Preamp inverts phase question:

Adampeter,
Did you reverse the polarity at the speakers, or amp yet?

Is so, did you hear any difference?
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I played around a little yesterday listening to different CDs on my system. My Sonic Frontiers Line One preamp has a polarity phase invert feature which can be switched with the remote control.

As others have posted with some there was no real discernable difference in sound from my speakers. But there was with others. Did I go through all my library of CDs? No.... Just a selection of a few.

Standouts where a definite difference could be heard?

Etta James, "Love Songs".
Track #1, "At Last".
Change? Etta's Voice. Inverted her voice was thin. Correct polarity her voice was full, a more moving presentation.

Chris Rea, "Auberge".
Track #11, "The Mention Of Your Name".
Again the voice of the singer stood out.

Buddy Holly, "From The Original Master Tapes".
Track #20, "True Love Ways.
Difference? Not only Holly's voice, the saxophone as well. Definitely the saxophone....

FourPlay, "Between the Sheets".
Track #1, "Chant?
Difference? The bass drum.

Rodman -- Good references; thanks!

Jea -- Thanks for posting those results. The thing I wonder, though, about preamps that have polarity reversal capability, is if there may be an additional significant variable present. When you reverse polarity, you are not only reversing polarity but you are changing the circuit configuration in the preamp, either adding or removing or selecting a different active stage somewhere in the signal path. So I'd be a bit more cautious drawing conclusions from that kind of test than from a test where the polarity of the speaker connections is interchanged, given that the polarity effects being listened for are alleged by many to be subtle at most.

Regards,
-- Al

Al, remember that when you switch speaker cables you are also affecting wire directionality, or so I've read. In fact, I remember Doug Blackburn writing an essay on polarity suggesting that the primary audible change you hear (if you hear ANYTHING) is the effect of wire directionality rather than polarity. IME, there IS a more pronounced effect from switching speaker wires rather than changing polarity via the preamp's remote. Anyone for listening to some music? Dave

Rodman, your research and references were very interesting. In addition to covering many of the aspects of absolute polarity, they really hit home on the need for time and phase accurate speakers to have any chance of hearing polarity differences. They also made it clear that polarity is not just a leading edge effect, but can be heard in mid frequency continuous asymetrical waveforms. I did not realize that previously.

When you combine the phase inversions in mics, mixers and recording equipment, and the potential circuitry differences in a preamps polarity switches, you have a lot of variables even if you get the absolute polarity of your system correct. Still, I agree that is what you should do.

Since I do have time/phase speakers and a polarity switch on the pre, I think I'll do some listening similar to Jea and report back.

Wouldn't an "Industry Standard" be nice? =8^)