Speaker Placement Issue/Thoughts

Like Rpfef, I've started to become convinced that my hearing is at fault, as the situation has persisted across multiple listening rooms, full equipment changes, and careful interconnect and speaker cable switches (including just flipping the cables connections at the speaker inputs).

Right now, however, I think it is partially due to my room. As you can see from this little mockup (Listening Room Diagram), I've got a 1/2 dining room 1/2 living room with a fireplace (that we don't use because of the stereo) in the front left corner of the room. In order to be able to walk into the room, the couch has to sit at a weird angle, and because of the room shape, there's no way to get the speakers similar distances from the side walls. I toyed with placing the stereo on the left short wall, but unfortunately then the TV (50") will block the room's windows. The S.O. will never let that happen...

As it's currently set up, I'm about 11 feet from each speaker (they're not quite symmetrical though, so it doesn't form a perfect equilateral) when I sit at the far right end of the couch. The speakers are 9 feet apart and 18 inches from the rear wall, and 10" or 16" from the media cabinet that houses all the electronics and a TV. The left speaker is further away from the cabinet because there's a Thiel SS1 sub in between the two.

To address the room issues and center the image, I have to give the right speaker about 4 more db of volume. Or alternatively, I started playing with JRiver's room correction, and I can leave my pre-amp balance equalized and just tell JRiver that the left speaker is 10' from me, but the right speaker is 12' away.

This doesn't really matter, but I just found a real tape measure... and my speakers are actually only 7'6" apart, and I'm exactly 11" from the right speaker, and 10'8" from the left speaker.

Cal3713-

Seems your image is left of center, and your left speaker is closer to your ear. This could create the issue you describe. As I mentioned in my above comment, dont trust your sight to judge distance, use a tape measure. Let us know if moving the speaker helps.

The disparity has everything to do with your room and set up, I'm sure. I have the same problem (imaging left of center) and I believe it's largely due to the unsymmetrical nature of my room layout. In particular, I have an entry way directly behind my right speaker. If I stand in the entry way while music is playing, it's clear a lot of musical info, esp bass, is going into that space.

I highly recommend getting a copy of Jim Smith's Get Better Sound. It's invaluable. For speaker set up, they need to be equidistant to you, and also equidistant to the center line that runs from the front wall through your listening chair. This is measured down to fractions of an inch. They also need to be level. FYI I found it very useful to use some yarn as a measuring device. Tape it anywhere on the center line, and use it to measure the front and rear corners of each speaker and adjust for both distance and toe in. Works great and no need for any sort of ruler. However, it may be impossible with your room and set up not to have to use the balance control.

FYI a 4db shift is quite a lot. I think you can ameliorate this to a degree just by getting your speakers dialed in equidistance-wise.