Unfortunately the elephant in the room is the fact that there is no absolute standard for polarity through the recording/mixing/mastering chain. Some albums are released in "correct" polarity, many are not. But like Elizabeth says it really doesn't matter if it doesn't bother you. If it does, flip your invert polarity switch on your preamp or swap speaker cable ends (on one end only). I can tell a difference so that's what I do.
Phase Inversion, to flip polarity or not
I put a system up in another room using an older Bruce Moore Companion 2c Preamp with upgrades and a PS Audio HCA-2 amp with full blown Reference Audio Mods. The Bruce Moore just like the Audible Illusion recommends invert phase. I tried both ways and like both ways for different reasons. Without inverting phase it sounds fuller, drums sound bigger, horns have a little more meat on the bone. With invert phase there more detail, drum a little tighter but still has slam, maybe little more information, the PS Audio does help as it's pretty good at information retrieval. Anyone's insight or explanation to what I'm hearing please let me know. When dealing with a preamp recommending inverting phase which route do you go, just haven't decided which one is best, there both good.
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OP- you are very welcome. For decades I never thought to reverse speaker cables at one end. Then one day I did and it sounded better reversed. My focus is on imaging and soundstaging and that's where I noticed most of the differences. Good luck on your quest and post some more findings. As always, YMMV... Tom |
Don’t have anything against the rest of the propositions Kosst offered, but- regarding the physics: ".....decompressing air certainly has its limits. No matter how fast the cone moves, it can never create less than 0 psi of pressure......" Ever heard of something called, "vacuum" and how it’s measured? (May seem rhetorical, but- facts are facts) https://www.hydraulicspneumatics.com/200/TechZone/Vacuum/Article/False/6460/TechZone-Vacuum Below, "0 PSI" the rarefaction of atmosphere pressure(or vacuum) is measured in Inches of mercury(inHg, or- millibars/mbar). YES; there’s a limit of 29.92". No perfect vacuum has ever been achieved, to man’s knowledge. At rest; a cone(or diaphragm) produces no pressure(0 PSI), at it’s front(just like a compressor’s piston). It’s forward motion will cause compression. It’s rearward motion; a rarefaction. The amounts of energy, to achieve either, are equal, or- you’d notice a difference in overall volume with polarity reversed. The result of a reversal in absolute polarity, has been termed, "The Wood Effect"(a highly contentious subject). As mentioned, recordings can vary widely, regarding absolute phase, both in overall recording and individual voices/mics. This CD: https://cheskyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/chesky-records-jazz-sampler-audiophile-test-vol-1 contains polarity tests, that enable one to tell whether the, "Effect" is audible to them, in their system. Here’s another, that I’ve found useful: https://www.stereophile.com/content/stereophile-test-cd-tracks-6-9 It doesn’t mention at what point the polarity is reversed(on track 8), challenging you to find it.(if you can). Both incorporate music, with attention payed to correct polarity throughout. Having phase reverse available, in both my analogue and digital sources, I’ve marked the media I own, that sound better to me with a particular phase setting. |
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