Have you ever checked "absolute phase" of your speakers?

[kve777 6,888]

I was reading the manual for an Audio Research preamp the other day and was intrigued by a passage indicating that the preamp inverted the signal from input to output and that users should check the final phasing of their speakers. Apparently just connecting Red to Red and Black to Black won't always be correct. Hmmm.

 

Since I've been noticing some sibilance in my new-to-me Snell's, and read that tweeter phase can affect performance in this area, I swapped my cables around, just to see what the effect would be. Well, I noticed an improvement. Less harshness in the esses.  (My next step is new caps/bypass caps/new tweeters, that sort of thing)

 

Apparently you need to make sure that the initial movement of the drivers in your speakers needs to be outward to be correct. How can you be sure? A single fast low frequency note, down around 10 or 20Hz will do. You can actually see the woofer cones go in or out first. If in doubt, try it with your cables hooked up both ways. The rest is conventional methods of phasing...

 

I hope this helps at least one person fix a problem. 

[4krow 6,605]

 I get lost trying to find out which equipment reverses the absolute phase, and which doesn't. You are right though about low frequencies. That is a good idea. Then, of course, there is the polarity thing that catches me off guard after hooking up a new sub amp or something like that. Details, detailz

[kve777 6,888]

 

 

 I get lost trying to find out which equipment reverses the absolute phase, and which doesn't. You are right though about low frequencies. That is a good idea. Then, of course, there is the polarity thing that catches me off guard after hooking up a new sub amp or something like that. Details, detailz

I like subs with phase switches!

[4krow 6,605]

 But Kev, The variable phase control on subs will keep us guessing longer!

[kve777 6,888]

 But Kev, The variable phase control on subs will keep us guessing longer!

Sadly you are correct. 

 

[peck555 366]

I got a new reciever just before Christmas, and the Audyssey told me that 2 of my speakers were out of phase even though they were hooked up correctly (black to black, red to red)