The Polarity List

[DaveyF]

My fellow a'phile and friend Mr.George Louis has a thing about correct polarity when listening to audio and CD's in particular....so much so that he has compiled a list that is pretty amazing in regards to this issue: The list is : The Polarity List

Revised December 30, 2011

9winds – Harkins Golis Turetzky – Glossarium R
A & M Records R
ACCORD Duke Ellington – PLUS TIME 2 Great Concerts R
ACCURATE – Jimmy Weinstein Group – Nostalgia R
ACOUSTIC MUSIC RESOURCE Solid Air Records R
Acoustic Zebra* – Beatle Jazz – A Bite Of The Apple R
AirCraft Records – Round Sounds Vol. II R
Allegretto Sampler Series – Manuel Barreco (etc.) – Spotlight on Guitar R
Aloi Records a Division of Linn Products N
AMBRUS DISCS& TAPES – Amadus – It’s Just Beginning R
American Recordings R
Analogue Productions R
Analogue Productions – FI The Magazine of Music & Sound R
Antiles R
Archiv Produktion R
Ariola – Greenhouse Effect Plan B R
ASTREE AUVIDIS R
ATCO RECORDS – Bobby Darin – This is Darin R
ATLANTIC JAZZ – Cyrus Chestnut – The Dark Before the Dawn – R
AudioQuest – Robert Lucas – Layaway R
Audiostas ummy-Head-Recording (binaural) R
BEAST RETRO Concert Friday the 13th Cook County Jail R
Big Cat Records – Mary Coughlan – After the Fall R
BIS R
BLACK LION – Cliff Jackson – Carolina Shout R
Blix Street Records R
Blue Note N
BLUE NOTE Music from EMI* – Patricia Barber – Live A Forthight in France R
BRC-JAM – Todd Coolman Trio – Tomorrows R
BROWNSTONE RECORDINGS – HARRY SKOLER – Conversations In The Languate Of Jazz R
Burmester – Art for the Ear – Volume II & III R
Café RECORDS –Moro – Pieces of And A collection of Romantic Music for Cuitar R
CAMELEON/BEACHWOOD RECORDS – Laurence Juber – Solo Flight R
Capri Records Ltd, NU – Drifting Timelessly R
Cascavelle – Duo De Harpes R
CBS Records (Associated) Hubert Laws: The Rite of Spring – R
Cedille Records R
CEMA SPECIAL PRODUCTS – 10 BEST SERIES – Peggy Lee – Fever & Other Hits R
Chesky R
Clarity Recordings R
Collectables – Grassella Oliphant Quartette – The Grass Roots R
Columbia – Miles Davis – Kind of Blue R
COLUMBIA/DMZ/LEGACY – T Bone Burnett –Twenty Twenty The Essential T Bone Burnett (2 discs) R
Columiba BP
Concord Jazz BP
Concord Jazz Collectable Series BP
Curb RCA R
Delos R
DENON – tact JAZZ SERIES – Toshiko Aniyoshi Quintet – Toshiko at Top of the Gate N
DENON PCM DIGITAL RECORDING – Beethoven symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op 36 R
Deutsche Gramophone R
DISCOVERY – Hal Schaefer – Solo Duo Trio R
Dmp Digital Music Productions, Inc.
Dorian R
EAST WIND JASRAC – The L.A. Four – Going Home – R
ECM – Ralph Towner – Works R
ECM NEW SERIES –Gyorgy Kurtag – Jatekok R
ECM Records GmbH R
EMI Angel DIGITAL – Arron Copland R
EMI Classics R
Enja – Tete Montoliu – Songs for Love R
Epic –Poco- The Very Best of Poco R
Everest R
Excelsior JAZZ GOLD – Jazz Is R
Fantasy ORIGINAL Jazz CLASSICS – The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album R
Favored Nations ACOUSTIC – Tommy Emmanuel R
FIM R
Geffen R
Geffen - Eagels – Hell Freezes Over R
Gema – Bowers & Willkins Audiophile Recordings For The Road R
GLOBAL PACIFIC RECORDS – David Friesen – Departure R
Gmp AMERICAN MUSIC HALL (THE) – The Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets R
GRAMAVISION – R
Grove
Grp DIGITAL MASTER – PASTI AUSTIN – LIVE R
GSPJAZ Recordings R
Hallmark Music – Acoustic Evening R
HARMONIA MUNDI – 30TH ANNIVERSAIRE R
HI FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW – HFB/NR TEST DISC II R
IMP CLASSICS – Marcelo Kayath -Guitar Classics from Spain R
Impulse! N
Inak MUSIC COMPANY – Dice of Dixieland Sideways R
INNERTUBE – The Surf Kings –Coming Up for Air R
INTUITION Records, Inc. R
JAZZ HERITAGE – CARMEN MCRAE: CARMEN SINGS MONK R
