@kennyc Yes, but...as others and I have said, there are factors that will affect the sound stage that are not static. So, if you can't adjust channel balance, you might find yourself moving your chair over and over. Too much exercise for most audiopiles!
Obvious Epiphany
I don't have golden ears and am relatively inexperienced when it comes to being an audiophile. Things like pace, rhythm and timing, jitter and other such things are pretty meaningless to me (and I'm fine with that). But my one audiophile super power is speaker position as it relates to sound stage. I actually think it is less of a super power and more of a sensitivity....or deficiency....that is probably based on the fact that the hearing in my left ear is worse than my right and both of them are 60 years old.
In any case, for a number of years it has seemed to me that most music seems to be weighted to the right channel, particularly vocals. I have three systems; one is relatively high end, the other is semi high end and the third is mid-fi at best. All three seem right channel heavy depending on the song (there are notable exceptions between songs, some of which seem left channel predominant). I chalked this up to the difference in my hearing. And that is probably the case.
I experiment a lot with minor changes in speaker position within the confines of my room parameters. This mostly involves degrees of toe-in, distance between speakers and distance from listening position (which is pretty room limited with my main system). But, in all these experiments, all of which render subtle differences, I always kept my listening position equidistant from the two speakers. In other words at the point of an isosceles triangle. I don't know why.
In any case I was recently listening to my midfi system, which ironically has the best room situation of the three and the right channel predominance was getting on my nerves and I just slid my listening position to the left about two feet or so. Bingo. Sound stage centered up nicely. The songs that I know to have more of a left channel predominance stayed about the same and were not more heavily left weighted.
I know this sounds like a 'duh' moment. But for those with imperfect ears, imperfect rooms or imperfect systems this might be worth a try if your sound stage is skewed to one side or the other. I guess the take home message is to try everything. Even if the classic speaker position diagrams say otherwise.
(I have less leeway with listening position with my main system but moving further less has made a big difference there as well.)
Showing 3 responses by bondmanp
A non-centered soundstage is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. I don't even read preamp reviews if the subject doesn't have a balance control or left and right volume pots. My McIntosh preamp has a huge range of balance adjustment in very fine increments, and is available from the remote control.
Let's not kid ourselves: In addition to uneven room acoustics that skew the soundstage, I have found that many recordings and source components, and even wires aren't always perfectly balanced. |
@n80 I would absolutely try tilting the speakers up a little. Also, consider stands or footers that would increase the height of the speakers, with or without tilting them. Sound Anchors makes great, custom fitted speaker stands at reasonable prices. My system projects height really well, with sound beginning at ear level and rising to the ceiling. My speakers, Ohm Walsh 2000s, are quasi omni, and the drivers sit proud of the cabinets on top. Wonderful sound staging! I have three point spiked bases from Sound Anchors under them. |