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Problem with phase

I have a problem that I have not encountered before. Go a used pair of Klipsch CF4 (fantastic speakers BTW) and was setting them up went I put on the Stereophile test CD and went thru the phase tracks. When the speakers were supposed to be out of phase and not produce a strong central image, the image was rock solid between the speakers and when it was supposed to be normal, it sounded diffuse. So I reversed the speaker leads on both speakers (+ to - and viceversa) and repeated the test and got the same result. Thinking that it was a glitch with that CD I pop'd the 'phle test cd2 and got the same results. What could be up? isnt revesing the polarity of the speaker cables supposed to invert the phase? if so, why would the issue not have been resolved?

Any input is greatly appreciated

Thanks
128x128jpr
reubent
6,986 posts
 
If you reversed the connection on both speakers, the speakers are still "in phase" or in your case, "out of phase" with each other. Out of phase means one speaker is 180 degrees out of phase with the other speaker. To remedy, you will need to change the wiring on only one of the speakers. That shoud change the overall phase to be "in phase" with its companion speaker.

It sounds like you either have your speaker wires crossed on one of your speakers, or potentially the speaker is mis-wired internally.

TIC
Post removed 
jea48
4,425 posts
 
I agree with Reubent.

Just an added suggestion. You might first want to check the polarity of each speaker by simply connecting a 1.5V D or C cell battery across the terminals of each speaker, one at a time.

Best way to check not only the speaker but also the speaker cable for the correct polarity as a unit.

Disconnect the speaker cables from the power amp.
For the test make sure the speaker cable wires are connected to the speakers,
(+ to +) (- to -).

Pull the speaker grill from each speaker.

Take the 1.5V battery and connect the (-) wire of a speaker cable to the (-) side of the battery.
Momentary touch the (+) side of the speaker wire to the (+) side of the battery while watching the speaker drivers.

If the polarity if correct the driver cones of the speaker will move forward.
If the polarity is reversed they will pull back.

If one of the speakers is reversed polarity just change, reverse, the speaker cable connection at the speaker.

Check for the correct polarity again, just to make sure it is now correct.

Reconnect the speaker cables back to the power amp. (+ to +) (- to -)

Try your test CD......
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
What you did was to reverse the ABSOLUTE phase, which can be important but which, as the others pointed out, does not address your problem.
ribd11
33 posts
 
Jpr, are you using balanced or single-ended connections between your source, preamp and amp? If balanced, you need to make sure the pins all match hot/hot, cold/cold and ground/ground. I have found that some older balanced equipment had reversed pins/polarity from newer equipment and this would give you the in-phase out-of phase issues on your test disc. If your speakers were out of phase of one another it wouldn't matter...either way you would have blurred imaging. But you don't. Goodluck!
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