help with absolute phase

The Bel Canto DAC also has an absolute phase switch that governs the analog outputs. The posts here have cleared up the confusion that I was having with this switch, specificaly on much of the classical music that we play.

Harv: I use the Mapleshade digital cable, however it is the standard (whatever that is) phase version. I wonder if we are all talking about the same thing as when I invert the phase on the Bel Canto it makes a very noticeable difference in the sound. With most material, inverting the phase narrows the sound stage and make the instruments more immediate and up front sounding with less air/reverb quality and very little overhang on the bass. Some of our classical CD's though sound very distant, in normal phase, almost as if I am listening from the adjacent room. Inverting the phase makes them sound much better. The term that Bel Canto uses in the manual is "absolute phase" as I recall, though the manual is buried in a closet right now. Is there something wrong with my system for the phase change to be so apparent? I have been through two different amps and sets of speakers with this DAC with the same results.

I have been buying all of the classical CD's from one source (a flea market dealer who is selling them for a classical music buff friend). I wonder now if the person is editing them from his collection because of this "phase thing". I was originally purchasing them for $3 a pop which has now been reduced to $1 and I buy whatever is there each week (so far approx. 40 CD's in all, many of which I have not yet listened to). I will add that with most of our pop records it makes only a slight difference though I prefer the switch in it's out position which offers a wider soundstge and more "reverb" as I call it which is probably "air" to most. The only popular CD that really has a right and wrong is an old one with Nat King Cole that is unlistenable in the regular position. The funny thing is that when I first got the DAC I was considering asking Bel Canto to "hard wire" the switch into the position that I liked to see if eliminating the switch would improve the sound. I was also irratated at having to make the choice when it always seemed to sound best in one position. Now I will leave it as is due to it's positive effect on some recordings. It would be nice to have this feature available on a remote control as Kelly mentions. I don't consider my system with Reynaud Twins to be highly resolving though I have had some strange things happen with this setup (like very nice power cords sounding horrible) and think that it may just be the combination that I have put together that definately has shunned some items that I have tried to add. Perhaps it does this to some source material or "phase" as well. The power cord episode drove me nuts as other users of the same cords with much better systems have had good results. I finally sent them back to be checked for defects.

Plato: That sounds like pretty much what I am hearing, especially the "truncated" (had to look it up) bass that sounds like the center of the note less it's harmonics.

Rolling eyes now.

Thanks for the info Doug. I gave the new power cords too much of a chance (almost 3 weeks at 16+ hours/day) and they sounded so bad that we listened to the mini system in the spare room most of that time with the main rig turned down low in the living room. I can only assume that the cords were defective, otherwise we have something very odd going on with the system. I should know in the next week or so as the manufacturer is going to check them and let me know. I'm not going to get nuts about the phase thing, but it's nice to know what the switch is for and also that I am "not" nuts when I hear a differences on some of the discs. From what you tell me I would guess that the classical recordings would have a much more consistant phase as the engineers are not punching in notes and lines all over the place as is done with popular music.