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Uneven soundstage help, please.

I've got a pair of ATC SCM40 v2's driven by a Musical Fidelity A308 (plenty of power) and overall I'm happy with this combination, given my budget, wife, and listening habits. My system is in an incredibly complex large room, with all sorts of variables in terms of reflection, absorption, etc. And these aren't exactly the same from one speaker to another. I have no choice about speaker placement, given the room configuration.
There's a phenomenon that concerns me, though, that I haven't been able to resolve. In order to get the center centered, I need to position the speakers and listening chair in such a way that the soundstage extends all the way to one speaker, but only three-quarters of the way to the other. It doesn't sound out of whack. It's just a narrower field than I had with my older KEF References, and I wonder if it would sound even better if this was resolved.
Has anyone else faced and solved this? What factors are driving it? I've been living with it comfortably, but I wonder.
Thanks ahead of time for any replies.
m
128x128m669326
jetter
3,035 posts
 
I may be mistaken, but my understanding is if your integrated has a tape in and tape out the equalizer may be (and is ideally) hooked in there.  Someone jump in if that is not correct.

The Schitt Loki at $150 receives glowing accolades on this site.  However, it does not include balance control and that sounds like a feature you would want, assuming your integrated does not have it.  
m669326's avatar
m669326 OP
330 posts
 
I just looked at the Schiit a few minutes ago. $150 to run an experiment is doable, but EQ only.
If I recall, I'm using the tape hookup to hear the TV.

erik_squires
16,144 posts
 
I like the Schiit, it is not for you. :)
tubegb's avatar
tubegb
190 posts
 
To re-state the obvious there are many variables that can affect system channel balance. For years I wouldn't be caught dead owning a component with a channel balance control. Now, with age advancing and a mild hearing loss in one ear the balance control is my friend...
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,102 posts
 
I had the same problem with an uneven soundstage because one of my speakers is encased in the wall corner, my small room being irregular...Playing with the balance button was not a very great solution....I was thinking also that i was poperhaps a bit deaf from one of my ears... 😊

This was the problem which set me on my experiments path in the acoustical embedding of my system in my room...

I optimally solved it with passive materials treatment , looking for a balance equation between absorbing surface, reflective one and diffusive volume and surface...
And with active embeddings controls with Schumann generators linked to resonators grids...( my resonators were bought for peanuts because they are not audio products)...


Then there is a solution, this is the good news...But my solution takes me 2 years to create it and with a complex grids of devices...

The bad news is i dont know how to adapt my solution to a normal living room on the critical eye of any wife...

Alas! my cheap cost solutions and devices are not adapted to a living room esthetically and i am pretty sure that no wife will acept them....

I am lucky enough to have a room solely dedicated to my audio system... At least know that solution exist, certainly some better than mine esthetically...


I wish you the best to come...


« What the hell all these cables  and weird bling-bling devices do in this room? They make one of the corner disapear  my dear »- Groucho Marx husband and acoustician
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