Lacking Soundstage - Vandersteen 2C

I have an asymetrical (sp?) room as well. I think this is the main cause of your channel imbalance, which I suffer from as well. I just deal with it, and made sure my preamp has a balance control. If you're like me, off-center vocalists (unless they're supposed to be off-center) drive you nuts! I'd experiment with toe-in. Also, tilt-back is important for Vandersteen speakers. I'd check with Vandersteen and look into appropriate stands that allow proper tilt-back.

Thank you Bondmanp, I'll try your suggestion(s) and see if I can get a balanced soundstage. Mine is an int. with no balance control, so will have to fiddle with the speaker placement only. Also mine is a smallish room, with the system against an 8' wall, so have to figure out an optimal placement.

Best Regards

Wow that is not usally a problem with vandies. look in the manual they give you set up and where they should be in the room you need to measure the room lay it out like a grid and place it on a intersecting point. This is true of any speaker. Tilt matters. If it is a narrow room get rid of that first order reflection as stated above. Also make sure nothing is on the sides of them do you have them tucked into a cubby or a big tv in the middle of them of them? Like most speakers they like to breeth. If that doesn't do it maybe the amp or the cables.

Livin, FWIW Bondmanp and Programmergeek are correct about room set up being critical and responsible to your having a centered mono signal, but a stereo signal that is off center. While speaker location IS critical, in my room the listening position is even more critical. I had tried setting them up in a equallateral triangle which was off being centered on the center line of the room (that improved bass response some) but the center of my stereo image was left of center, closer to the solid wall (vs the other side which is near a 7' wide opening).

My solution was to place the speakers 1' from each side wall, severely toed in as described in my first post, and my chair was located on the center line of the room.

That may or may not be helpful to you in trying to solve your problems because of your room set up but it might give you some idea as to what is possible if you do something less traditional. BTW, firing that one speaker next to a wall and pointed straight ahead can create a difference in the signal (as opposed to the one with no side wall reflection issues). The severe toe in solves much of that problem. Unfortunately if the speakers aren't well away from the wall behind them, placing them next to a side wall is similar to placing them in or too near the corners.

Programmergeeks comments about the importance of symetry is right on. BTW, IMHO, tying to solve your problems with equipment will frustrating, expensive, and likely unsuccessful. Even a balance control won't do anything much for you if you already have a mono signal dead center. It IS the room and what is possible (or not possible) to achieve in it.

Hope that helps you a bit. BTW, some of us have worked a very long time to get a room with an excellent sound stage. Maybe we were just dense, but I think it is not that simple. :-)

All the responses above make sense, however, you must have components that can reveal depth and width. I find that power cords can do wondrous things...if you choose the right ones.