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Balance knob ..

So I'd say I've been a budget audiophile for 40+ years. Used to sell audio at Audio Warehouse in Cincinnati in the '80s. Currently I have a pretty big room with 12' ceilings, but different open areas behind each of the Maggie 1.7is and the Emotiva BASX 10" subs behind each. All driven by an Emotiva XPA-2 Gen3 and old CJ PV-10AL preamp. Listening mostly through a Bluesound Node 2i. CD player is a Panasonic Aventage BD1060 disc player. I have the sound, honestly, pretty damn great. But I am realizing a bit of bias to the left speaker. I think this is because that speaker has a lot space behind and to the side whilst the right has less and more complicated space behind and a closer side wall. 

I have always been told - and believed - that you shouldn't ever mess with the balance knob. But if the sound is a bit UNbalanced isn't that what it's for? Just to "balance" the output? But then I think with more signal going to the channel that the knob is turned to - which will screw-up imaging, soundstage, depth, etc., no? 

I am kinda stuck cuz I can't move the speakers or have a dedicated listening room. 

Thoughts? 
jkf011

Showing 1 response by millercarbon

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I think this is because that speaker has a lot space behind and to the side whilst the right has less and more complicated space behind and a closer side wall.

A reasonable enough sounding assessment of the situation. So my question is, how is balance going to address this problem? It won't. 

Balance will make one speaker louder. It will indeed shift the image a bit to whatever side you make louder.

But that's not all it will do. It will also do real damage to the depth and solidity of that image. So what will happen is, you will be real happy at first. Got my center all nice and cetered! Big whoop. Then you notice sounds that used to be nice and 3D in the stage now seem to be coming right from the speaker. Now not so happy. Not happy at all.

You seem to have a pretty good handle on the situation. Just need to work out how to fix it any other way than changing the balance.
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