Can Someone Help the Idiot Out?

You know it's funny many years ago I used to have to put on this Ray Coniff album---to verify the correct ch. On the jacket it said --like the girl singers come from the right ch and the guys came from the left. I had to revert to that album many times.--Jeez,look how far I've come.

"What if the hokey-pokey is really what it's all about?"

Aggielaw, Since your having Left/Right Hand & Foot issues, try this prior to connecting any interconnects, & speaker cables.

Ready To Hokey Pokey??? Then hit this link......

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/hokey.htm

You put your right foot in,
You put your right foot out;
You put your right foot in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left foot in,
You put your left foot out;
You put your left foot in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out;
You put your right hand in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left hand in,
You put your left hand out;
You put your left hand in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your right side in,
You put your right side out;
You put your right side in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left side in,
You put your left side out;
You put your left side in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

Excellent advice, Violaguy!

Bryan,

Somehow I don't mind ridicule from THIS crowd. LOL.

Will, great Kerry comment - I'm still laughing. :)

Here's an alternate suggestion for checking left/right hookup: If you own a classical recording containing strings, the violins are invariably on the left. If you also use a turntable, this test will also tell you if the cartridge's right and left channels are hooked up properly (provided everything else in the chain is OK).

Also check that everything is in phase. If you have a recording of a solo singer i.e. without any accompanying instruments, the voice should appear to be clearly coming from dead center (provided your listening spot is exactly between the speakers). If not, and the voice's placement is vague, 'floating around' or coming from both speakers the speakers are out of phase.

Proper phasing of one's components is, in my opinion, more important than getting left/right correct. (The exception to this is in recordings of massed strings where a left/right channel reversal will result in the violins placed unnaturally on the right, as if the backs of the instruments were facing the listener.)

Improper phasing, which is probably more common than it should be, will result in--among other thing--a lack of concise instrument/voice placement, and loss of bass.

So when checking left/right, also check phasing--especially if you have phase inverting components (check your owner manuals) in your system. I once even encountered phase inversion with a highend cartridge, leading me to suspect that a cartridge with right/left channels internally reversed may also exist.

I have an Mental Midget of a Audiogon buddy that can't get the concept of which way the directional flow arrows on interconnects, & speaker cables go. He says we've only discussed this 3-4 times, I think it's been about 10. I was thinking of buying a crossbow to show him with real arrows?

I reccomend you try to figure it out by hooking up one speaker before subjecting yourself to ridicule in the future.

Reminds me of the guy wearing a blue sox and a green sox.---Somebody says to him--"What an unusual pair of sox you have on." The guy says --"No, the're not THAT unusual;I have another pair just like these, at home."

Now, can somebody tell me how to determine the left sock from the right?

If left and right are reversed, just face away from your speakers when listening.

avguy,

could you send me some pics also. also, does anyone know how to tell my feet apart?

aloha keith

If you voted for Kerry, the left speaker will be the one that sounds like it is outside but looking in.

Jmcgrogan:
There should be an "R" or an "L" somewhere in the monos. If not check the manuals. Sometimes manufacturers are so clumsy they overlook main issues like this!
Taking another perspective, maybe t you have to go with the serial numbers i.e. even numbers should go right side and uneven left...hmmm, Was it the other way around? I can not tell wich way is "right"!!! Good grief!!!

How one determines which is left is you hold both hands in front of you---now drop your thums down to the horizontal. Your left hand is now an L---I'll send pics.

Got it. Thanks, guys! :)

I bought monoblocks so I wouldn't have to deal with this question. Now I don't know which one is for the right channel and which one is for the left???

Don't be so hard on yourself, you've just asked a question most everyone else was just too afraid to ask.

From your seating position, the left speaker is to your left as you face them.

Enjoy,

TIC

The speaker terminals on the amp coincide with the speaker on that side. That is the simplest way to look at it. Good luck.