Jazz Focus N
JVC 20bit K2 SUPERCODING Ernie Watts – The Long Road Home R
JVCJ-CD R
JVCxrcd BP
KnitClassics – KnitClassics Sampler R
KOCH SCHWANN – Bohmen & Mahren R
LASERLIGHT DIGITAL R
LIMELIGHT (JASRAC) – The Oscar Peterson Trio – Canadian Suite R
LINN RECORDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE hit label – Sstephane Grappelli –Martin Taylor – Reunion R
London N
M*A R
MAD-KAT Records – Kitty Margolis – Live at The Jazz Workshop R
Mapleshade N
Mark Levinson – Red Rose Music-– Volume one R
MCA GRP – Rob Wasserman (etc.) – Trios R
MCA Zebra* – David Grisman Acousticity R
Mercury Living Presence R
Mercury R
MHS Musical Herritage Society N
Milestone –The Kenny Drew, Jr. Trio – Winter Flower R
MOBILE FIDELITY MFSL (Polydor original R) – Eric Clapton Slowhand R
MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING ULTRA DISC UHR GAIN 2 –(hybrid SACD) Patricia Baber – Café Blue R
MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB ULTRA DISC II (original Verve – R) – Getz/Gilberto R
MOBILE FIDELITY ULTRA DISC II SAMPLER – (multiple original CDs) MP
Mode 26 (Records) R
MOTOWN – Diana Ross – Lady Sings the Blues R
Music from BMI*- BLUE NOTE – Patricia Barber – Live a Fortnight in France R
N Coded Music N
Naim – Charlie Haden & John Taylor R
Narada R
Narada Collection Series R
Nature Recordings R
NAXOS R
NEW WORLD RECORDS R
Nimbus Records English Stsring Orchestra – Mendelssohn Complete String symphonies R
Nonesuch R
NOVUS (BMG RCA) – Marcus Roberts – The Truth s Spoken Here R
Opus 3 R
Opus 3 – Depth of Image Test Record 1 R
Pablo N
Philips R
PIERRE VERANY – Mamba Percussions R
POINT GEMA – Pasha – Christmas Music - Christmas Carols R
Private Music- Leo Kottke – Regards From Chuck Pink R
Proprius R
Proprius – Jazz at the Pawnshop R
Proprius – Contate Domino R
RCA RED SEAL – Charles Munch BSO – Debussy – La Mer R
RCAVictor R
RCAVictor, The Chieftains – Tears of Stone R
RealTime Records – Real Hot Jazz R
Rearward/Schema N
Red House Records R
Reference Records R
Reprise N
Reprise – Joni Mitchell – Blue N
Rhino R
River North Records N
Rounder R
SANSTONE MUSIC – MEL TORME – THE LONDON SESSIONS R
Sheffield Labs R
SHILOH RECORDS – Greg Harris – Acoustic II R
SIRE – Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense R
Solid Air R
Solid Air Records – Grove Masters R
Sony R
Sony – Miles Davis – Kind of Blue R
SPECIAL MUSIC COMPANY (THE) – Ragtime Piano Favorites R
SteepleChase R
Stereophile R
STUNT RECORDS –Marie Bergman – Fruit R
Telarc N
Telarc Digital N
Telarc Jazz N
THE Jazz Alliance – The L.A. Jazz Choir – From All Sides R
The World Ryko 360 AU 20 – Mickey Hart – Planet Drum R
The World Ryko 360 AU 20 (gold) R
Three Blind Mice R
Tomorrow International – Nathan Davis – I’m A Fool to Want You R
Triloka Records Living Proof Series – Richie Beirach – George Coleman – Convergence N
UAE MCPS – Memphis Slim R
UNIVERSAL MUSIC Special Markets – STARBUCKS COFFEE – Repertoire R
Usher R
Vanguard N
VANGUARD – Pete Seeger – Live At Newport N
Varse Sarabande R
Verve R
VOX ALLEGRETTO –The All Star Percussion Ensemble R
VSOP CONNOISSEUR COLLECTION – Hugh Masekela – Stimela R
WARNER BROS. – Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – Flight of The Cosmic Hippo R
Warner Bros. – Bela fleck & The Flecktones –Live Art (2 discs) R
WARNER BROS. Records, Inc (Phonogram Ltd.) – Dire Straits – Love Over Gold R
Water Lily Acoustics – Strunz & Farah – Misterio R
WCJ Warner Classic Jazz –The Puccini Experience R
WIENERWORLD RECORDS – The Music of Red Shoe Diaries R
Wilson Audio (Wilson Audiophile Definitive Recording) – James Welch Organist – Concert And Recital R
Windham Hill R
Windham Hill Collection (A) R
Zebra Acoustic* - Beatle Jazz – A Bite Of The Apple R
Zebra MCA* – David Grisman Acousticity R

