It comes with a balance knob?!?! I'll take it!


...said no one ever! I've been researching new gear and it hit me. Why, just why, do pieces have a balance knob? The only time in my life I can remember using said knob was to mess with the music and irritate my friends. You know, because it was cool to make every song sound like that classic Led Zep track. I think it was the 80's and on my Sanyo "boom box".

What is the point? To look retro? Do people actually use it and why?

Thought this might be fun to discuss and learn something new.

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Lately, I have been using a sort of balance control (dual mono block set up with sensitivity at each input) for a reason not so good. In short, the right speaker in my system has apparently suffered damage from my stupidity. Bottom line, it needs more volume to compensate for its injury. I know, I am ordering a new driver in the next few days. Just glad to have had a fix in the meantime.

I had impacted wax in one ear.  I adjusted the balance until after my ENT appointment.

If the best speaker arrangement (sonically and soundstage-wise) in your room was asymmetrical, you wouldn't even be asking that question.  With no balance control on my primary preamp, I have to handle it via bias settings.