Interchanging polarity of Interconnects between CD Player and Integrated AMP

[jenson]

not sure if polarity is the right word to describe, but here is my query. i have a prettty simple setup...CD Player to Integrated AMP to Speaker.

recently i experimented with interchanging the polarity of the Interconnect between CD Player and Integrated AMP, RCA marked red from CD Player to Input Marked White on Amp and Similarly, White to Red. i noticed a change in this setup..so my question is
1. what is happening when system is connected this way
2. is it harming the system in any way?
3. any other input

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

not sure if polarity is the right word to describe, but here is my query. i have a prettty simple setup...CD Player to Integrated AMP to Speaker.

recently i experimented with interchanging the polarity of the Interconnect between CD Player and Integrated AMP, RCA marked red from CD Player to Input Marked White on Amp and Similarly, White to Red. i noticed a change in this setup..so my question is
1. what is happening when system is connected this way
2. is it harming the system in any way?
3. any other input

You are basically feeding left channel to right speaker and right channel sound to left speaker. Very similar to wearing ear phones on opposite ears. There is no harm to the system used this way. If one were to turn around to face their back to the speakers, this is what they would hear.

 

[sunder]

You are basically feeding left channel to right speaker and right channel sound to left speaker. Very similar to wearing ear phones on opposite ears. There is no harm to the system used this way. If one were to turn around to face their back to the speakers, this is what they would hear.

 

[sunder]

not sure if polarity is the right word to describe, but here is my query. i have a prettty simple setup...CD Player to Integrated AMP to Speaker.

recently i experimented with interchanging the polarity of the Interconnect between CD Player and Integrated AMP, RCA marked red from CD Player to Input Marked White on Amp and Similarly, White to Red. i noticed a change in this setup..so my question is
1. what is happening when system is connected this way
2. is it harming the system in any way?
3. any other input

Usually , in a stereo recording, the left channel will have somewhat more loudness than the right channel comparatively. So if you feed the signals as rigt to left & left to right from the source to the amp, then the amp will deliver little more to right & little less to left. IMHO.

 

[pugalenthi]

If you change the polarity of the speakers, you will notice a loss of bass, since the left and right speakers are now out of phase with each other.

 

[Analogous]

Polarity and phase changes; are they same? Different? Related?

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

The polarity will change only if the speakers are reverse wired at the amplifier. Unless there is oppossite phase, there wont be any cancellation in the bass. Here we are just interchanging left and right speakers with each others. Apart from a loss of imaging, due to the sounds being panned differently, I dont see any other impact.

 

[Nagaraj S]

Usually , in a stereo recording, the left channel will have somewhat more loudness than the right channel comparatively.

I have observed this several times! I was thinking that my system was off balance, or comparatively hearing loss in the right ear. I wonder why left channel is emphasised.

 

[Analogous]

left channel is emphasised.

Is this due to changing the polarity or phase?

 

[prem]

Left channel and right channel always have same levels. One channel is not louder than the other. If in one or two recordings you are hearing a stronger left channel then there could be some mastering error. If you are hearing it in all recordings then something is wrong at your system end

The whole idea of a stereo recording is to give you a more realistic feel of the recording. What logic does it make to have one channel level higher?

 

[ajuvignesh]

Usually , in a stereo recording, the left channel will have somewhat more loudness than the right channel comparatively. So if you feed the signals as rigt to left & left to right from the source to the amp, then the amp will deliver little more to right & little less to left. IMHO.

Are you sure the levels are different? I have never learned it in my audio school.

 

[availlyrics]

White to Red. i noticed a change in this setup.

RCA pins / sockets may develop some corrosion or get caked with dust , clean them with some IP alcohol or WD40 . You can verify the end results using test tones

 

[jenson]

Left channel and right channel always have same levels. One channel is not louder than the other. If in one or two recordings you are hearing a stronger left channel then there could be some mastering error. If you are hearing it in all recordings then something is wrong at your system end

The whole idea of a stereo recording is to give you a more realistic feel of the recording. What logic does it make to have one channel level higher?

True, each recording emphasizes these levels, some instruments are panned heavily, especially on jazz records where at time drums are panned to the left!

So coming back to my query, output and input from CD player to amp is not positive/negative the way it is in speakers, right?

 

[jenson]

Duplicate, post

 

[availlyrics]

Usually , in a stereo recording, the left channel will have somewhat more loudness than the right channel comparatively.

Can you point to any specific tracks / artists / albums / recording labels apart from hard panned old era recordings of bands like The Beatles or The Shadows

 

[Analogous]

Can you point to any specific tracks / artists / albums / recording labels apart from hard panned old era recordings of bands like The Beatles or The Shadows

Magical mystery tour

 

[availlyrics]

output and input from CD player to amp is not positive/negative the way it is in speakers, right

The inner pin is the positive* and the outer shell is the ground (not negative*). So you end up with L ch positive* R ch positive* and ground which is common return shared by both channels (exception- mono bloc designs)
*wrong from electrical p.o.v. , as any analog audio signal is AC .
e.g. your AC wall outlet has a Live (Shock hazard) & neutral (no shock hazard unless the supply is faulty ).
Thus the correct convention is L ch., R ch. and Gnd
hope that helps

 

[jenson]

Usually , in a stereo recording, the left channel will have somewhat more loudness than the right channel comparatively. So if you feed the signals as rigt to left & left to right from the source to the amp, then the amp will deliver little more to right & little less to left. IMHO.

Best way to check if its the system and not the recording is to play electronic music, beats and bass are 99% centered. Unless you have access to mono recordings...

 

[alpha1]

Can you point to any specific tracks / artists / albums / recording labels apart from hard panned old era recordings of bands like The Beatles or The Shadows

Early Van Halen.
Guitars panned mostly towards one side. (The other channel only contains the reverb / ambience sound)

On the other hand, many dual / multi guitar bands (Pearl Jam, Scorpions, Iron Maiden etc) have both the guitars EQd quite differently - and thus one side will sound louder (based on your sensitivity to those frequencies).
Even the cymbals, hi-hats, tom toms are usually panned across the channels.

~~~

The best way to check the system for evenness in left and right channels is to use the calibration Pink noise or White noise.

 

[Nagaraj S]

This track has the sound of the tambourine (I think) locked to the left channel. I think it’s not unusual for musicians and performers to lock an instrument(s) to either of the channels.