Wow, you have tapped into several of my ’pet peeves’
1. equipment without balance controls, and
2. speakers without level controls for the individual drivers (typically volume up/dn relative to the woofer).
3. angle of dispersion, both vertically and horizontally
4. toe-in ease of adjustability regarding one centered or two listeners, each slightly off center
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- equipment without balance controls
REMOTE BALANCE is the real deal!!!! (for ANY system).
When my system is ’correct’, i.e. EVERYTHING (matched tubes, tube socket contacts, equipment guts, both ends of every cable connection, both ends of both speaker’s connections, cartridge/cables, ...everything) co-operating to produce a near perfect phantom center result (and all the imaging that comes with that) verified with mic at ear level centered listening position and test tones CD (not LP).
ALL correct: there are MANY individual tracks that are not quite balanced/centered that benefit a good bit from a small tweak of the balance control, a bit left or a bit right. I have not experienced a ‘generally right’ or ‘generally left’ imbalance.
System ‘not quite correct: any tube/connection/resistor/capacitor ... in your system on any given day/hour may lead (temporarily or generally) to a less than perfect balance from a perfectly balanced source. Mess with a cable, another cable’s contact may be disrupted from it’s perfect contact (why I changed to Locking RCA connectors, or a nice benefit of XLR connectors). Check, straighten, inadvertently ‘tilt’ a tube, varying that sides’ output a speck …
This is the kind of thing whereby EVERYTHING might be off center to either left or right, thus every source needs a balance adjustment until the system becomes ‘correct’ (which may not be possible without substantial investigation and/or expense.).
The room may contribute to a semi-permanent or permanent l/r imbalance. It may exist for only a certain frequency range, contributing to wander, i.e. Cassandra Wilson or any vocalist/instrument wandering off center at only some frequencies.
Your hearing, more than likely not perfectly balanced, but it is not just a simple ‘volume’ difference, your right ear might be more sensitive generally, but have a notch at a certain frequency range, above/in/below typical vocal frequencies relative to your other side.
Remote Volume/Balance Features: Missing on so much equipment today, while some current equipment provides specific physical controls, some bury the balance feature in the Menu, some don’t even show their remote control, you need to download the manual to get answers.
Vintage Equipment: I often recommend the Chase RLC-1 Remote Line Controller which adds remote volume, remote balance, and other features.
Here’s one with the remote control, 30 day return (you MUST have the remote, no controls on the unit).
Install it directly or thru a tape/processor loop, you will discover you get all the features with zero degradation of the sound.
My main system: sources to preamp, preamp to chase, chase to amp. Remote Balance it’s primary purpose, and mute. Amp’s or Chase’s volume control.
Office System: remote power only, I leave my Little Luxman’s physical power button depressed, all sources to the Luxman which has remote volume and mute.
Garage/Shop system: optionally thru tape loop, when in used for remote volume and mute when the wifey sticks her head into the project area.
CD, then compare LP
Have same content: CD, and LP, good way to assess if your Vinyl system is ‘right on’, or adjust the Vinyl system as needed. My favorite imaging test is Friday Night in San Francisco, side 2, tracks 2 and 3 when all 3 guitarists are playing.
CD
LP
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- speakers without level controls
for the individual drivers (typically each driver’s volume up/dn relative to the woofer, then relative to each other).
‘In the Beginning’ even MONO, speakers came with level controls to adjust for the individual listening space, your hearing, your preference. Move to another space, readjust, … sell to another person, they adjust ……
Stereo added a bigger challenge to balance individual speaker’s driver’s frequency response, then balance L/R, IN THAT SPACE. Move them, start again!
When younger, I used to adjust the level controls (Brillance, Presence) of my vintage 4 way electro-voice speaker’s drivers by ear. Next, multiband equalizer by ear, next an acoustic engineer friend would bring his sophisticated sound meter, we would ‘get it right’.
Now: SPL meters readily affordable, a terrific test tone CD (not LP), and a LOT of patience gives the ability to adjust in the space, then, after you adjust for the mic/space you adjust for a preference, hearing imbalance, lack of symmetry, OR a global age related insensitivity to highs, etc.
Last time, after installing new 16 ohm L-Pads, it took me 1-1/2 days to ‘get it right’, with those tools and help from a neighbor/friend audio engineer/producer. It’s not easy, but the results are wonderful, far beyond simple tone control adjustments.
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- Angle of Dispersion
Room Reflections (especially early reflections).
Any space I have had, any speaker I have had (either speaker’s slanted front face, or tilting speaker cabinet) has benefitted by an upward slant: altering the angle of reflection off floor/ceiling/side walls, and the resulting rear wall reflections. Combined with Toe-In.
- Toe-In:
- Tweeter’s Narrow Dispersion both horizontally and vertically.
Because of the rapid off-axis volume drop off of tweeters, it is recommended to aim the speaker so that the tweeter is directed at the listener horizontally, and aimed vertically at seated ear height. Listening space/hearing ability/preferences come into play separately.
- Adjustable Toe-In
I recommend 3 wheels for heavy speakers, (3: more weight per wheel and no leveling issue when moved) and three ‘slip’ pads for lighter speakers (again 3 because …), enough resistance to stay put, but with some effort the ability to alter toe-in (without nightmare difficulties like spikes, …)
- Alternate Toe-In: Two Off-Center Listeners, Home Theater Front L/R
Cross Pattern Toe-In. Aim the right speaker directly at the left chair; left speaker at the right chair. This gives very acceptable l/r listening, preserves imaging to some extent, rather than opposite speaker/center/imaging lost.
You are physically closer to the speaker on your side i.e. volume, but in the direct path of the opposite speaker, i.e. on axis volume: yields a wide center image.
This is important for Home Theater front speakers also, I am surprised more speakers are not designed for wide imaging, like these vintage DBX Soundfield 100’s, great sound for two people at opposite ends of a sofa, or 3 people on the sofa, any off-center seating arrangement. Center speakers, definitely needed for Dolby content, do not involve any directional or off-center content. Use the system in 'direct' or 2 channel stereo, center channel speaker is cut out. Much content sounds better in 2 channel, much 'direct' is 2 channel, so much is pseudo surround it's ridiculous.
https://www.hifi-classic.net/review/dbx-soundfield-100-135.html
