Conrad-Johnson MF2100 Owner's Manual - Page 7

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etting The Most From Your Amplifier

In a system of commensurate high quality components, these conrad-

johnson amplifiers offer a high 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 MF2000 amplifiers are phase correct. If your system has an odd

number of inversions, 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.

MF2000 Series Owner's Manual