N = Normal Polarity, R = Reversed Polarity. BP = Both Polarity CDs, W/S = Wall of Sound, S/W = Reversed polarity Wall of Sound, MT = Tracks with different relative polarity, i.e. some N and some R tracks, MP = Mixed polarity on one or more tracks. MN = Mostly Normal Polarity, MR = Mostly Inverted Polarity. Usually reissue labels such as Mobile Fidelity don’t change the polarity of the original CDs so their polarities are dependent upon the polarity of the label of the original compact discs. I only list the polarity of the CD layer on Hybrid SACDs, but I expect the SACD layer’s polarity is the same as its CD layer. A “The” at the beginning of a label name will be omitted for the purpose of alphabetizing but shown in parenthesis after the label name, e.g. (The).

I am going to invite George ( who is a member here) to comment further on this work and his thoughts on polarity in particular---

 

[MylesBAstor]

My fellow a'phile and friend Mr.George Louis has a thing about correct polarity when listening to audio and CD's in particular....so much so that he has compiled a list that is pretty amazing in regards to this issue: The list is : The Polarity List

Revised December 30, 2011

9winds – Harkins Golis Turetzky – Glossarium R
A & M Records R
ACCORD Duke Ellington – PLUS TIME 2 Great Concerts R
ACCURATE – Jimmy Weinstein Group – Nostalgia R
ACOUSTIC MUSIC RESOURCE Solid Air Records R
Acoustic Zebra* – Beatle Jazz – A Bite Of The Apple R
AirCraft Records – Round Sounds Vol. II R
Allegretto Sampler Series – Manuel Barreco (etc.) – Spotlight on Guitar R
Aloi Records a Division of Linn Products N
AMBRUS DISCS& TAPES – Amadus – It’s Just Beginning R
American Recordings R
Analogue Productions R
Analogue Productions – FI The Magazine of Music & Sound R
Antiles R
Archiv Produktion R
Ariola – Greenhouse Effect Plan B R
ASTREE AUVIDIS R
ATCO RECORDS – Bobby Darin – This is Darin R
ATLANTIC JAZZ – Cyrus Chestnut – The Dark Before the Dawn – R
AudioQuest – Robert Lucas – Layaway R
Audiostas ummy-Head-Recording (binaural) R
BEAST RETRO Concert Friday the 13th Cook County Jail R
Big Cat Records – Mary Coughlan – After the Fall R
BIS R
BLACK LION – Cliff Jackson – Carolina Shout R
Blix Street Records R
Blue Note N
BLUE NOTE Music from EMI* – Patricia Barber – Live A Forthight in France R
BRC-JAM – Todd Coolman Trio – Tomorrows R
BROWNSTONE RECORDINGS – HARRY SKOLER – Conversations In The Languate Of Jazz R
Burmester – Art for the Ear – Volume II & III R
Café RECORDS –Moro – Pieces of And A collection of Romantic Music for Cuitar R
CAMELEON/BEACHWOOD RECORDS – Laurence Juber – Solo Flight R
Capri Records Ltd, NU – Drifting Timelessly R
Cascavelle – Duo De Harpes R
CBS Records (Associated) Hubert Laws: The Rite of Spring – R
Cedille Records R
