Bassilisk.audio

Phase

Timing relationship between waveforms, drivers, or measured signals.

Basic Audio fundamentals 1 min read
Article Learn
Ask in forum
On this page

Why it matters

Two drivers can both measure loud by themselves and still create a dip together. That often happens when their output arrives out of phase in the same frequency region.

Phase also matters for bass integration, subwoofer placement, polarity checks, and measurement interpretation.

How it works

Sound is a repeating pressure wave. Phase describes where one waveform sits in its cycle compared with another.

At a crossover, the woofer and tweeter overlap. If the timing and polarity are wrong, output can cancel. If they line up well, output sums.

Common mistakes

Simple example

Crossover A crossover splits audio between drivers. It is not a hard wall; drivers still overlap around the crossover point. Frequency response Frequency response shows how loud a speaker is at each frequency. It helps reveal balance, crossover behavior, box tuning, and room problems. Weak bass Weak bass is often caused by polarity, placement, room nulls, level mismatch, leaks, or tuning problems. Check those before changing drivers.

Discussion

Ask a question Start a discussion

No discussion yet

Ask a question or share a field note tied to this concept — it shows up here.