Separate volume controls for left & right channels


hi, I am curious to know why some pre-amps have separate volume controls for the two channels. Don't we want to have the same level of control on the channels? Can someone explain this to a novice? :) Thanks!
indiesverige
I had a preamp with dual volume controls once and it drove me nuts making the two channels match. Not that I was unable to do it, just that I always had the nagging feeling that I didn't have it right. A little bit of psychology and audio nervosa in play there. While it's true that there's more flexibility, the process of adjustment, listening, further adjustment every time I sat down to listen is not tenable to my expectations of instant audio gratification lifestyle.

If the dual volume controls are stepped attenuators then I'm ok, but a smooth continuous knob made me batty.
One of the advantages is better channel separation, or if you want to control right/left without a balance control.
In theory they are better, in practice I agree with Wilsynet; I had one and it drove me crazy.
+1 Wilsynet and Stanwal. I dreaded mine after the first month of use, now long gone. I laugh when I see them now.