CEMA SPECIAL PRODUCTS – 10 BEST SERIES – Peggy Lee – Fever & Other Hits R
Chesky R
Clarity Recordings R
Collectables – Grassella Oliphant Quartette – The Grass Roots R
Columbia – Miles Davis – Kind of Blue R
COLUMBIA/DMZ/LEGACY – T Bone Burnett –Twenty Twenty The Essential T Bone Burnett (2 discs) R
Columiba BP
Concord Jazz BP
Concord Jazz Collectable Series BP
Curb RCA R
Delos R
DENON – tact JAZZ SERIES – Toshiko Aniyoshi Quintet – Toshiko at Top of the Gate N
DENON PCM DIGITAL RECORDING – Beethoven symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op 36 R
Deutsche Gramophone R
DISCOVERY – Hal Schaefer – Solo Duo Trio R
Dmp Digital Music Productions, Inc.
Dorian R
EAST WIND JASRAC – The L.A. Four – Going Home – R
ECM – Ralph Towner – Works R
ECM NEW SERIES –Gyorgy Kurtag – Jatekok R
ECM Records GmbH R
EMI Angel DIGITAL – Arron Copland R
EMI Classics R
Enja – Tete Montoliu – Songs for Love R
Epic –Poco- The Very Best of Poco R
Everest R
Excelsior JAZZ GOLD – Jazz Is R
Fantasy ORIGINAL Jazz CLASSICS – The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album R
Favored Nations ACOUSTIC – Tommy Emmanuel R
FIM R
Geffen R
Geffen - Eagels – Hell Freezes Over R
Gema – Bowers & Willkins Audiophile Recordings For The Road R
GLOBAL PACIFIC RECORDS – David Friesen – Departure R
Gmp AMERICAN MUSIC HALL (THE) – The Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets R
GRAMAVISION – R
Grove
Grp DIGITAL MASTER – PASTI AUSTIN – LIVE R
GSPJAZ Recordings R
Hallmark Music – Acoustic Evening R
HARMONIA MUNDI – 30TH ANNIVERSAIRE R
HI FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW – HFB/NR TEST DISC II R
IMP CLASSICS – Marcelo Kayath -Guitar Classics from Spain R
Impulse! N
Inak MUSIC COMPANY – Dice of Dixieland Sideways R
INNERTUBE – The Surf Kings –Coming Up for Air R
INTUITION Records, Inc. R
JAZZ HERITAGE – CARMEN MCRAE: CARMEN SINGS MONK R
Jazz Focus N
JVC 20bit K2 SUPERCODING Ernie Watts – The Long Road Home R
JVCJ-CD R
JVCxrcd BP
KnitClassics – KnitClassics Sampler R
KOCH SCHWANN – Bohmen & Mahren R
LASERLIGHT DIGITAL R
LIMELIGHT (JASRAC) – The Oscar Peterson Trio – Canadian Suite R
LINN RECORDS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE hit label – Sstephane Grappelli –Martin Taylor – Reunion R
London N
M*A R
MAD-KAT Records – Kitty Margolis – Live at The Jazz Workshop R
Mapleshade N
Mark Levinson – Red Rose Music-– Volume one R
MCA GRP – Rob Wasserman (etc.) – Trios R
MCA Zebra* – David Grisman Acousticity R
Mercury Living Presence R
Mercury R
MHS Musical Herritage Society N
Milestone –The Kenny Drew, Jr. Trio – Winter Flower R
MOBILE FIDELITY MFSL (Polydor original R) – Eric Clapton Slowhand R
MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING ULTRA DISC UHR GAIN 2 –(hybrid SACD) Patricia Baber – Café Blue R
MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB ULTRA DISC II (original Verve – R) – Getz/Gilberto R
MOBILE FIDELITY ULTRA DISC II SAMPLER – (multiple original CDs) MP
Mode 26 (Records) R
MOTOWN – Diana Ross – Lady Sings the Blues R
Music from BMI*- BLUE NOTE – Patricia Barber – Live a Fortnight in France R
N Coded Music N
Naim – Charlie Haden & John Taylor R
Narada R
Narada Collection Series R
Nature Recordings R
NAXOS R
NEW WORLD RECORDS R
Nimbus Records English Stsring Orchestra – Mendelssohn Complete String symphonies R
Nonesuch R
NOVUS (BMG RCA) – Marcus Roberts – The Truth s Spoken Here R
Opus 3 R
Opus 3 – Depth of Image Test Record 1 R
Pablo N
Philips R
PIERRE VERANY – Mamba Percussions R
POINT GEMA – Pasha – Christmas Music - Christmas Carols R
Private Music- Leo Kottke – Regards From Chuck Pink R
Proprius R
Proprius – Jazz at the Pawnshop R
Proprius – Contate Domino R
RCA RED SEAL – Charles Munch BSO – Debussy – La Mer R
RCAVictor R
RCAVictor, The Chieftains – Tears of Stone R
RealTime Records – Real Hot Jazz R
Rearward/Schema N
Red House Records R
Reference Records R
Reprise N
Reprise – Joni Mitchell – Blue N
Rhino R
River North Records N
Rounder R
SANSTONE MUSIC – MEL TORME – THE LONDON SESSIONS R
Sheffield Labs R
SHILOH RECORDS – Greg Harris – Acoustic II R
SIRE – Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense R
Solid Air R
Solid Air Records – Grove Masters R
Sony R
Sony – Miles Davis – Kind of Blue R
SPECIAL MUSIC COMPANY (THE) – Ragtime Piano Favorites R
SteepleChase R
Stereophile R
STUNT RECORDS –Marie Bergman – Fruit R
Telarc N
Telarc Digital N
Telarc Jazz N
THE Jazz Alliance – The L.A. Jazz Choir – From All Sides R
The World Ryko 360 AU 20 – Mickey Hart – Planet Drum R
The World Ryko 360 AU 20 (gold) R
Three Blind Mice R
Tomorrow International – Nathan Davis – I’m A Fool to Want You R
Triloka Records Living Proof Series – Richie Beirach – George Coleman – Convergence N
UAE MCPS – Memphis Slim R
UNIVERSAL MUSIC Special Markets – STARBUCKS COFFEE – Repertoire R
Usher R
Vanguard N
VANGUARD – Pete Seeger – Live At Newport N
Varse Sarabande R
Verve R
VOX ALLEGRETTO –The All Star Percussion Ensemble R
VSOP CONNOISSEUR COLLECTION – Hugh Masekela – Stimela R
WARNER BROS. – Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – Flight of The Cosmic Hippo R
Warner Bros. – Bela fleck & The Flecktones –Live Art (2 discs) R
WARNER BROS. Records, Inc (Phonogram Ltd.) – Dire Straits – Love Over Gold R
Water Lily Acoustics – Strunz & Farah – Misterio R
WCJ Warner Classic Jazz –The Puccini Experience R
WIENERWORLD RECORDS – The Music of Red Shoe Diaries R
Wilson Audio (Wilson Audiophile Definitive Recording) – James Welch Organist – Concert And Recital R
Windham Hill R
Windham Hill Collection (A) R
Zebra Acoustic* - Beatle Jazz – A Bite Of The Apple R
Zebra MCA* – David Grisman Acousticity R

