Reversing a signal’s polarity changes its perceived bass level

Evidence

The bottom-left corner shows a time-inversed (equivalently, having reversed polarity) signal of the one shown in the top-left corner. The signal creates an auditory event with a differently perceived level of bass, which can be explained by the time scattering of the firing rate there (Laitinen et al., 2013). — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1271

Categorization

• QUESTION: How does mere time-inversion of an identical spectrum change perceived bass? A purely phase-based phenomenon with perceptual consequences worth exploring for sound design.
• SEED: An article angle on how identical frequency spectra can nonetheless produce perceptibly different timbres purely through phase — implications for audio engineers and equipment reviewers.