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Topic: able to hear phase-reverse for a single audio signal (Read 2626 times) previous topic - next topic
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able to hear phase-reverse for a single audio signal

Hi guys/gals

Just wondered if anyone can help me with this - or maybe you'll just find it interesting:

I've uploaded 2 mono audio files to this webpage:

http://www.paulstanway.com/phase/index.htm

They are the exact same as each other, but one is phase-reversed. I can - and i've tested this at random to prove i am not kidding myself - hear a slight difference between the two files. The phase-reversed version is more 'thuddy' - especially the higher bass note - and if I'd heard that when I was producing the piece I'd have probably applied some EQ to it.

I use Cubase SX3 going via an M-Audio soundcard to a desktop mixing desk to a pair of Sennheiser HD250 linear 2 headphones (the headphones are supposed to be very good).

??! I have read somewhere that maybe it's not an exact science as regards 'drivers' and things e.g. a 'positive' might not necessarilly sound the same as a 'negative' depending on your system set-up.

But can anyone explain this is a better way?? Perhaps when you listen to the files you can hear no difference at all.

Thanks
composer / producer of original music and soundtracks

able to hear phase-reverse for a single audio signal

Reply #1 –
Quote
I can - and i've tested this at random to prove i am not kidding myself - hear a slight difference between the two files.

So you'll be able to provide an ABX log as proof. Otherwise no one will entertain this topic, "thuddy" or not.

able to hear phase-reverse for a single audio signal

Reply #2 –
You have to be very careful how you conduct this test. Even a small amount of non-linearity in the headphones could potentially make the inversion audible, where a perfectly linear transducer would not.

able to hear phase-reverse for a single audio signal

Reply #3 –
Quote from: pdq on
Even a small amount of non-linearity in the headphones could potentially make the inversion audible, where a perfectly linear transducer would not.

This is the correct answer. In my experience, if a sound has substantial low frequency energy, many speakers will not respond linearly or equally in both directions. So it's not that we can hear absolute polarity, but that speaker distortion makes it more apparent.

--Ethan
I believe in Truth, Justice, and the Scientific Method
 

able to hear phase-reverse for a single audio signal

Reply #4 –
thanks very much for all the replies. i figured it must be something to do with my set-up and the headphones. trouble is i tend to rely on those headphones a lot and i'm disappointed they respond differently to inverse signals, but i don't know much about this stuff.

by the way dv1989 - i wasn't claiming to have special hearing, in fact i think it's fairly shoddy! i would do an abx test (need to find out exactly what one is first), but the brief test i did was arrange 6 copies of the signals on separate tracks in cubase (3 phase reversed, 3 not), then 'randomly' swap them around. then i listened to each by just soloing them in turn and wrote down which i thought were reversed and which weren't. i got all 6 right.





composer / producer of original music and soundtracks