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Ok to adjust balance to achieve center vocal image?

I have an all analog tube vinyl system and don’t remember having to adjust my balance setting in order to achieve a center vocal image. I do now though. I’m getting a left leaning vocal image with the balance set to zero. Is there a good way to see if this can be fixed so I don’t need to balance adjust to achieve a center vocal image? Could it be a preamp tube going out? Something else? Any harm in just continuing to adjust the balance - meaning am I experiencing any signal loss doing so? 
Thanks! Paul
paulgardner
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Your system is weighted towards one side. There are a host of things that could be doing this. This is what a balance control is for. So adjust it until you get the image you like. I have to make minor adjustments all the time
just because the program is weighted towards one side or the other.
boothroyd
365 posts
 
What is the phono system? Tonearm??
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,749 posts
 
You can try adjusting the anti-skate and see if the vocal image moves to the center!

When perfectly calibrated your stylus rests perfectly in the groove of your records ensuring that you have the proper channel balance for your left and right channels.
jdane
183 posts
 
NO!  It is NEVER acceptable to change the balance, and if you have a tone control, you need to re-wire to by-pass it.  In certain, rare, circumstances, it is OK to use a volume control, but most of us never do.
boothroyd
365 posts
 
Clearaudio Satisfy or Verify?? Makes me think of a tonearm run without enough anti-skating or a turntable that’s altered its levelness.

Exactly yogiboy!
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