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In Reply to: RE: It's easy, IF your speakers meet certain requirements. posted by Dave Pogue on November 23, 2015 at 10:05:09
Dave,
I spent a fair amount of time with my system and absolute polarity. I can hear differences (somtimes virtually non existent and sometime fairly noticable) depending on the material. I certainly hear differences when I switch speaker connections, I also hear differences (although I think smaller) when I switch polarity at my DAC (which I can do from my chair with a remote).
But although I hear differences, I just do not listen to music that way (listen and the switch and then relisten). So I simply decided to insure that my system was correct throught the chain and leave it at that. My phono stage inverts so I inverted polarity at the cartridge. So digital and phono are correct to my preamp. My single stage 1626 preamp inverts and my 2 stage monoblocks do not invert so I inverted speaker cables at the speaker. My 2 way horn speakers have both drivers in the same polarity and a positive DC signal on the + terminal moves the woofer cone outward.
So I beleive my audio chain preserves the polarity from source to speaker (ignoring phase shift from 2nd order woofer xover, horn driver uses 1st order). Recordings that are not in correct absolute phase or were phase is different for different instruments/performers will not sound as good as they could if the recording engineeres had been more careful but I don't generally have the time to worry about this. Some recordings are not that great for a lot of reasons including phase, but I still enjoy listening to them.
Follow Ups:
Pete, my current speakers are NOT polarity coherent, so I'm off the polarity treadmill, for which a fervent "Thank heaven" :-)
Now, whenever I switch the remote from "normal" to "inverted," neither I nor any friends (so far at least) can tell a speck of difference.
Which is not to say that you couldn't.
I can easily hear the difference resulting from speaker cable switch but not as clearly from the DAC switch. This is what I hear generally: in one orientation the sound stage is bigger, more open and the bass seems a bit "better", in the other orientation everything shrinks down very slightly, the mid range and bass become less full sounding (music is a bit washed out).
This is without a doubt the analysis/comparison that very quickly drives me nuts. Switching from the speakers is clearly audible but takes too much time to do regularly and the DAC phase switch is subtle so I usually don't bother because in general I like and enjoy the sound I hear in my system. One way sounds better on a one song and vice versa on another song, sometimes I hear a difference that seems worth it and sometimes not. I listen to probably around 5-25 hours of music a week in my system, comparing phase would probably reduce this to 1-5 hours a week!:)
My switch is on the line stage remote (Aesthetix Calypso). Polarity changes came in loud and clear using that remote and I confess I never compared the audibility of changes via speaker switching after getting the Calypso.
Your description of listening via the correct polarity matches my recollections. I'm not sorry I have lost the ability to discern it, though :-)
You probably can still hear it in the right setup? Perhaps your new speakers are not as phase coherent as the Gallos? What speakers did you switch too?
You may remember those old Gallo Ultimates -- the giant ones with four "bassballs" per side, sitting in open racks -- that were standing in the corners for 10 years while I played with the latest and greatest Gallos. Big mistake. The Ultimates, among Anthony Gallo's first series speakers back in 1996, just blew away the newer ones when I got around to comparing them.
But the wiring between the 12-inch bassballs goes from plus to minus at one point, effectively obliterating phase/polarity distinctions. At least for me.
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