Phase Inversion in Preamplifer?

I have to say that the whole phase inversion thing leaves a bit to be desired. Much good advice has already been posted. From my perspective, I have a Joule Electra LA-100 MkIII that inverts phase and a Hagerman Trumpet phonostage that has a polarity switch. I recently acquired a passive preamp that does not invert phase. My system is set-up so the digital front end runs through the passive and the analog front-end runs through the Joule. So I don't have to keep swapping the speaker leads back and forth, I just leave them wired + to + and - to -, using the polarity switch on the phonostage to reverse phase to compensate.

The funny thing about all this is that I really can't tell the difference. I have a few test discs, two CD and one LP. Using the voice phase tests swapping the speaker leads made no difference to my ears. However, swapping IC leads did. As for the Rives CD, they use a track with solo piano followed by solo bass. Again, I could not tell the differnece. Although Larri's point about the piano seems to make some sense now that I think back on it. I may have to revisit that test track.

FWIW Jmcgrogan2 is absolutely on point. Most sources that you will attach to your pre-amp won't have "inverted phase". Probably the description arrises out of the fact that tube phono preamps often do invert phase, especially the little one tube cheapies. I have noticed that the inverted phase issue arrises most often in tube equipment with a single tube per side. Perhaps those that use a second tube as a cathode follower correct for the initial inversion. Just a thought.......

Newbee - At least in my experience, the Joule LA-100 MkIII and Cary SLP-98 use cathode (in the Joule's case it is a Mu) followers and both inverted phase.

The problem with this whole discussion is Polarity and Phase Inversion can either mean the same thing or something completely different, depending on who's talking and what component they are talking about.

The line and phono stages of the Audible Illusions Modulus
series are both phase inverting, but since the phono stage
output is always routed through the line stage (unless you
are using the phono stage only through the tape output) the
net result is that your sources input directly to the line
stage will be inverted in polarity while the phono stage
input will be in proper absolute phase. Whether you will be
able to hear the difference is debatable, but the easiest
way to achieve correct phase for all sources is as follows.
Reverse the polarity of both speaker cables at either the
amp end or the speaker end (not at both). Then also change
the polarity of the connections to each channel of your
phono cartridge. This will resolve your absolute phase for
both line level sources as well as your phono playback.