phase correction for records?

You can check to see if it's a phase (polarity) issue or not by playing one of your
problem records and then reversing the speaker cables* to BOTH speakers (at
the speaker end). See if you can hear a difference. This will also tell you
whether the speakers are polarity-coherent. Count your blessings if they're
not, because unless you want to go through the bother of constant speaker
cable switching -- and if you're really sensitive to the effect -- you'll have to
get a preamp with a polarity switch. I don't know of any integrateds that have
such a switch, but there may be some. Good luck, Dave.

* I assume you know to power down before doing this.

Dear JJ: Yes it is possible that some come with different phase/polarity.

+++++ " some of my records have a very open sound stage while others seem very compressed. This variance occurs with records of the same production year and condition.... " +++++

here you have to remember that each record pass for a different recording session where the engginers make changes according what they like or the producer want and these are reasons for the differences i playback.

Now, with a " dipole " speaker like the one you own the phase subject is almost dramatic: yesterday I was at my friend's Guillermo place who owns big Soundlabs speakers ( great speakers ) and we try several LPs ( any kind and " vintage " ) making changes on polarity and in all the records we heard a " dramatic " change for the better/worst. I comeback to my home and try the same with my system but the change here was/is really tiny.

It is more often on CDs that come with a change on phase than in LPs.

Like Dopague say: you have to be sure that your system is " wired " with absolute polarity through a test record. Of course that a polarity switch help a lot here but I think you don't have it in your preamp.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

That's odd, Raul. I have a friend with those giant Souindlabs AND a preamp with a polarity switch and he disabled the switch because he was never able to hear the slightest difference with it in either position.

Raul

Do you know of any test record that has a pulse signal to check for absolute polarity?

Thank You

Tom

Dear Dopogue: Rare that that happen because Guillermo and I were 4-5 hours working on.

Maybe that friend's switch was out of work and we have to take in count to the system's differences and room interaction.

It is much a coincidence that in two different " bipolar " ( JJ and Guillermo ones. ) speakers we can heard those differences that like JJ point out are heard mainly on the soundstage presentation.

In my speakers I can't hear almost nothing but that with inverted polarity the music comes with less " emotion ".

Anyway, it could be interesting that other bipolar speaker owners try on it and see what happen.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.