Making sure sound from multiple drivers or speakers arrives at the listening position at the same time — critical for accurate imaging.
Phase alignment refers to keeping the relative timing between drivers (or between left and right channels) consistent, so their sound waves combine constructively rather than partially cancelling. Time alignment is the practical tool for achieving it: delaying closer speakers so all output arrives at the listener's ear together.
This matters most in cars, where drivers are rarely equidistant from the listening position (a door-mounted tweeter is often much closer to your ear than a dash-mounted one), and in multi-driver home setups where a subwoofer's distance from the main speakers needs to be measured and compensated, not guessed.
| Context | Typical Home Audio | Typical Car Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Typical correction range | 0 – 10 ms (sub-to-main) | 0.5 – 3 ms (driver-to-driver) |
| Measured via | Distance / delay calculator or impulse response | Distance / delay calculator or impulse response |
