Can you hear absolute phase? - listening test

Can you hear a difference between the files?

  • Yes, but I have no ABX result

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • No, and I have no ABX result

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Yes, and I have a positive ABX result

    Votes: 4 50.0%
  • No, and I have a negative ABX result

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
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Anyway, as nobody cares during records processes about absolute phase, they is all the chances to be random. So, it is just enough to have, somewhere in our systems, a phase reverse button to figure out, with real music, if it matters for us or not.
On my side, I don't take care of this, neither, as it seems the difference, if any, is not a problem.
The recordings do come in random phase. Fortunately we now have phase inversion filter on some digital software music player such as foobar.
 
Being curious, I have resampled the test files to 44.1kHz. It is then, to me, more difficult to hear the difference, but still I got a 7/8 result, however with more concentration and longer listening time. After resampling, the rising and falling edges are of course slowed down, because 44.1 kHz sampling is unable to keep original impulse rise time of some 10us. It seems that the rise time, or high frequency content of the impulse speaking in frequency domain, makes a difference in audibility of the impulse polarity. Same applies to headphones. It is easier to hear a difference with headphones that have shorter rise time of the acoustical output impulse.
 
It also seems quite possible to hear the difference with speakers
Code:
foo_abx 2.0.2 report
foobar2000 v1.3.7
2019-06-11 08:22:53

File A: impneg.wav
SHA1: 7a482ace497f95cb64272e62a044aad1d9d9a297
File B: imppos.wav
SHA1: 3a1732c9825156a1509146feb3ad6487462cf6ce

Output:
WASAPI (event) : Speakers (Cambridge Audio USB Audio 1.0), 24-bit
Crossfading: NO

08:22:53 : Test started.
08:23:17 : 01/01
08:23:32 : 02/02
08:23:48 : 03/03
08:23:59 : 04/04
08:24:09 : 05/05
08:24:25 : 05/06
08:24:35 : 06/07
08:24:55 : 07/08
08:24:55 : Test finished.

 ---------- 
Total: 7/8
Probability that you were guessing: 3.5%

 -- signature -- 
2531e3e74498bade8ce9e7230d03308074aa46ac

It can be also used as an imaging test, the clicks should appear right in the middle between the speakers.
 
With species evolutions, our senses adapted themselves to the best ability to survive. As much of the sounds we hear from movements of animals in nature are the result of shocks (compressions) it seems obvious our hearing could be more sensible to pressure on front waves.
The other thing that can make a difference are the transducers we use. Are-they really symmetrical ? I am not sure ;-)

I think the logic is faulty here.

1) Something seeming "obvious" to a human is a form of cognitive bias - it doesn't necessarily have a basis in truth, more likely that leap of thought is culturally influenced.

2) Your common belief about how our bodies work and relating it to once having to react to nature isn't necessarily true in the first place. Which makes your leap of logic more a leap of faith..

I only pick up on this not as a criticism but more to point out that, despite this being a common and often repeated belief about the development of our senses, it does not mean it is true. In fact I don't think there is really much proof of it being true - yes there are a lot of theories, but I'm not sure confirmed proof .
 
PS. should have added the first paragraph of Arch's conclusion from the article linked above:

"Well guys and gals, indeed absolute polarity/phase is an audible phenomenon. This is an interesting property of the physiology of human hearing. I'm a believer! And was definitely wrong last week to assume that "absolute polarity" was about whether the first wave was up/down going, and the J.G. Holt Stereophile article from 1980 could use a little updating to include the physiology of the human inner ear."
 
Nice link, better than mine! :) But Stereophile wasn't wrong with the result that with usual music and good equipment it is not generally heard.

BTW, I took the ABX test. 8/8, wasn't hard.
"ABX Test" app for Android, Samsung S7, Sennheiser Momentum M2 in-ears.
 

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I am not sure I am preferring "absolute phase" when I switch the phase - but for most recordings there is a best position.

It can manifest itself in different ways - one cannot simply listen for one thing.

If one is listening to a recording and it occurs to you there is something funny - switch the phase. Most of the time it is better - sometimes it is even funnier. Oh, well. You switch back. Now you know it could be worse.
 
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