[NoDisco]

Have a pair of stereo subs. Have noticed that they can sound pretty good when they are out of phase. I checked the driver polarity with a battery, and they are both in phase...so is it my room or my ears? This shouldn’t work...right?

[FullRangeMan]

Have a pair of stereo subs. Have noticed that they can sound pretty good when they are out of phase. I checked the driver polarity with a battery, and their both in phase...so is it my room or my ears? This shouldn’t work...right?

What do you mean say by stereo subs?
They are two subs in the same enclosure?

If they are 2 subs out of phase in the same enclosure the drivers cones will move both to front at the same time as in the Marc Porzili Nearfield Pipedreams, in this case they are two 18'' woofers in a large tube/cylinder:

[NoDisco]

Two subs two enclosures one for each channel

[richidoo]

Have a pair of stereo subs. Have noticed that they can sound pretty good when they are out of phase. I checked the driver polarity with a battery, and they are both in phase...so is it my room or my ears? This shouldn’t work...right?

Your room shape looks like it's not a traditional symmetrical box. So it's entirely possible that you are getting flatter FR and less ringing at your listening spot with the opposite phase subs because of the odd shape of the room.  If it sounds better then it IS better!

[poseidonsvoice]

Your room shape looks like it's not a traditional symmetrical box. So it's entirely possible that you are getting flatter FR and less ringing at your listening spot with the opposite phase subs because of the odd shape of the room.  If it sounds better then it IS better!

+1.

I have 4 subs. 2 have completely reverse polarity, ie 180 degrees phase reversal vs the other 2. It is what measured best based on position of the subwoofers, crossover frequency, crossover slope and room geometry.

So that situation is entirely possible in anybody’s case.

Best,
Anand.

[jtwrace]

Your room shape looks like it's not a traditional symmetrical box. So it's entirely possible that you are getting flatter FR and less ringing at your listening spot with the opposite phase subs because of the odd shape of the room.  If it sounds measures better then it IS better!

Now it's fixed.   

[Rusty Jefferson]

It would be unusual to have the low bass be correct with 1 of 2 subs out of phase. It sounds like these are passive subs? If so, be sure the amplifier connections are correct/matching. If using Speakon connections or something similar, use a meter to be sure they are wired correctly.   

They may also be overlapping too much with your full range speakers and sound "better" (less bloated?) when the subs are cancelling one another.

[NoDisco]

It would be unusual to have the low bass be correct with 1 of 2 subs out of phase. It sounds like these are passive subs? If so, be sure the amplifier connections are correct/matching. If using Speakon connections or something similar, use a meter to be sure they are wired correctly.   

They may also be overlapping too much with your full range speakers and sound "better" (less bloated?) when the subs are cancelling one another.

These are rel powered subs. Same experience with 2 way speakers too, but I am experimenting with dialing the crossover back even more. Sound is just so tight, but I can still tell the sound is not completely uniform. Like 95% though. I stopped using them for awhile, and just re added them when I went back to the omegas.

[NoDisco]

Update: I am now running in phase with significantly better results as I back volume and crossover down. Seems there is a cancellation effect as was mentioned earlier.