How often do you use the polarity invert switch?*

For those who have a phase invert switch on your equipment, I am interested to hear how often you activate it? My preamp comes with that capability and I think I roughly use it about 2/10 CDs, maybe a bit more, mostly for discs that sound tonally light. I am finding this facility most useful and wouldn't want to be without it going forward.

 

I use mine a lot. It's necessity.

 

Could you elaborate on that?

Very interested in knowing why you use it so frequently.

 

Reversing the phase should not really have an effect on tonality but upon on the stereo image and also on bass which will tend to become muddy rather than tight and controlled.

The Phase Reverse switch is a relic from the early days of stereo during which material and FM Stereo transmissions were frequently out of phase. As stereo progressively became the standard hi fi format, this error pretty much vanished, and manufacturers soon responded by elimination of the phase reverse switch.

 

Hmmm....the main difference I perceive is just a change in the tonal balance and a general tightening of the stereo image. Less muddy bass in fact.

 

I use it a lot due to a lot of European classical LP discs needing phase reversal, archival work, and the fact that my ears hear phase incoherence. In my work in broadcasting, I am very attuned to phase issues. It is necessity as mono compatibility is necessary and standard practice.

 

Both scenarios make sense.

Is this primarily an issue with older recordings or does it continue to persist in your experience?

 

Isn't what you are talking about absolute polarity?

 

I use it with caution, because when I do, I sometimes find out one instrument is out of phase, and I just don't know what to do with that.

 

I believe so. The Phase switch on all preamps I know of for the last 30 or 40 years will change the polarity of BOTH channels. From what I understand of what 62caddy writes, it would seem those old-tyme stereo's Phase switch only changes the polarity of ONE channel. It's not really clear which style of Phase switch the OP is asking about.

And to answer the question posed earlier, I rarely, if ever, invoke my Phase switch. But, that's just me.

 

Virtually never. When I've tried it, I often hear no difference -- and when I do hear a difference, it's just that...different (and very, very slight at that), but neither choice is necessarily better.

 

Yes the polarity at both channels are changed according to the manual. The effect is similar to, if you have an Asian/European two prong electrical outlet, flipping them around.

 

Once you learn what correct and inverted polarities sound like, it can be somewhat annoying to listen on a decent system when absolute polarity is wrong.

Stan Ricker says it is very important and easily heard.

 

He does, and still people can listen to the warbling out-of-phase track on a test record and not notice.

My basic understanding is that a phase switch shifts the phase 180°. This is exactly what happens when you change polarity, thus the confusion in labeling of the switch, which may have been better labeled a polarity switch.

Listening to Peter Gabriel Sings Live (Charisma) after reading this thread. I had always been hit or miss with the sound of this recording, so I flipped the switch. The phantom center seemed to snap into focus and I heard a bit more volume. Anyone else have this record who can confirm or deny?

 

It is labeled "Polarity" on the remote control of the BAT VK50SE I have. Only played with it a couple of times to see if it worked.

 

Anyone else care to highlight any CDs which sound correct using the phase switch? Unfortunately I don't have that PG album.

 

The only amp that I have equipped with a phase switch is my Scott 299-C Stereomaster integrated amplifier.
I will switch it from time to time, when I am sitting in a "bass-nulled/cancelled" location in the room - sometimes switching the phase will help.

Never thought of it or had to use it based on what recording I was playing. I mean, I've messed around with it, but always the "In-Phase" position seemed best.

 

If 92% of CDs have incorrect polarity, wouldn't leaving the polarity "switched" (polarity/phase invert switch enabled) most/all of the time be better than never using it? An honest question.

Some playback software (like Audirvana) have a polarity invert switch as well for those who lack the hardware switch.

 

If most recordings sound out of polarity, you fix that by speaker cables being wired the other way. Then it is in phase. If this happens with most sources. Use the invert switch if it is just one source.

 

It's not so much a case of a few rouge masterings that are reversed. Rather, it pretty much follows labels and who mastered it and their hardware. Taken as a whole, 50 percent go one way, and 50 percent go the other way. It's just a factor of hardware and the fact that there is no standard as to what is "correct". I have two amps that output opposite polarity from the other, a Krell 300i and a Marantz 1060. I have recorded from both and looked at the waveforms. Yup, they are opposite.

In the vinyl world, things mastered at Sterling, Masterdisk and Townhouse all share the same absolute polarity. Sheffield Lab, Windham Hill and Phillips stuff are the opposite. If you really want to get into it, Clark Johnsen has a lot to say on the subject.

 

Sorry - I misunderstood.

 

I'm glad we cleared that up...I think....

 

Inverting the polarity (swapping + and -) of an alternating current signal achieves the same result as rotating the phase by 180º.

A stereo system that is 'out of phase' would normally mean that one speaker has its polarity inverted with respect to the other.

The 'absolute phase' of audio playback is in reference to the original recording. The basic premise being that if the microphone diaphragm moved away from the source, the speaker driver should move towards the listener, and vice versa.

I use the remote polarity switch all the time, I'm surprised the relay hasn't broken yet - click, click, click...