2. cables
  3. 172431-82539

Position of speaker cables and irregular behavior

 I move my speakers around a lot, experiment with placement, also move a few different sets in/out of rotation.  Reason:  I have a persistent problem in that my left speaker is dominant. Playing in mono the image is centered about 2 feet left of center. In stereo, not only are vocals shifted left, the right side just doesn’t carry the same level of volume , soundstage and depth. 

Equipment: Bryston 7b monoblocks, Bryston pre, Opp BDP105, Grover Huffman Empress speaker cables, Siltech xlr interconnects.

I have swapped/reversed every single component to try isolating a culprit. No luck.

Although there are differences in left/right side walls in the room, the parts that matter ( reflection points ) are basically the same.

my speaker cables are 8ft so I have about 3-4 ft of excess. When I move the cables around it affects the dominance to either lessen or exaggerate to the left.  Sometimes I get close to almost centering the image , when that happens the right side blooms open. But it lasts a few hours or days and then I’m back to playing with speaker and cable placement.  I’ve suspended the cables off the floor , sometimes helps temporarily. 

I have tried adjusting the balance on the preamp . that makes the volume equal but not the brilliance of music which remains duller on the right.

There are even times when I’m listening to a song and as I’m listening the image shifts either more to left or more to center.  I thought it might be a sound pressure issue in my room, then I move the speaker cables and it gets better....for a while.

its not my hearing, when I attend audio exhibitions or meets the sound is equal.

I have moved my speaker cables so many times, like bending a wire hanger back and forth, they eventually broke. Grover huffman was kind enough to repair my speaker cables...twice.. Have some bending going on to fasten on binding posts. 

I sprayed Deoxit on all connections, that didn’t make a difference.

i routed all power cords neatly and away from speaker cables.

I’m thinking of getting 4ft speaker cables so that I have a straight run. Otherwise I’m out of ideas.

any help?

 

 

jacksky
ghdprentice
6,957 posts
 

Wow, that is weird. Have you switched the speakers? That should add some important data.

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 

Reading along I started thinking, "I wonder if this guy has moved his cables so much he's worn them out?" Then later sure enough, broken. 

The thing about insulation, you can't see inside. Could be enough strands broken to affect the sound but not enough to totally stop it. Moving them around jostles them into touching. But electricity doesn't like to jump gaps. After a while the temporary connection erodes away and you are back to square one. 

Just a guess. The way to check, new cables. Don't have to be fancy, this is one time when lamp cord will do just fine. You could even just swap cables side to side. I know you said you've swapped "every single component" but too many of us fail to see wire as a component.

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

Ventriloquism from speakers is not likely due to the cables, magical lubricants, fairy dust, etc.

I would be playing the speaker singularly and using REW.
or

Swapping left and right, or swapping speaker cables between left and right.
 

It could be a reflection helped thing as well.

jacksky OP
102 posts
 

Ghdprentice; I switched L with Right speaker. 

I swapped the tower speaker (Thiel CS5) and put Egglestonworks Andras in place. 

Now have Martin Logan Monoliths - this didn’t help.

MC; I have 2 other sets of speaker cables, I’ll try those. I’ll even try reversing direction one at a time.

holmz: I don’t understand what you mean by playing speaker singularly and using REW, can you explain?  I will try taming reflection one side at a time at the usual mirror spot side wall. Regarding rear wall reflection behind speaker, these are planers, I think they are supposed to utilize that reflected sound, not deaden it. But I’m game, I’ll try it.

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