The polarity conundrum

[Neil McCauley]

Paul McGowan writes:


I am going to stick my neck out and make you a wager. I’ll bet that if I crept into your home one night and swapped +/- on each of your speakers that you’d not notice the difference.

Yet, in the heat of the moment during a listening session you’d hear the swap immediately—even if you didn’t know what it was I was doing.

In fact, I know this to be true because I’ve done both experiments.

What might we conclude from this observation? That long-term polarity swaps are meaningless, yet short-term ones are noticeable? And, if that is so, why?

Continues @ http://www.hifianswers.com/2017/10/the-polarity-conundrum/

[struth]

Depends on music and system for me. sometimes I cant tell flicking a switch.:rolleyes: think the quad 33/303 were set up for statics and need to be used in what looks like out of phase with normal speakers.

[Macca]

Doesn't it depend on the phase of the recording? And if it is a multi track recording are all the tracks in the same phase? I tried it when I had a Linn LK1 which you ae supposed to reverse absolute phase with. I thought, possibly imagined since it was very slight, that it sounded worse, so I swapped back. I think you would need a very simple, but very good recording to notice the difference myself.

[Barry]

I tried all those experiments a couple of years ago and wrote about it somewhere here (can't find the thread at the moment). I tried switching phase whilst the music was playing as well as listening to music uninterrupted with the phase or polarity set one way, then reversing the phase and repeating the same track.

Can't say I noticed any real difference - but I later discovered the overall polarity of my system was wrong because the power amplifier I was using was phase inverting! Still it gave me one less thing to worry about. :)

As Martin says, with multi microphone techniques, it is unlikely that all the micropone feeds will be in phase, let alone of the correct absolute polarity. Doesn't stop out American audiophile friends worrying about it, even to the point of marking on the record sleeves the 'correct' polarity setting.

[walpurgis]

I'd notice if you swapped the polarity on just one speaker! :D

[Barry]

I'd notice if you swapped the polarity on just one speaker! :D

So would most people (or at least audio enthusiasts should). However some may have the left and right-hand channels transposed. I once accompanied a friend to a demonstration at a well known audio dealer, who was most surprised when I told him he had the channels swapped - the violins are usually on the left. Clearly he wasn't a frequent concert goer! :rolleyes:

[walpurgis]

On the rare occasion that I've inadvertently got the channels the wrong way round (usually with interconnects), I've always noticed, even if I didn't put my finger on what was not quite right immediately.

[montesquieu]

So would most people (or at least audio enthusiasts should). However some may have the left and right-hand channels transposed. I once accompanied a friend to a demonstration at a well known audio dealer, who was most surprised when I told him he had the channels swapped - the violins are usually on the left. Clearly he wasn't a frequent concert goer! :rolleyes:

I pointed this out to the demo-meister in one of the grander rooms at Munich this year. I wasn't believed. Plonkers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sherwood]

So would most people (or at least audio enthusiasts should). However some may have the left and right-hand channels transposed. I once accompanied a friend to a demonstration at a well known audio dealer, who was most surprised when I told him he had the channels swapped - the violins are usually on the left. Clearly he wasn't a frequent concert goer! :rolleyes:

I am guessing you mean a regular classical concert goer! I go to concerts regularly and although my speakers are correctly connected it really does not make much difference to the music I listen to which way around the speakers are wired!

Geoff

[Barry]

I am guessing you mean a regular classical concert goer! I go to concerts regularly and although my speakers are correctly connected it really does not make much difference to the music I listen to which way around the speakers are wired!

Geoff

Yes of course, though some orchestras employ a different arrangement.

[montesquieu]

Yes of course, though some orchestras employ a different arrangement.

It's not just a matter of convention though. When held in the left hand as most are, sitting violins on the left is the most logical place for best sound dispersion and indeed this was a consistent practice certainly from baroque times.

Other placements were adapted round this positioning and are varied to a degree (some string quartets sit the cellist in the middle but most on the right. Some orchestras organise first and second violins either side - I believe Elgar was a supporter of this practice - which makes sense in orchestral music with a strong contrapuntal element. But it remains a minority approach.

But placement matters hugely in rock and jazz too - moments of anticipation ruined waiting on a grand solo to charge in from one side only to have the massive metal dissonance of it coming from the wrong place. In my imagination I see everyone playing instruments with the wrong hand, strings upside down, keyboards swapped over so that the bass is played with the right hand - horrific!