Inverted phase preamps?

"Most manufacturers recommend..." Downunder? How do you know this is the recommendation of most manufacturers?

The manufacturer of my preamp...First Sound...does not specifically recommend reversing the leads at the speakers or at the amp. First Sound says the leads can be reversed at either end. User's choice.

Since 50% of all recordings are phase-inverted, and from one to the next you can't tell except by playing, I would say it does not really matter!!!!!
And since most refried/rechannelled/run through a gazillion master consols etc and have NO descernable phase anyway, why bother?
So for the few recordings that have the right phase, carefully handled from mic to recording, (which are "audiophile" and usually sound great, but usually have no real musical content) you can worry. Otherwise it is a crapshoot.
So, to be blunt: CAN YOU HEAR IT?? ANYWAY??
(I can tell sometimes and it does sound better to reverse the phase, but usually I cannot hear any difference)
(The difference I do hear plainly is as if the sound is originating "behind" the speakers in reverse phase, and in front or between with better bass control in correct phase.
So, burn me if I am wrong.... Flames anyone???
(Ahhh.. have you noticed I am in a 'difficult' mood?)

I have a Joule Electra LA150 and Jud (the designer) told me switch leads at either speaker or amp end of speaker wires, doesn't matter. I've done both and cannot hear a difference, however, a couple times I forgot to reverse at all and man, oh, man can you hear the difference!

Elizabeth, you make a valid point. Even though I swap my speaker leads because my preamp inverts absolute phase, I have never discerned a difference.

By the way, what's different about your prickly mood today than any other day? :)

It's one of the things we love about you...

I have a Cary SLP-98L and the manual specifically states to make the switch at the amp end. As for hearing a difference quality wise I don't know about that. I do know that on the live recordings I have made and play on my system that when the phase was not inverted the sound was off balance which makes sense.