On top of everything else, who is to say what is "correct" phase? Only the listener who can perceive a difference when phase is shifted by 180 degrees at all frequencies, by any of the maneuvers desribed above. Yet, as far as I know, there was no particular phase orthodoxy observed in any recording studio or in LP or CD production. I have read that even on any one LP, the phase can differ from one cut to the next. Further, crossovers and other unavoidable elements in the electronic pathway also alter phase in a frequency-specific manner. Further, further, acoustic phase is altered by room reflections. And finally, you say your phono stage sounds "fine". With all that taken into account, I would say "fuhgeddaboudit". Surely, as an audiophile, you can find something else to fret about. I know I can.
