Just to reiterate - Almarg (plus my own posting) is correct - the difference in your cart is *definitely* 1.0 dB, because:
20 * Log_base_10(16/18) = -1.023
^ You get the same magnitude of result, but with a positive sign, if you flip the numerator and denominator. The multiplying factor here is 20, not 10, because we're dealing with voltage proportions, and power (as eventually driven through your speakers) is proportional to the *square* of the voltage (hence the extra factor of 2).
And that's absolutely quite audible, though I've been surprised by how tolerant some folks (even hi-end folks) are about imbalances up to ~ 1.5dB. It's FAR easier to discern a 1dB difference in L/R channel level than it is to notice a 1dB change in level for both channels. In my system, center image would seem shifted by about a foot. I've found myself annoyed by imbalances down to 0.5dB or even less (an almost certainty with vinyl).
20 * Log_base_10(16/18) = -1.023
^ You get the same magnitude of result, but with a positive sign, if you flip the numerator and denominator. The multiplying factor here is 20, not 10, because we're dealing with voltage proportions, and power (as eventually driven through your speakers) is proportional to the *square* of the voltage (hence the extra factor of 2).
And that's absolutely quite audible, though I've been surprised by how tolerant some folks (even hi-end folks) are about imbalances up to ~ 1.5dB. It's FAR easier to discern a 1dB difference in L/R channel level than it is to notice a 1dB change in level for both channels. In my system, center image would seem shifted by about a foot. I've found myself annoyed by imbalances down to 0.5dB or even less (an almost certainty with vinyl).