# Reverse stereo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413 "2010-03-14T02:20:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/1 "2010-03-14T02:20:45Z")
I recently downloaded VLC player and was checking out the options. Under Audio and audio channels was “reverse stereo.” I know it’s self-explanatory of what it does, but why would such an option be available in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/2 "2010-03-14T02:26:34Z")
if when someone created a recording when they switched the channels (presume accidentally) then you could reverse them to be correct. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/3 "2010-03-14T02:27:49Z")
If your speakers are, for some reason, positioned backwards. Mine were, for a long time, since the input went into the left, then on to the right, but, because of where the computer was, I had to have the left speaker on the right, and the right on the left. Meaning that, without that option, the channels would be, functionally, reversed. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/4 "2010-03-14T02:43:38Z")
It’s for left-handed people. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/5 "2010-03-14T12:55:58Z")
It’s for people who like to face away from the computer when listening to music. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/6 "2010-03-14T15:47:32Z")
This is GQ, ya’ll need to be serious. The obvious answer is that it is our Australian friends. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/7 "2010-03-14T15:49:32Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > If your speakers are, for some reason, positioned backwards. > > Mine were, for a long time, since the input went into the left, then on to the right, but, because of where the computer was, I had to have the left speaker on the right, and the right on the left. Meaning that, without that option, the channels would be, functionally, reversed. I have the same problem. There’s no setting in the OS to reverse the speaker output. Nothing in the sound card options. A lot of software players don’t seem to have this setting. (I didn’t find it in WMP or GOM) So without it, the only other choice is to alter the wires. Either cut it apart and solder it backward, or buy a cable extension (along with an F-F adapter to get the plugs right) and have the speaker wire cross back on itself. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/8 "2010-03-14T15:59:30Z")
And for left-handed people whose speakers are positioned backwards, who like to face away from the computer. (But not in Australia.) ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/9 "2010-03-14T20:06:33Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > This is GQ, ya’ll need to be serious. The obvious answer is that it is our Australian friends. Also, Australian CD players spin the opposite direction because of the Coriolis force. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/10 "2010-03-14T20:43:32Z")
Strings on the left, horns and such on the right. If you are listening to an orchestral piece and you’ve set up the speakers exactly backwards, or if the particular disc is the wrong way, you can correct it with the flip of a switch. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverse-stereo/532413/11 "2010-03-15T03:32:46Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Strings on the left, horns and such on the right. If you are listening to an orchestral piece and you’ve set up the speakers exactly backwards, **or if the particular disc is the wrong way** , you can correct it with the flip of a switch. (my bolding) Doesn’t that produce satanic incantations?