N = Normal Polarity, R = Reversed Polarity. BP = Both Polarity CDs, W/S = Wall of Sound, S/W = Reversed polarity Wall of Sound, MT = Tracks with different relative polarity, i.e. some N and some R tracks, MP = Mixed polarity on one or more tracks. MN = Mostly Normal Polarity, MR = Mostly Inverted Polarity. Usually reissue labels such as Mobile Fidelity don’t change the polarity of the original CDs so their polarities are dependent upon the polarity of the label of the original compact discs. I only list the polarity of the CD layer on Hybrid SACDs, but I expect the SACD layer’s polarity is the same as its CD layer. A “The” at the beginning of a label name will be omitted for the purpose of alphabetizing but shown in parenthesis after the label name, e.g. (The).

I am going to invite George ( who is a member here) to comment further on this work and his thoughts on polarity in particular---

Originally written by Lars Fredell and published in Ultimate Audio years ago. You can compare though something suggests that George has something reversed in his system to begin with. There are also some on that list such as Sheffield that have mixed polarity too.

http://www.silentrunningaudio.com/AbsolutePhaseChart.PDF

 

[Bruce B]

I know everything I've done for FIM has correct polarity.

 

[FrantzM]

HI

How does this polarity "wrongness" manifest itself?

 

[fas42]

The "Wall of Sound" category intrigues me: none appear to fit in this category as listed. Most know what's meant by that, but what does it mean in relation to this list? And how is/was it measured?

Frank

 

[MylesBAstor]

HI

How does this polarity "wrongness" manifest itself?

Did you ever read Clark Johnson's The Wood Effect?

 

[FrantzM]

Did you ever read Clark Johnson's The Wood Effect?

No

 

[mep]

HI

How does this polarity "wrongness" manifest itself?

Imagine a drummer stomping on his foot pedal and the beater hitting the kick drum. In real life, as the beater strikes the drum head, a large postive going bass wave pushes into the room. Reversing the polarity will cause the sound to be a rarefaction instead of an excursion.

 

[FrantzM]

Imagine a drummer stomping on his foot pedal and the beater hitting the kick drum. In real life, as the beater strikes the drum head, a large postive going bass wave pushes into the room. Reversing the polarity will cause the sound to be a rarefaction instead of an excursion.

mep

I have a hard time visualizing this... I can't figure out the rarefaction the drum vibrates out of phase with the original maybe but it vibrates and will always create a sound ... Let me get it to mind experiment. Let's suppose you take any of the properly polarized recording on this list and invert BOTH of your speakers terminals would you hear a real problem? Unless you have the original at hand it will play like music I would think .. I sincerely want to understand ... I also know some preamps do the same and I think I had a C-J which was doing it .. Never mattered the least to me .. that was then or maybe I am insensitive to the effect

 

[mep]

Frantz-It may be debatable if it's audible to you, but the point I was trying to make is if your system has reversed polarity or a recording has reversed polarity, when your woofers should be pushing air out into the room (excursion), they will sucking into the cabinet (rarefaction) instead. Will it make sound? Sure. Is it the correct sound? Not really. I think some people are more sensitive to absolute polarity than others. And maybe even the most sensitive couldn't detect a change if we tied them down to a chair, blindfolded them, gave their ears a good boxing, and then asked them to detect the change between correct polarity and reversed polarity. I could be wrong though.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi Guys

I do understand the concept of polarity or phase and would be Ok in the context of speakers out of phase but that rarefaction is unlikely to occur in real life, music is not made of one single impulse, so one will hear music regardless. I would like to know how to spot the polarity problem if indeed it is audible .. So far i have never bothered in my whole (rather substantial) audiophile life... I have heard it mentioned a few times . I simply need to understand more.

