2. speakers
  3. 127689-1433

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;

"Using Full Range Cables On BiWire Capable Speakers"). Jumpers are also Clear Day wire.

http://www.audioquest.com/resource_tools/LearningMods/UndrstndgBiWr.pdf

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.


128x128ghosthouse
sbank's avatar
sbank
2,038 posts
 
IMHO, the bigger quicker question and another worthwhile experiment is checking to see if the polarity of the drivers on any multi-way dynamic speaker are in polarity with each other. Using a "Cricket" device and test CD, you can play test signal and watch the lights on the device as you hold it in front of each driver to confirm they are all firing in polarity. 
Many speakers are designed with midranges out of polarity which sometimes improves measured specs for magazine reviews but sacrifices musical truth. If you speakers are bi or tri wireable, it's easy to switch and see what you prefer. I've seen many experienced audiophiles shocked at the improvements they hear in their own homes when out-of-polarity drivers are reversed. YMMV widely.
Cheers,
Spencer
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse OP
3,718 posts
 
Hello Spencer.  A Happy New Year to you.  The intentional "out of phase" drivers was a factor in  that 2010 A'gon thread that I'd linked to. The OP's speakers were designed that way. Dunno if the Forests (2 ways) are...sort of suspect not.  But will have to find out more about that "Cricket" gadget.  Regardless of reason, however, experimenting with polarity for the entire speaker or individual drivers, where possible, might yield surprising results.      
jc4659
172 posts
 
I'd be interested in knowing if you heard any changes in the bass, both in extension and definition.
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse OP
3,718 posts
 
jc4659 - Change in bass wasn't something that jumped out at me but now that you mention it, I do think bass has benefited as part of the overall improvement to SQ.  Like everything else I think it's a little more "in focus"...so improved definition (maybe!).  I run a pair of subs (SVS SB10) driving off speaker level inputs via jumpers to the Forests.  The subs are relatively new to me so I pay a lot of attention to the quality of bass.  I did check whether changing phase from 0 to 180 after the polarity change at the Forests had an effect.  That seemed to reduce bass output a bit.  I went back to running them at 0 phase.  Like I said, a change in the quality of bass didn't jump out as a distinguishing feature but it certainly didn't suffer, either.  

One observation I forgot to note previously was the apparent jump in SPL after making the change.  I'd listened to SRV "Dirty Pool" from Scorsese's "Presents the Blues" compilation before changing the polarity.   With the volume control at the same position, the SPL at the listening position was noticeably louder after the change.  I actually had to reduce the volume setting a bit.  

Thinking about this a bit more, the change in SQ could be unique to my set up.  There are 6 pieces of gear between the hard drive and the Forests (the USB out from the Aries Mini runs into a V-Link 192 and from their via SPDIF to the Gungnir.   Maybe there's something messing with polarity (phase?) in one of those signal transfer steps.  
More to discover