help with absolute phase

This is a guess. I think changing the phase is the same as turning the plug 180 degrees. If this is true a plug tester from Radio Shack would work. This is only a guess.

Many pre maker/designers do this. I saves one step the signal doesn't have to pass thru,within the pre. You just reverse the leads going to speakers themselves. The bass will be dead center and stronger when you are in phase.

About half of the CDs out there have the absolute phase reversed anyway. This makes a HUGE difference in the sound quality. The absolute phase MUST BE correct, so you (and everyone else) needs a component with a phase reversal switch. Some of the major labels with reversed phase are: Mercury, Capital, RCA, MCA, DG, London, EMI, Sony, Telarc, Teldec, Epic, Vanguard and Warner Brothers. For the complete list, refer to the article in FI magazine, September 1997. Food for thought: Years ago, many pieces of tube gear were raved about by high end magazines who loved to use RCA shaded dogs and Mercs as their test records. A lot of tube gear reverses phase so with these records, the absolute phase was correct. How many incorrect decisions were made because of this?

In case this is not clear, you want to reverse the plus and minus speaker cable leads at BOTH speakers OR for both channels of speaker cables at the amplifier. Red to black and black to red. Inverted phase is not the same as AC polarity, so this is independent of your AC power. And it is not the same as out-of-phase, which is much more audible, and which happens when the plus and minus are inverted on one channel only. If your preamp inverts, as your does, I am told that it makes sense to do this procedure even though, as Elgordo says, you will still be "off" for about half of your CDs. What the audio world needs is more preamps and processors with remote control phase reversal.

there are a number of test cd's and lp's that can be used to assure that your system (as oppposed to the source) is in phase. i use the stereophile test disc 2 or the ortophon test lp as a quick check on phase whenever i change out cables or electronics. both of my last 2 preamps have allowed remote reversal of phase, a nice feature given what elgordo rightly notes.