preamp inverts polarity

Costco, when speakers are “out of phase” I.e., the + - wires are reversed on both speakers, the system is in the Reverse Absolute Polarity from whatever state it was in previously. Polarity is relative. That’s kind of the whole point. And in that sense, as on the test track on the XLO Test CD, “out of phase” is equivalent to Absolute Polarity.

I suspect this is just a simple case of you following the wrong ...you know...🐑 🐑 🐑

kosst_amojan

The transmission characteristics of air certainly don’t resemble electrically balanced operation.

That doesn’t mean that air is a "single-ended medium," as you’ve claimed. Air is also not a fig newton. That doesn’t mean air is a lemon meringue pie.

@ kosst_amojan - of course you’re correct (definitions of polarity vs. phase). By the time I noticed the typo, the 30 minute edit window had expired. It never pays to post before going to bed ;-)

@ geoffkait absolutely (with respect to how media is recorded). This might be the biggest factor as to why so many folks don’t "hear" polarity reversals.  They doubt their perception - as much because of inconsistencies in recordings as any other factor.

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier

I’ve read this whole thread and will never get that time back. 

Invert connections on both speakers then listen. If it sounds better then before, leave it. If your cables are built differently for negative and positive, try it anyway. 

If your preamp has a polarity switch, use that instead. 

Some recordings were recorded or mastered with inverted polarity, so the “right” polarity may vary. 

this whole thread has gone off base and no one has answered my question.

my preamp requires me to reverse cables at the speaker end, by design my speaker cables have designated cables for negative connection and positive cables. the positive and negative cables are of different compositions by manufacturer design.

my question is if I follow the preamp directions I will be defeating the design of the speaker cables, so which is it?