In one embodiment, a polarity optimizer determines optimal polarities of audio input channels. In operation, the polarity optimizer generates multiple polarity combinations, where each polarity combination specifies a different combination of polarities of the audio input channels. For each of these polarity combinations, the polarity optimizer combines inverted and/or non-inverted samples of the audio input channels to generate a corresponding audio mix. For each of the audio mixes, the polarity optimizer calculates the value of a pre-determined signal characteristic. The polarity optimizer then compares these values and sets the optimized polarities in accordance with the polarity combination corresponding to the audio mix with the optimal value. Because the polarity optimizer operates in a concurrent and deterministic fashion on candidate audio mixes, the polarity optimizer enables the production of an optimized listening experience without exposing the audience to multiple, inferior, “trial-and-error” audio mixes during the optimization process.