speaker connections. However, it's always best to verify with the manufacturer's instructions or markings on the wire itself to ensure proper connection.

Answer 4

Black should be live, but if you don't know, assume any wire can kill you. Test if you don't know for sure.

Answer 5

Questions about wire colour should include the country because practices differ widely in different countries.