dual volume controls?

You're welcome. But I wasn't giving you permission just stating a fact.

Sounds more like an opinion than a fact.

Yeah, it's my opinion you can listen how you want.

Rwwear, you are absolutely correct when you say that a balance control is an additional filter between the music and the listener. To put that in perspective you should do the following thought experiment. Starting at the microphone in the recording studio and ending with your ears at the listening chair, count the number of switches and knobs in the recording/playback chain. Even in the most simplified chain you're going to have at least 20 such "filters". If that's the case, then why have a problem with filer #21, particularly if it does something positive?

You are correct but that's part of the recording. When I play it back I want it to be as close to what the engineer envisioned as possible.

I see people using hot shot power cords all the time knowing full well the AC is going through hundreds of feet of wire before it reaches the power cord and then through another hundreds of feet in the transformer before it reaches the amp.