I never knew JATP was reversed .. It has always spooked in ANY system I have heard it .. and I am sure has done the same for every single person who 's experienced it .. There was a whole thread about this very recording in the WBF and not once has anyone mentioned that it is reversed in polarity so.. again what gives?

 

[DaveyF]

I have invited George to step into this discussion and we will see if he takes me up on my invite.....he's
usually a little shy

 

[steve williams]

Frantz-It may be debatable if it's audible to you, but the point I was trying to make is if your system has reversed polarity or a recording has reversed polarity, when your woofers should be pushing air out into the room (excursion), they will sucking into the cabinet (rarefaction) instead. Will it make sound? Sure. Is it the correct sound? Not really. I think some people are more sensitive to absolute polarity than others. And maybe even the most sensitive couldn't detect a change if we tied them down to a chair, blindfolded them, gave their ears a good boxing, and then asked them to detect the change between correct polarity and reversed polarity. I could be wrong though.

Personally, I find it very difficult for my ears to detect.

BTW, my preamp is of the inverting variety. As a result I have to switch the polarity on the speaker cables out of the amp

 

[mep]

One thing I can say is that I always set up my stereo so that the correct polarity is what the speakers see from the electronics. However, for those recordings that are made out of phase, I couldn't be bothered to shut down my system, reverse the polarity at each speaker, and then fire up my system again only to reverse the polarity again for the next recording. That would be worse than adjusting VTA for each LP.

 

[steve williams]

I agree but do you know the ones out of phase

 

[mep]

Steve-I never made a list of recordings that I thought were out of phase, but there are/were times when you know something isn't quite right. Again, it's not so bad that I'm going to change my system for every recording.

 

[Bruce B]

Frantz-It may be debatable if it's audible to you, but the point I was trying to make is if your system has reversed polarity or a recording has reversed polarity, when your woofers should be pushing air out into the room (excursion), they will sucking into the cabinet (rarefaction) instead. Will it make sound? Sure. Is it the correct sound? Not really. I think some people are more sensitive to absolute polarity than others. And maybe even the most sensitive couldn't detect a change if we tied them down to a chair, blindfolded them, gave their ears a good boxing, and then asked them to detect the change between correct polarity and reversed polarity. I could be wrong though.

If you had a more than one woofer in a system... as in the EA MM3, and one woofer was wired backwards, you would get a cancellation effect where it would not sound "right". Ask Mike about that one!

 

[steve williams]

If you had a more than one woofer in a system... as in the EA MM3, and one woofer was wired backwards, you would get a cancellation effect where it would not sound "right". Ask Mike about that one!

right, but that's not the music but rather human error. I bet most of us at one time or another could have done the same. Recording engineer however

 

[FrantzM]

If you had a more than one woofer in a system... as in the EA MM3, and one woofer was wired backwards, you would get a cancellation effect where it would not sound "right". Ask Mike about that one!

Bruce not the same thing as a recording out of phase.. If you have two speakers reproducing the same sound i is almost intuitive to me that there can be cancellation. Some maths ...same vector but different or opposite phase there has to be some cancellation.
We are talking about a recording out of phase and i still am wondering howit manisfest itself? ..Not with a hole in the middle for sure since both speakers now when reproducing the same sound/signal will be in pahse respective to each other .. everything else being in phase ... WOuld like more explanation ..

 

[Bruce B]

Bruce not the same thing as a recording out of phase.. If you have two speakers reproducing the same sound i is almost intuitive to me that there can be cancellation. ..

Phase and polarity are two different things.

Let's take the kick drum for instance....

When the beater hits the skin, the woofer is supposed to go outwards. If it goes inwards, it's reversed polarity.

Now phase is a stereo signal.... if the left woofer goes out and the right woofer goes in, that is out of phase. As above, if I had said the whole speaker was wired backwards, that's out of phase. But just the woofer had reversed polarity.

We are talking about reversed polarity recordings... not out of phase recordings!