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Speaker Placement Issue/Thoughts

I'm not sure if it's my hearing, my rooms (I've had the stereo in three different ones over the past few years), or a recording bias, but I consistently hear my image being biased slightly left of center.

I've had to resort to balance controls to fix this issue, but have also tried various speaker placement solutions (Thiel 1.6s and now 2.4s). When thinking about how to address the problem, I regularly get stuck in what feels like a logical paradox.

So, to shift the center image to the right, I can alternatively convince myself either that I should A) make the right speaker louder by moving it closer to me, or B) move the right speaker further away to shift the actual center of stereo speakers. Unfortunately every time I try to test this, so much ends up changing (the damn spikes are so hard to deal with) that I never figure out which is the appropriate solution.

Maybe I just need to pay a professional to come in and place everything for me...
128x128cal3713
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
I think your issue may be set-up related. I have read "Get Better
Sound" and actually use a digital laser measuring device ($50 Home
Depot) and got everything to within 1/16th. It made a big difference. I
placed a dot on the wall behind my listening seat and reference toe-in,
tweeter distance, and speaker height to that spot. Also tweeter distance to
the side wall. Each speaker is symmetrical to within a 1/16th. It sounds
obsessive, but the sonic improvement was well worth the effort. A tape or
thread is not accurate enough for this important task.

I later hired Jim Smith to voice my system to my room. He ended up changing
my speaker locations and listening seat only a few inches, but it was a
dramatic improvement after many months of experimentation. For the
relatively low cost, it is by far the highest value improvement to my system's
sound.
cal3713's avatar
cal3713 OP
1,421 posts
 
I think I'm going to try the grid system suggested within "Get Better Sound" this weekend... I do find the prospect of hiring an audiologist attractive, but I doubt I live in this house for more than one or two more years, so I'd rather save that money for a longer-term living situation (how much do they cost, btw?). I'm also a researcher and scientist, so I find the prospect of solving the problem with my own two hands mildly attractive. I also agree with Jetson that the room is really funneling the sound from the left-speaker to the listening position, so perhaps there isn't going to be an easy solution without lots of acoustic treatment to deal with those room reflection points.
tholt
551 posts
 
It's unfortunate the room setup seems compromised from the get go. But dialing in your speakers is the absolute first step before you do anything else. Once that is done and if you are still hearing anomalies, then you can address them. Good luck! I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
tholt
551 posts
 
Peternayer, I disagree with your assessment of the yarn measurement approach. I find I can actually get a more accurate measurement that way then with tape measure, laser pointer, etc. Once you have established your center line, the yarn method works wonderfully. Also, once you have established the center line, per Jim Smith's method, the outer walls are irrelevant. All measurements are based on the center line, which makes his method particularly valid in odd-sized rooms or layouts.
tholt
551 posts
 
My apologies -- "Peterayer". I misspelled your username.
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