🚀 go-pugleaf

I don't intend to necessarily challenge or support the notion of absolute
phase, but there are some misconceptions bordering on bunk here...

In article <1993Jan3.064402.19553@guinness.idbsu.edu> Dave Jensen <djensen@claven.idbsu.edu> writes:

> The audibility of absolute polarity (which, by the way, is not a function
> of time, as is phase) will be most noticeable with a high-transient,
> low-frequency signal (below 60 Hz). The impact of a prominent, well
> recorded kick drum will be weaker if the speaker polarity is opposite that
> of the assumed correct recording polarity where a positive pressure
> produced a positive voltage at the microphone. 

There is no such thing, by your description, as a "high-transient, low
frequency signal (below 60 Hz)." This is a common misconception. First,
the term "high transient" is pretty meaningless. If a signal exhibits
transient behaviour, showing abrupt and short term chnages, it contains,
by definition, a lot of high frequency information and relatively little
low frequency information. If it is predominately low frequency, it
cannot, by definition, have "transient" characteristics. If it has both,
it has broadband characteristics. 

> A very simple test to satisfy your curiosity would be to listen to the
> difference in woofer sound quality as you apply a battery across the
> terminals of your speaker cabinet. I believe you'll find the compression
> wave produced by a positive voltage on the positive terminal (pushing the
> speaker outward) will yield the more satisfying thump. 

There are a wide variety of reasons why such an experiment might generate
positive results. First, the whole issue of which constitutes a "more
satisfying thumb" is purely subjective. Secondly, such an experiment test
the speaker's step response, something speakers are universally and by
definition very poor at, so what does the experiment prove? Third,
depending upon the voltage of the battery, you may very easily succeed at
uncovering the common mechanical and electro-magnetic unsymmetries in most
loudspeakers, so you may be doing nothing more than deciding which kinds
of distortion you prefer.
-- 
|                Dick Pierce                |
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