Absolute Phase - Navison audio SE-MKII Owner's Operating Manual

Getting The Most From Your SE-MKII
In a system of commensurate high quality components, the Navison audio SE-MKII offers an
unparalleled level of sophistication and refinement in music reproduction. To get the best
performance out of any audio system, there are a number of important details which must be
attended to.

Absolute Phase

Musical notes are heard through the ear's response to waves of alter-nating rise and fall of air
pressure. Musical transients are almost exclu-sively positive: that is, the initial effect is a rise in
pressure. The ear is capable of distinguishing these positive transients from the musically unnatural
alternative of a negative transient (an initial fall in air pressure). In terms of your stereo system,
these transients are created by your loudspeakers. If the speakers respond to musical transients
by first moving out, they are creating a rise in pressure, and the system is said to be phase
correct. If they respond by moving in, they create a fall in pressure and the system is said to be
phase inverting. Each component in the stereo system either preserves the phase of the incoming
signal, and is said to be phase correct, or inverts the phase and is said to be phase inverting.
It is unimportant whether an individual component is phase correct or phase inverting, as long
as the system as a whole is phase correct. This will be the case if the number of phase inversions
is even (or zero).
The SE-MKII is phase inverting. If your system has an odd number of inversions, (for example,
if the SE-MKII is the only phase inverting unit in the chain) then you must add one phase inversion.
This is conveniently done by reversing the positive and negative connections to your speakers
(be sure to reverse both channels).
If you are not sure about the phase of every piece in your system, you can establish correct
absolute phase by careful listening. When the system is in correct phase, transients will be
noticeably cleaner and more sharply defined. The effect is especially apparent on plucked string
sounds. A final warning - not all recordings are phase correct (including some "audiophile"
recordings), so listen to several before concluding your investigation of absolute phase.
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SE-MKII Owner's Manual