IMAGE PROBLEMS VOCALS OFF CENTER

Have you played a MONO source--you need to do this to see if it, whatever the content, is centered or not. If that's not centered and you switch the source channels and then switch the amp/preamp channels, as well as the speakers that you mentioned you did, it's got to be room acoustics some how, in my opinion. Also not every stereo vocal album has the vocal centered. Good luck!

I tracked it down to a tube in my CDP that was going bad.

Mijknarf, same here a 6922, right channel, in my power amp.

Take a hard look at the placement of furniture, rugs, artwork (particularly with glass in the frame), the balance of audio absorbent coverings such as cloth uphostery vs leather or plastic, and so on.

You might also try slightly different toe-in angles to help correct - one angle for one speaker and a slightly different angle for the other. The degree difference does not have to be much to have a big impact on image placement.

There could also be a defect in a cross-over network or driver in one of the speakers, or an off-value or deteriorating component in the source, preamp or amp. For example, on turntables, I've seen the stylus cantilever get knocked slightly out of alignment and that'll affect the volume between channels.

This won't help with the phono cartridge, but if you have a steady-state mono source (e.g., frequency generator) and a reasonably sensisitve multimeter, you can check the voltage being delivered to each speaker terminal. That might help narrow your search.

I should add that at one time a few years ago I had this same problem and a bad tube in my preamp was the culprit. I switched the tubes and the center focus shifted in mirror fashion.

Is it possible that you are actually hearing a phase problem? Insure that your speakers are wired correctly, i.e. "red to red", "black to black" on both of your speakers. Also, it is possible that your speakers are mis-wired inside, i.e., one of the drivers is wired out of phase.

I agree with the previous poster that suggested playing a mono source. if you play something in mono and the image is not centered, you definately have a problem.

TIC