Do I have a "balance" problem?


My system is in a dedicated room, 13 x 12.5 x 8.5, with one chair centered between the speakers. The speakers are several feet away from the front and side walls. I've treated the room, including absorption panels to deal with first reflections. Here's my issue: to get proper L/R imaging, I have to set the balance control in favor of the right channel somewhere between (depending on the recording) 1:00 and 2:30 on the dial. My system has always been this way and the issue is consistent with both LP and CD playback. I recently auditioned three line stages and each one required the balance control set to the right. By way of "troubleshooting," I've switched tubes, cleaned all contacts, and systematically switched L/R cables on each pair of interconnects one at a time. Nothing changes. There is no degradation of sound in the right channel (at least to my ears) and when the balance is set properly the music sounds great. But I just don't understand why the balance control needs to be set so far to the right. Does anyone else out there have a similar situation? Is there something "wrong" with my system? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
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Showing 1 response by seikosha

If you have access to other systems (friends or stores) you can listen to those to see if you experience the same center image issues. That'd be a quick way to determine if it's your ears or not.

I'm fanatical about getting that center image locked in the right place. A few notes...it doesn't take much in some rooms to throw it off. Just a small piece of furniture or a painting on the wall in a certain spot can really pull an image off to one side. Also, it'll vary on some recordings and even a little from track to track at times.

Good luck in getting it sorted out. Let us know the outcome.