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
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.
- ...
- 37 posts total
- 37 posts total

