50% of all recordings are out of phase. So you might have to be swapping the cables quite a lot to sort that one out! We provided an absolute phase switch on our preamps to deal with that issue. Most of the time you can't hear a difference- but it does seem to help if the recording is minimally mic'ed.
Experimenting with reversing polarity to speakers
Using a single pair of Clear Day double shotguns terminated with bananas feeding Totem Forest speakers. Am using Audioquest’s diagonal connection recommendation for bi-wireable speakers (see page 4 at link below;
Came across some comments on the web about experimenting with reversing the polarity of speaker cables at BOTH speakers...i.e., connecting red to negative and black to positive. Am NOT talking one speaker out of phase w/respect to the other. Both speakers are in phase with one another.
Having made the change, I did think stage depth immediately increased and imaging focus was improved. The improvement was on the order of installing better cabling, I’d say. I am NOT asking for explanations for the effect. I started the thread merely to suggest an "experiment" to those that might not have considered it before.
Cheap fun.
This topic has been discussed previously on A’gon and EXTENSIVELY in the 2010 thread below:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/polarity-mystery-can-you-help-me-solve-it?highlight=sound%2Bi...
I readily admit it could be placebo (i.e., my imagination). Another well-regarded explanation relates to countering the effects of "out of phase recordings" (See Clark Johnson’s, The Wood Effect discussed at length on the Steve Hoffman forum and elsewhere). BUT the effect does seem to me to persist across multiple recordings (listening to various ripped CDs played off hard drive through Aries Mini>>Gungnir DAC>>Preamp>>Amp).
I’m inclined to think it’s related to some kind of room interaction and distance to listening point. More listening is needed to decide how consistent the benefit is. Of course, whatever the reason for it, the proof of it being a real improvement will be switching back to "proper" polarity after a few days and hearing a degradation in sound quality.
Best regards.
"Using Full Range Cables On BiWire Capable Speakers"). Jumpers are also Clear Day wire.
http://www.audioquest.com/resource_tools/LearningMods/UndrstndgBiWr.pdfCame across some comments on the web about experimenting with reversing the polarity of speaker cables at BOTH speakers...i.e., connecting red to negative and black to positive. Am NOT talking one speaker out of phase w/respect to the other. Both speakers are in phase with one another.
Having made the change, I did think stage depth immediately increased and imaging focus was improved. The improvement was on the order of installing better cabling, I’d say. I am NOT asking for explanations for the effect. I started the thread merely to suggest an "experiment" to those that might not have considered it before.
Cheap fun.
This topic has been discussed previously on A’gon and EXTENSIVELY in the 2010 thread below:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/polarity-mystery-can-you-help-me-solve-it?highlight=sound%2Bi...
I readily admit it could be placebo (i.e., my imagination). Another well-regarded explanation relates to countering the effects of "out of phase recordings" (See Clark Johnson’s, The Wood Effect discussed at length on the Steve Hoffman forum and elsewhere). BUT the effect does seem to me to persist across multiple recordings (listening to various ripped CDs played off hard drive through Aries Mini>>Gungnir DAC>>Preamp>>Amp).
I’m inclined to think it’s related to some kind of room interaction and distance to listening point. More listening is needed to decide how consistent the benefit is. Of course, whatever the reason for it, the proof of it being a real improvement will be switching back to "proper" polarity after a few days and hearing a degradation in sound quality.
Best regards.
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The PDF version of the user manual is available online here - look under Additional Info. http://shop.grantfidelity.com/consonance-ref50-mkii-tube-pre-amplifier.html |
Don’t sell your ears short, Ghosthouse; and trust what you hear. As many listeners know, getting the phase setting correct when using subwoofers can make a very audible and substantial difference in the quality of the bass response. I use a pair of REL Storm III subs in my system and getting the phase setting correct makes a very big difference. With the "incorrect" phase setting the bass sounds as if it’s being sucked in as opposed to being pushed out (think whistling both ways); but, the amazing thing to me is that the most important difference (for me) is not in the bass region but in the areas of image focus and expansiveness of the soundstage even when there is little or no obvious music content in the bass range. While I realize that this is, in great part, a function of getting the phase of the sub correct relative to the phase of the main speakers, I can’t help but wonder if there is more to the story than meets the eye (ear) and if perhaps things like size of the listening room, positioning of speakers and distance to listening chair are all things that interact with the phase characteristics of the bass response of full range speakers which, in turn, affect things like image focus and soundstaging. Would love to get Ralph’s and others’ thoughts on this. Happy New Year! |
Thanks for the input frogman (and encouragement). I have definitely grown in confidence about my "aural judgement" over the last decade. I’m not doubting what I hear relative to the benefit of a polarity reversal on the DAC chain. BUT using the CDP, that benefit is not as apparent. Polarity can affect phase though they aren’t identical things. I very much agree with you about the importance of phase "matching". I did in fact take some time to ensure a proper phase setting on the subs. At this point in time, I believe normal polarity amp to speakers is best for direct CD/SACD playback in my room. Reversed polarity seems best for streamer/DAC playback - my primary listening source. A bit mystifying as to the "why" but I was again today struck by how improved general SQ appears to be with that reversal when listening to music from the Aries Mini. I do completely agree with your observations about the surprising benefit of properly set up subs being greater than "more/deeper bass". AND those improvements, in my set up at least, cannot be attributed to "unloading" the main amp of lower frequency duty by limiting the main speakers low range performance with the sub’s crossover. I run my floor standers full range...sort of in parallel with the subs. Even though the subs are coming in at 80-100 Hz, the resulting sound at much higher frequencies appears to be affected and for the better. Addition of the subs really has been "transformative". |
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