Nothing to do with music but more clear how sensitive people are to situations that are not natural.

Absolute phase is one, having the left and right channels exchanged (both still in the same phase...) is another one (even if you've never heard the recording before, still sounds different!) and to come back to my topic is when you exchange the left and right image... try it if you have something that shows 3D (shutter glasses or special 3D displays), your world will be upside down when you look at the wrong combination.

This clearly shows how the brain CAN'T be fooled if your reference is accurate. The same with audio...

Bert

The difficulty is that wrong Absolute Phase (AP) could be influencing your judgement of recordings or systems if you get it wrong. Perhaps a quick list of SQ differences. Incorrect absolute phase is called the "Muffling Distortion" or "Wood Effect".

Get AP right:
Cleaner more dynamic and natural sound. Greater separation of instruments and voices especially in the depth field. Main singer/performer will come more forward in the mix. Better deeper more detailed bass. Cleaner more detailed and "dynamic" high frequencies, especially cymbals. More natural/better harmonics on stringed instruements. Overall more dynamics and less disortion.

Get AP wrong:
Dynamics muffled but sound not necessarily easier on the ear, because of distorted higher frequecies, sibilance, splashy cymbals, etc.. Depth of field shortens and singer/s retreat into the mix. Less grip and drive in the bass. Irritating to listen to for longer periods.

Sit off centre and the sound will tend follow you to the nearest speaker.

Will continue at some later stage, because I am off to an appointment

Well I create a little controversy, and ask for XXHE users to challenge themselves to listen for the differences.

I am one of those unfortunate/fortunate people who is senstive to the SQ change from absolute phase being incorrect. And I can't understand how people can't hear it! Especially reviewers - if they can't hear it, they shouldn't be reviewing!

Peter it is not just cables that affect absolute phase. Each of the electronics in the recording chain can have varying (positive or negative) absolute phase output. The system configuration will determine the final absolute phase outcome.

Same with the playback chain. A record that sounds best on one system with positive absolute phase might sound best on another system with a negative absolute phase setting. (e.g. The difference could be the result of one amplifier having three gain stages while the amplifier in the other system has four gain stages). It is a system thing.

In a different life, 30 odd years ago, I was responsible for a preamp incorporating absolute phase switching. To my mind, nothing has changed in those 30 years, and yet many people who can hear the minutest changes from a small software upgrade  , still can't hear the differences that absolute phase makes - really doesn't compute with me.

Frank

Well, I guess that at the end the best method to determine the correct phase are our ears. With the correct phase the bass is firmer and well located in one place, the voices are also well defined and located.

Could be also that the "out of phase" are ourselves, but that´s other story...

Juan

Alain, probably you have read this article but just in case:

"Phase issues take on a far different magnitude in a recording situation, and can quickly become complicated. In most recording sessions, we’re dealing with multiple instruments and multiple microphones. As sound waves of different frequencies reach different microphones at different times, the potential for one microphone’s diaphragm to receive a positive phase while another receives a negative is greatly increased, and the relationship between all of these different waves’ phases can be somewhat unpredictable. In fact, the more mics in play, the more inevitable some sort of phase issues become".

This is the complete article: http://www.uaudio.com/blog/understanding-audio-phase/

Juan

Hi Alain,

Maybe this test can help you:

http://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_polaritycheck.php

Regards,
Juan

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What does it matter. As long as you have both.