Sound is Lefty, whatever I try... :(:(:(:(

[Pars]

Dear All, I am a proud owner of Martin Logan Vantages. Somehow, the soundstage is on the Left side of my listening position. I changed speaker cables, RCA connector of source, Power cables to Speakers, then swapped left speaker to right, right to left, tried acoustic panels... everything... Still I feel like I hear Left more. Maybe my ears? Maybe.. but I called help from a neighbour and he confirms too. Then I played Pink Noise Mono, Left is 2 dB louder when I measure with phone dB meter. It must be acoustics related I hope, I tried many many things but still... The room is pretty much symetric.

Any recommendations?

 

[ttocs]

Pull the weaker speaker farther from the front wall, a little at a time.

My right speaker is 4-1/2" farther from the front wall than the left speaker.

Mirror image setups are not necessarily equal.

This bears repeating in this situation. The video posted below is how I learned to get the best speaker setup I've ever had. Go to 17:52 into the video for the question and listen carefully for the entire explanation. And yes, it's all about acoustics, and it involves timing but in the most natural way. I tried using Levels, and even delay, but simply moving the speaker made all the difference for getting the best soundstage.

 

[Pars]

Pull the weaker speaker farther from the front wall, a little at a time.

My right speaker is 4-1/2" farther from the front wall than the left speaker.

Mirror image setups are not necessarily equal.

This bears repeating in this situation. The video posted below is how I learned to get the best speaker setup I've ever had. Go to 17:52 into the video for the question and listen carefully for the entire explanation. And yes, it's all about acoustics, and it involves timing but in the most natural way. I tried using Levels, and even delay, but simply moving the speaker made all the difference for getting the best soundstage.

Thank you very much, will watch and try asap!

 

[Russr]

It's the door handle!!!

Just kidding... BUT: judging by the hinges, is that a metal door? I'd put a shipping blanket over the whole thing and see if it makes any discernible difference. Remember that 3dB is a doubling in level, so the 2dB is not a trivial amount. I would expect the right side to be a bit "brighter", due to the glass wall... maybe that's your next challenge once you get ol' Lefty sorted out!

Keep us posted... this is an interesting one!

 

[amey01]

I had this issue too! (AND left-biased, funnily enough). Back in the '90s with a H/K integrated and a pair of KEF Q90 speakers.

I tried everything! I wasted untold hours plugging in and plugging out, which I will never get back. When I should have been doing schoolwork.

It was a tangible/objective issue. If you turned the volume right down, you could hear sound from L and not R.

I isolated it to the amp, had it replaced (new-for-old) - I unboxed it at the hi-fi shop and it was perfect; but same issue at home.

This was when I was a kid in my bedroom at home.

So naturally, I thought it was the listening environment. Or the power supply to the house.

Some of that equipment came with me when I bought my first house. New power supply. New listening room. Same issue.

I then thought it was my ears. Until a friend listening to it commented on the same thing.

As the equipment gradually evolved, the problem gradually disappeared.

All the equipment that comprised that system is long gone. I never conclusively diagnosed the issue.

So good luck!

 

[Robert D]

I have it in my room to a minor degree, also stronger on the left side. I corrected mine by just having more toe in on the right speaker. Now the stage is in the middle. Try angling in the right speaker some. Just small movements seem to have a big effect.

 

[Pars]

Ttocs' recommendation seemed to work like magic as of yesterday. I moved the right speaker forward, not much but 2 cm and seems like the balance came back to life. I couldn't believe it and made me so happy. I didn't have this issue with conventional speakers but with ml it is there. Now seems to be solved but I will watch the full video once again, digest it ans try to live with asymmetrical placement . I think I still need to put more effort to toe in, the distance between the speakers, etc but... At least I feel much better. Thank you very much.

 

[Pars]

It's the door handle!!!

Just kidding... BUT: judging by the hinges, is that a metal door? I'd put a shipping blanket over the whole thing and see if it makes any discernible difference. Remember that 3dB is a doubling in level, so the 2dB is not a trivial amount. I would expect the right side to be a bit "brighter", due to the glass wall... maybe that's your next challenge once you get ol' Lefty sorted out!

Keep us posted... this is an interesting one!

Ahahaha, I also thought so and exactly did many things, like leaving the door open etc... but no change. The picture may not show perfectly but right side of the room expands after the glass so not so symmetrical as it seems. I believe this creates the issue. As said on my post previously, at the moment it looks it's solved with moving the right speaker forward. Magic... I would have never thought that.

 

[Leporello]

Pink noise 2dB louder on left is the definitive test. You could also try feeding a mono steady tone to both speakers and measuring the RMS voltage on the speaker terminals, if you have one. But it sounds like you have an "image bias" problem, as we used to call it.

I never assume a symmetrical placement in the room is going to result in symmetrical channel balance. When setting up my speakers, the first thing I check for is a rock solid mono image centered between the speakers. Unfortunately, the mono switch has disappeared from most stereo preamps and integrated amps, which complicates doing this test. Note to manufacturers: just because fewer people are listening to records, where the mono switch eliminates vertical noise on mono records, or FM radio, where the mono switch can eliminate noise from fringe stations, doesn't mean it isn't still useful.

Ideally you should get that rock solid mono image not just from pink noise but a variety of recordings. Then, if a stereo recording is biased, it must be the recording. (The balance control is another disappearing or disappeared item from stereo equipment, to my disappointment). But if you don't get a solid mono image, or unbiased stereo image, then you need to tweak your speaker placement, even if the result is assymetrical placement. My current setup in my current room is.

 

[Leporello]

I didn't have this issue with conventional speakers but with ml it is there.

Yes, dipole speakers are like that.

 

[Duke]

Pull the weaker speaker farther from the front wall, a little at a time.

My right speaker is 4-1/2" farther from the front wall than the left speaker.

Mirror image setups are not necessarily equal.

This bears repeating in this situation. The video posted below is how I learned to get the best speaker setup I've ever had. Go to 17:52 into the video for the question and listen carefully for the entire explanation. And yes, it's all about acoustics, and it involves timing but in the most natural way. I tried using Levels, and even delay, but simply moving the speaker made all the difference for getting the best soundstage.

I met him and he is worth listening to.