Speaker balance

[Blacksabbath25]

I’ve got a dB reader I could try that idea but kind of sorted it out now by moving the speakers along a bit more but thanks

 

[BigH]

Could be many things, the recording, the amp, speaker positioning, your hearing. Swop the speaker cables over is a good suggestion. You could play some mono music, is it straight down the centre or to one side. I had it on my old amp at lower volume, one channel was quieter, it's fairly common it seems.

 

[JamesMellor]

One last idea could be to run the speaker setup through the 1070. It will tell you the distances from each speaker and it wil also tell you if its adjusted the balance L-R. For example L -3.0db C +1db R -2.8db

You could then even compare afew songs when played through the 1070 in stereo to see if the balance is change compared to the 3000 on its own.

Or you could just shuffle along the couch afew inches for those songs <S>

James

 

[trevorok]

have you not thought about buying a test recording most test chanel balance set up and phasing

 

[Blacksabbath25]

One last idea could be to run the speaker setup through the 1070. It will tell you the distances from each speaker and it wil also tell you if its adjusted the balance L-R. For example L -3.0db C +1db R -2.8db

You could then even compare afew songs when played through the 1070 in stereo to see if the balance is change compared to the 3000 on its own.

Or you could just shuffle along the couch afew inches for those songs <S>

James

that’s a great idea to see if it was the actual album it’s self I hadn’t thought about that but also the album I tried was an old album probably recorded back in the late 1960s The Mamas and the papas greatest hits .

but since then I’ve adjusted the speaker positions and swapped round the speaker cables and took some measurements with a dB reader which I have a digital one so quite accurate and then tried some different albums .

as far as I see it could of been the recording or the speakers I think a bit of both because I’ve played some blues music and the sound was spot on so it’s not been a wast of time today there felt like one speaker was roughly about 1 or 2 dB higher then the other speaker not much but I noticed it but sorted now .

 

[Blacksabbath25]

have you not thought about buying a test recording most test chanel balance set up and phasing

no I haven’t to be honest as there are ways around it I could find a passage of music say a drum beat and stick my CD player on A-B loop which will play just a section of music and the use the balance controls on the amplifier to test one speaker at a time with a dB reader .

 

[trevorok]

yes u need to check both channels indivialy for equal balance i have had recordings that favour one channel more than another especialy on older recordings but a test recording is a good option i have a test record and it checks my set up very well but it was just a surgestion hope you get to the bottom of it

 

[Blacksabbath25]

yes u need to check both channels indivialy for equal balance i have had recordings that favour one channel more than another especialy on older recordings but a test recording is a good option i have a test record and it checks my set up very well but it was just a surgestion hope you get to the bottom of it

yes I have done now thanks

 

[trevorok]

*drinks* what was the cause

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I think a combination of the album I used and one speaker needed to be moved a long a bit because I had one speaker about a meter from the corner on one side of the room which was being amplified by being to near a corner .

i only moved it 10cm and that sorted things out and the soundstage is much more central now

 

[Deleted member 108165]

I get this on a few CDs, sweetspot image slightly skewed to the right, put another CD on and the singer is dead centre again; sometimes I even get a difference in tracks on the same CD. This is with everything set in an equilateral triangle of exactly 3 metres and speakers completely symmetrical to the boundary walls. If it bothers me I just shift my head slightly to the left.

 

[davedotco]

This could get rather difficult.

The problem with these kind of issues is that it becomes obsessive and once you have decided you are hearing an imbalance, it is very difficult to 'unhear' it.

I have dicumented on here, on more than one occasion, my obsession with having speaker cables of exactly the same length. If I know they are of different length the soundstage skews to one side and nothing I can do will correct it.

Of course if I do not know that there are unequal lengths, then I have no such problem, weird eh.

I have tested this with third party conducted blind tests which show that there is no difference, but if I know they are different, I hear the imbalance.

This is clearly 'all in the mind' and I totally accept this but even so, I still hear the imbalance!

PS. This is one of several experiences that have taught me that subjective, sighted tests are generally not to be trusted.

 

[Samd]

This could get rather difficult.

The problem with these kind of issues is that it becomes obsessive and once you have decided you are hearing an imbalance, it is very difficult to 'unhear' it.

I have dicumented on here, on more than one occasion, my obsession with having speaker cables of exactly the same length. If I know they are of different length the soundstage skews to one side and nothing I can do will correct it.

Of course if I do not know that there are unequal lengths, then I have no such problem, weird eh.

I have tested this with third party conducted blind tests which show that there is no difference, but if I know they are different, I hear the imbalance.

This is clearly 'all in the mind' and I totally accept this but even so, I still hear the imbalance!

PS. This is one of several experiences that have taught me that subjective, sighted tests are generally not to be trusted.

You're not catching me this time Dave.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

He caught me ages ago, my speaker cables are exactly the same length *smile*

 

[ellisdj]

I have been looking at cheap laser measures on Amazon.

it's hard measuring speaker distance from the mlp exactly to both speakers

Has anyone used a cheap laser measure before for any job??

