Phase switch on pre amp use?

The phase switch is likely to be audible only if you have a recording that is completely phase coherent- using 2 or 3 mics in the recording. Any more than that and the phasing information becomes too confused to hear the effect of the switch.

I'm pretty sure we were the first company to offer this feature (1989). Although a minor effect or inaudible for many recordings, the pain in the rear that it can be to reverse the speaker connections in both channels is what prompted us to include the feature. No additional circuitry was needed in our case as the preamp was/is fully balanced-differential so reversing a couple of internal connections is all it takes.

Personally, I love having the phase switches available on components. I have one on my pre-amp (Calypso) and my CDP (Resolution Audio Opus 21 GNSC) and will use them when enjoying music intently. About 50% of the time, I will hear a difference and the other 50% of the time I will not.

FWIW, the Rel subs also have a phase switch and in their instructions it states that to find the correct phase for the set-up, compare the apparent volume with the switch at 0 and at 180 degrees. The louder of the two is the one the switch should be set to.

You will find that many high end preamps in particular will indicate that the preamp out is inverted phase. (And they do not have a switch to change it). This is due to circuit design philosophy, allowing a simpler circuit (read purer) in their opinion, by not needing addition circuitry to bring the phase back to noninverting.

Thanks for the notes. Electricity has a mind of it's own and sometimes can be confusing. It struck me as odd that one can swap directions of the juice in an instant without causing some electrical grief. "Safety first" as my dad used to say.
-John

I just bought a preamp (Aesthetix Calypso) in large part because it has such a switch and I was tired of switching speaker cables to change the polarity. You won't hear much if any difference unless your speakers are polarity-coherent (many aren't) and have no or very minimal crossovers. Even then, many discs were recorded in mixed polarity and defy anyone to hear a difference.

Bottom line: As Kal says, don't sweat it. But once you do begin to recognize polarity differences, you can't NOT hear them. Or I can't anyway. Best to leave well enough alone. Good luck, Dave

The polarity is switched internally in the preamp. Some amplifier circuits invert the polarity 180 degrees while others do not invert. In an "op-amp", which is an IC chip used in some electronics - it has both an inverting and non-inverting input. There may be a slight improvement in sound by switching the phase. Try a listen both ways.

Another analogy of phase is your speakers. If the left and right speakers are hooked up out of phase, this will make a big difference in the sound. BUT on you preamp phase switch you are inverting BOTH channels at once - like if you switched Positive and negative on BOTH speakers.

It inverts the polarity of the signal output to your amp 180 degrees. So anything that follows would be out of phase from the original source. My cdp has a phase switch and I can't say it makes a difference although I've never listened critically for it. It certainly won't hurt anything. Why do you think they would put a switch that would cause harm so readily accessible?

Where does it reverse the polarity? To the amp, speakers, all around...? What is this supposed to do, change sound or are some systems positive ground?
(Noided is slang for super paranoid)
Thanks again, John

It is fine to play with it and is meant to be experimented with, on Classical sometimes it may be desired....thats my experience, many times you cant really hear a change. In short it is nothing to be scared about.

I don't know what "'noided" means but this is no big deal to anyone (except perhaps Clark Johnson). It reversed the polarity of both channels and, in most cases, is inaudible. In some cases, there may be a change which you might find better or worse. There is no useful way to know what is correct.

In other words, you can play with it but don't sweat it.

Kal