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<!-- #thumb --> <p>There are many great mysteries in the world: how the pyramids were built, the Easter Island Moai, why whatever hair I lose on my head seems to pop up somewhere else, and I am sure there are plenty more. *There are two great mysteries in audio that are currently bugging me and, if I thought about it, there would be many more.</p>
<p>The two mysteries I am plagued with at the moment are upper energy loss and polarity.</p>
<p>I wrote about the apparent upper energy loss we’re experiencing with the new PerfectWave Amplifier prototype. *This loss can easily be identified by a lack of upper harmonics in stringed instruments, the snap of the castanet, the sheen on a cymbal. *The amp measures flat beyond human hearing. *I can add some of this energy back by removing feedback in the input circuitry of the amp. *How much energy can be added back is yet to be determined. *Most amplifiers we have tested also lack this upper energy. *We are not alone. *When you hear the few amps that have it, you’ll understand.</p>
<p>Polarity of individual recordings is something I have stressed over for many years. *Polarity is simple. *Sometimes *referred to as phase, you have two choices, in phase or out of phase. *Polarity is probably a more proper term but either will do. *Most products have a polarity or phase button allowing you to flip one for the other. *When I use this feature I will always do it with the PWD since flipping polarity in the digital domain is a safer bet than through a preamp. *None the less, I have gone through periods of caring and not caring about polarity on a track by track basis. *Frankly it’s a pain in the butt. *I mark the proper volume for each track I play a lot, not the polarity. *That may have to change.</p>
<p>One of my readers is known as the Polarity Pundit. *<a href="http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/manufacture/0808/midmonth.htm" target="_blank">George Louis</a> is all about proper polarity and marking each track on every medium for proper polarity. *At a recent event we hosted, one of the tracks played didn’t sound quite right and a <a href="http://www.coloradoaudiosociety.org/" target="_blank">CAS</a> member asked me to switch the polarity. *I did, it got better. *A lot better. *There wasn’t anyone in the room that didn’t hear it. *We went back and forth several times. *On the older system in Music Room One the differences were noticeable but not clear which was better. *They were just different. *On the new system they are painfully obvious and carry increased importance because one is without question better than the other. *One is right, the other wrong. *How can I not mark each with the same importance as the perfect volume level?</p>
<p>Changing polarity makes no sense to me whatsoever. *I have heard most of the theories and from an engineering standpoint they do not hold any water.</p>
<p>Neither of these mysteries are easily explained. *Neither are the pyramids, the Moai or my changing hair locations. *But they are real, staring us right in the face.</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
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[Source: http://www.pstracks.com/pauls-posts/great-mysteries/11507/]
<p>The two mysteries I am plagued with at the moment are upper energy loss and polarity.</p>
<p>I wrote about the apparent upper energy loss we’re experiencing with the new PerfectWave Amplifier prototype. *This loss can easily be identified by a lack of upper harmonics in stringed instruments, the snap of the castanet, the sheen on a cymbal. *The amp measures flat beyond human hearing. *I can add some of this energy back by removing feedback in the input circuitry of the amp. *How much energy can be added back is yet to be determined. *Most amplifiers we have tested also lack this upper energy. *We are not alone. *When you hear the few amps that have it, you’ll understand.</p>
<p>Polarity of individual recordings is something I have stressed over for many years. *Polarity is simple. *Sometimes *referred to as phase, you have two choices, in phase or out of phase. *Polarity is probably a more proper term but either will do. *Most products have a polarity or phase button allowing you to flip one for the other. *When I use this feature I will always do it with the PWD since flipping polarity in the digital domain is a safer bet than through a preamp. *None the less, I have gone through periods of caring and not caring about polarity on a track by track basis. *Frankly it’s a pain in the butt. *I mark the proper volume for each track I play a lot, not the polarity. *That may have to change.</p>
<p>One of my readers is known as the Polarity Pundit. *<a href="http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/manufacture/0808/midmonth.htm" target="_blank">George Louis</a> is all about proper polarity and marking each track on every medium for proper polarity. *At a recent event we hosted, one of the tracks played didn’t sound quite right and a <a href="http://www.coloradoaudiosociety.org/" target="_blank">CAS</a> member asked me to switch the polarity. *I did, it got better. *A lot better. *There wasn’t anyone in the room that didn’t hear it. *We went back and forth several times. *On the older system in Music Room One the differences were noticeable but not clear which was better. *They were just different. *On the new system they are painfully obvious and carry increased importance because one is without question better than the other. *One is right, the other wrong. *How can I not mark each with the same importance as the perfect volume level?</p>
<p>Changing polarity makes no sense to me whatsoever. *I have heard most of the theories and from an engineering standpoint they do not hold any water.</p>
<p>Neither of these mysteries are easily explained. *Neither are the pyramids, the Moai or my changing hair locations. *But they are real, staring us right in the face.</p>
<p>Sigh.</p>
<center><a href="http://www.pstracks.com/pauls-posts/great-mysteries/11507/emailpopup/" onclick="email_popup(this.href); return false;" title="Forward to a friend and help us engage more readers" rel="nofollow"><img class="WP-EmailIcon" src="http://www.pstracks.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-email/images/email.gif" alt="email Great mysteries" title="Great mysteries" /></a>*<a href="http://www.pstracks.com/pauls-posts/great-mysteries/11507/emailpopup/" onclick="email_popup(this.href); return false;" title="Forward to a friend and help us engage more readers" rel="nofollow">Forward to a friend and help us engage more readers</a></center><br /><!-- // MAILCHIMP SUBSCRIBE CODE --><center><a href="http://eepurl.com/eSzBY">Get new and fresh stories like this each morning by joining the folks reading Paul's Posts. Click here </a></center>
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[Source: http://www.pstracks.com/pauls-posts/great-mysteries/11507/]