 

[Blacksabbath25]

My speaker cables are the same lengths as they factory 3m lengths from audioquest and terminated the funniest thing with this cables are one end says amplifier the other says speakers and on top of that they both say Left and Right .

My speakers use the hybrid tweeters so you should set them up firing straight a head as the hybrid tweeters are meant to have a wider image in the room because of the hybrid tweeters .

But obviously the other kind of tweeters that most of you use you have to toe your speakers in to hit the sweet spot but saying all of this I have messed around with a bit of toe in and found the tweeter end of the speaker kind of give me a bit more sparkle on different instruments which I kind of like but my speakers are now setup firing straight ahead again since move the speakers yesterday as I’ve got a better result now I’ve moved the speakers along the room .

 

[davedotco]

This could get rather difficult.

The problem with these kind of issues is that it becomes obsessive and once you have decided you are hearing an imbalance, it is very difficult to 'unhear' it.

I have dicumented on here, on more than one occasion, my obsession with having speaker cables of exactly the same length. If I know they are of different length the soundstage skews to one side and nothing I can do will correct it.

Of course if I do not know that there are unequal lengths, then I have no such problem, weird eh.

I have tested this with third party conducted blind tests which show that there is no difference, but if I know they are different, I hear the imbalance.

This is clearly 'all in the mind' and I totally accept this but even so, I still hear the imbalance!

PS. This is one of several experiences that have taught me that subjective, sighted tests are generally not to be trusted.

You're not catching me this time Dave.

Actually, apart from the typo, this is actually all true...*fool*

 

[Deleted member 108165]

My speakers aren't toed in at all, don't like them toed in, sweet spot doesn't suffer any degradation at all.

 

[Deleted member 108165]

Thought about it Ellis but still rely on a heavy duty builders tape for measuring. I do have a laser pen which gets plenty of use when setting speaker positioning.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

My speakers aren't toed in at all, don't like them toed in, sweet spot doesn't suffer any degradation at all.

that’s why I like the Dali speakers because of the hybrid tweeters as I found with the speakers you have to toe in a bit gives quite a narrow spot to listen in but I suppose that could be different with each manufacturer

 

[davedotco]

I have been looking at cheap laser measures on Amazon.

it's hard measuring speaker distance from the mlp exactly to both speakers

Has anyone used a cheap laser measure before for any job??

I have used these in the past when involved in setting up some fairly serious home theatre setups.

Not really my area of expertese but they did make accurate positioning of speakers an absolute breeze.

Given that such devices can be bought for around £20, it might be wirth giving one a go.

 

[Al ears]

I would like to ask a question about speaker balance because I am sitting smack bang in the Center and from where I am sitting and one speaker seems more dominant then the other side I’ve used the balance knob to correct this but is this down to speaker position or the recording ? That the sound image seem more one sided is there a way to correct this with speaker position ?

My speakers are 2 meters apart and 21 cm from back wall and not toed in

If it is only for a few songs then it is probably the recording.

If it is always then it can be the room positioning or your ears.

I was wondering how long it would take before someone mentioned hearing. ;-)

 

[ellisdj]

I have been looking at cheap laser measures on Amazon.

it's hard measuring speaker distance from the mlp exactly to both speakers

Has anyone used a cheap laser measure before for any job??

I have used these in the past when involved in setting up some fairly serious home theatre setups.

Not really my area of expertese but they did make accurate positioning of speakers an absolute breeze.

Given that such devices can be bought for around £20, it might be wirth giving one a go.

That is what I was thinking but its a waste of money if they are not very accurate etc- need down to the mm ideally but I doubt they will be that accurate

 

[BigH]

I have been looking at cheap laser measures on Amazon.

it's hard measuring speaker distance from the mlp exactly to both speakers

Has anyone used a cheap laser measure before for any job??

I have seen them used to measure room sizes and by surveyors. Sounds like a good idea, can be used to check things are level or straight as well. Probably better to buy from a pro electrical shop than Amazon. Just seen 1 for £10. Screwfix do one for £20 (Accurate to ±2mm).

 

[insider9]

This could get rather difficult.

The problem with these kind of issues is that it becomes obsessive and once you have decided you are hearing an imbalance, it is very difficult to 'unhear' it.

I have dicumented on here, on more than one occasion, my obsession with having speaker cables of exactly the same length. If I know they are of different length the soundstage skews to one side and nothing I can do will correct it.

Of course if I do not know that there are unequal lengths, then I have no such problem, weird eh.

I have tested this with third party conducted blind tests which show that there is no difference, but if I know they are different, I hear the imbalance.

This is clearly 'all in the mind' and I totally accept this but even so, I still hear the imbalance!

 

PS. This is one of several experiences that have taught me that subjective, sighted tests are generally not to be trusted.

Very much agreed. I experienced this in my room also. The setup is not symmetrical and even though everything is measured (including amp output) sometimes the visual queues would overwrite hearing and make me believe the image shifts to one side.

Worth pointing out it worked on my mates as much as me.

To combat this I actually moved the rack off centre however it "looks" central and it is all fine now.