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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
bradf's avatar
bradf
288 posts
 
Interesting article (Tip of the Month) written in February 2017 Absolute Sound regarding Optimizing AC Polarity. More relevant to A/C polarity then acoustic polarity.
2channel8
634 posts
 
Do you think this only works with LR crossovers?
Would you reverse all 8 connections if you bi-wire?
Would it make any difference in a bi-wire configuration?
Does polarity switching only matter with tube amps?
alaskagram
4 posts
 
I have often maintained that "Audiophiles" are individuals with non-standard hearing abilities, like an individual who has perfect pitch, which can be a real curse. Absolute phase has been discussed many times since I started in the hobby of audio back in the '60's. 1st I have to admit to not being sensitive to absolute phase. This is probably why most people from the beginning of the recording chain to the end at your speakers don't mention it. Now for the kicker; it is not absolute phase but rather polarity that is being changed. Weather an event begins on the positive cycle or the negative cycle is it's polarity not it's timing,(phase).   P.S. I tune large concert P.A. systems with some really nice digital components, and though we have come a long ways from horn loaded individual rack and stack boxes, at the end of the day I can still hear the processing. The moral; KISS, no  electronics, passive or active, are artifact free. For "pure" sound you are still stuck with a single driver system
alaskagram
4 posts
 
I might also suggest that all of you involved in this discussion need to read up on some basic electronics and physics before you comment. The above topic is one of the most commonly misunderstood topics in all of audio. The difference between phase(timing) and polarity (positive vs. negative charge values). Phase does have a very noticeable effect on sound, polarity not so much(as long as it matches). However when designing electrical circuits, circuits based on negative charges are quieter then positive because the noise in the natural world tends to be positive,i.e. static electricity,lighting, are positive. This would be a reason for inverting the polarity of a system,i.e. an amplifier.
Sound differences could be due to some unknown sensitivity in hearing and/or more likely the physical path the circuit takes,i.e. chassis ground connections( shared connections introducing noise) vs. physically isolated in and out connections. This being compounded further by mixing and matching components of different design's.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
3,018 posts
 
From the Gallo Classico CL-3 manual...
Advanced Connection: If you are an experienced listener, you should try connecting the Front Left and Right speakers with the polarity reversed. [i.e., positive (+) (red) on Amp to negative (-) (black) on Speaker, and negative (-) (black) on Amp to positive (+) (red) on Speaker].
Listen closely to the differences from the standard polarity hook-up, as this reverse polarity variable in the system can yield significant performance gains with a reversed polarity setup.

Any idea why A. Gallo recommends this and why reversing polarity works in my system? Imaging thru these speakers is focused with extended bass. (my preamp is non-inverting).
The design is a 3-way floorstander with a transmission line and no crossovers. Only one pair of binding posts.
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