Phase vs polarity

[gmichael]

But then what is the difference between polarity and phase ?

--Regards,

You can be 10 degrees out of phase. Or 20, or 30, or 35.6781. But if you reverse the polarity, you will always be 180 degrees out of phase (but not really) There is a point that phase means a timing difference but a reversed polarity is not out of timing. But it does work out to be 99.999% the same thing.

Please step away from the hair.

 

[OttoMatic]

But then what is the difference between polarity and phase ?

Reversed polarity = 180 degrees out of phase.

 

[jonnythan]

You can be 10 degrees out of phase. Or 20, or 30, or 35.6781. But if you reverse the polarity, you will always be 180 degrees out of phase (but not really) There is a point that phase means a timing difference but a reversed polarity is not out of timing. But it does work out to be 99.999% the same thing.

Please step away from the hair.

That's how I understand it, thank you.

I don't understand the backlash to wanting a better understanding of this concept. Sure, the difference is almost negligible, but it is a difference and, in my opinion, it's absolutely worth understanding.

If you don't care about the difference, just stay out of the thread.

Perhaps it would have been better asked on a forum that more appreciates the science and engineering aspects of audio recording and reproduction.

 

[gmichael]

The 0.0001%.

Let's say that you have two drivers. (OK, I have two drivers)
Knock that off...
They are wired with the correct polarity.
One driver is receiving a signal 1/1000 of a second later than the other. One driver would start moving 1/1000 of a second before the other. And the other would stop moving 1/1000 of a second after the first. At the 1k htz frequency, they would be 180 degrees out of phase. At higher frequencies, they'd be more than 180 degrees out. At lower frequencies, they'd be less than 180 degrees out.

OK, now you have those same two drivers. They are both getting their signals at the same time, but are now wired with reverse polarity. They will start and stop at the same time, but in opposite directions. These will effectively be 180 degrees out of phase for all frequencies.

 

[gmichael]

If you don't care about the difference, just stay out of the thread.

Perhaps it would have been better asked on a forum that more appreciates the science and engineering aspects of audio recording and reproduction.

Gees, throw in a little joke and people get all offended.

I'm very sorry. I like to poke fun and be a pain in the butt.
I'll try to play nice next time.

 

[jonnythan]

That post wasn't directed only at you, gmichael. I appreciate your second to last post in the thread and think it may clarify things significantly.

 

[gmichael]

That post wasn't directed only at you, gmichael. I appreciate your second to last post in the thread and think it may clarify things significantly.

Tanx,
I'm still just being a smarty pants though.

 

[jonnythan]

So two speakers with an absolute phase difference of time t will be out of phase by varying degrees depending on frequency, whereas two speakers with opposite polarity inputs will be out of phase by exactly 180 degrees for every frequency.

 

[Vaughan Odendaa]

Alrighty. So reversal of speaker leads equates to 180 deg phase shift. So polarity also has a time component ?

--Regards,

 

[gmichael]

Alrighty. So reversal of speaker leads equates to 180 deg phase shift. So polarity also has a time component ?

--Regards,

Nope, no time component. But it does work out to be about the same.

 

[jonnythan]

Reversal of speaker leads equates to a 180 degree phase shift for every frequency. It's not an actual time shift, but it's the same as shifting the instantaneous waveform 180 degrees while maintaining the same time as the original, if that makes sense.

 

[Vaughan Odendaa]

Cool, got it. Thanks ! To all those who contributed, thank you very much. Much appreciated.

--Regards,