Has anyone considered reverse stereo playback?

No, it's primarily a problem for classical music. It's disconcerting (dis-concerting?) to hear an orchestra or string quartet set up in a mirror image.

As for drums, I don't think it's generally a good mixing practice to have them spread out on the left and right. It can sound cool in a sound-effect-y sort of way, and sometimes that can be an artistic choice, but you get a stereo image of a drummer that has arms about eight feet long. This detracts from audience-perspective recordings, jazz combos, and the like.

I also used to have an integrated amp that had a reverse function. I wish the recording studios used a standard for playback to at least attempt to match what will or has been done in the concert setting. One more reason to bash the recording producers! I am seeing no consistancy between artist. Even the live performance recordings are reversed at times. I am also amazed that many Audiogoners are quick to compete with each other over cable or equipment choices to reach the best sound reproduction yet no blame goes to the recording industry. Thanks for all your remarks to this point.

This is a MAJOR PROBLEM!
ONLY IF you play the DRUMS,
like myself.
ALOT of RUSH cd`s will, for example
have Neil Peart`s Hi-Hat in a
LEFT microphone, HOWEVER, IF you go
see Rush Live, Neil`s Hi-hat cymbals
would be coming out of the RIGHT side,
OR STAGE LEFT, as in EXIT...STAGE LEFT!
Sorry, had to throw that in there.
I`ve also noticed this on alot of
Fates Warning cd`s as well.
It makes it hard to play along to the
music while playing the drums at the
same time!
HOWEVER, this problem will NOT effect
ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT! ONLY if you play drums!

Severa early stereo preamps had a L R reverse function. Too bad that function has been dropped.

If you have a recording in which the instruments are reversed, by all means, switch the (cd/dvd) audio cables as that, it seems to me would be easier than changing speaker cables.
It only makes sense to do this, IMHO.
While watching Michael Buble, live at the famous Wilturn(SP?) theater in LA, I expected the sound of the video to match the sound of the audio playback. Had I been there for the live concert, and only listening to a cd, later in time, if one existed, I would want them to appear as they did in my mind's eye. Otherwise, to me, it's one more clue that I am only hearing a reproduction.
Great question, and I think this shows the level of purity that one expects in watching, or listening to their audio systems.

Larry

I am not necessarily comparing a concert recording to my negative playback experience. The studio recording is what I am finding is reversed many of the times. I am wondering if others have noticed this or choose to ignore it and accept the fault of the studio or producer. The test cd with channel identification is accurate.

If the mikes were placed in front of the performance then the sound should be in the same perspective as the audience heard it. Do you have any recordings of concerts you witnessed yourself that you are basing this on? Not all orchestras place their members in the same places. It sounds very much as if you have the signal channels reversed in the chain somewhere. If you have a test recording play the channel identification section.