@matrix *BUT the Invert at the Digital domain is absolutly necessary if you hear it, It inverts the "1’s" and "0’s" at the recorded disk and 99% of the discs I have sound far better inverted than standard, much fuller and more analog like,..
Reviving an old thread - 17 years later, I find this to be the case today in what I’m hearing now. While I cannot explain it, hearing a difference with streamed digital lossless content too. My tube preamp is "phase-inverting". When reversing polarity at the speakers, it does round off the highs a tad and pushes the sound stage back some too. Similar to what you describe ^^ **above ^^.
Many report you "cannot hear a difference 50% of the time". Not sure I totally agree. For whatever reason I can hear the difference on 80% or more of the tracks when reversing speaker polarity on my speakers with my phase-inverting preamp.