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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...
cal3713
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
No problem, Tholt. Just be careful not to stretch or let sag the yarm 1/16th of an inch or more. And how do you assure that the same spot on the yarn hits the exact spot on each speaker. I have tried using string that does not stretch except under extreme pressure and found that the laser is more accurate. I'm not saying that the yarn won't work for you or that the laser is the best method. It's just what I prefer.

I also don't understand how the yarn can confirm that the speakers are toed-in to the exact same angle. The laser makes this extremely easy, and exact toe in matters with my speakers.
ddd1
261 posts
 
Put on a test CD (ie. Stereophile) and hook a meter up to the speaker outputs while playing some sounds (ie. pink noise) and measure whether there is any major difference in output. If so, find out which electronics further back in the chain are defective. If not, switch your speakers around to see if the high output stays with the left speaker. If so, try switching your speaker cables too to rule them out.

Use masking tape on the floor to mark the speaker positions before moving them.

Also have your ears cleaned out by a doctor.

Don't worry. A lot of us, including myself, have had the same problem. I wonder if lefties have problems with the right channel being too strong?
cal3713's avatar
cal3713 OP
1,421 posts
 
I was pretty close to buying this laser measure, Bosch DLR130K-RT, but figured I'd go the old tape measure route first. I'm going to remove the furniture from the room today and take my first stab at the grid method. Have to get it done now before my saturdays get filled with college football. Looking forward to the experience...
tholt
552 posts
 
Hi Peterayer,

Using strong tape to attach the yarn to the floor along the centerline, I measure to the inside front and rear corners of each speaker and get each the same (ie front = front, rear = rear). This works twofold: for both distance and toe in.
cal3713's avatar
cal3713 OP
1,421 posts
 
Well, the living room has changed configurations, although the current setup might be temporary because it makes the room somewhat less user friendly. The speakers are now about 4-5 feet away from the front wall, and the couch is straight across the back of the room, about 3 feet from the back wall. I did manage to get most of the left shift out though, and it definitely sounds better.

Minus the laser measure, in the end I found Smith's suggestion of using an anchored tape measure the most useful. I took a small board, attached the tape measure to it using a finishing nail (through the measure's pre-made anchor hole, and then taped the board to the floor at my listening position. It was easy to stretch without slack to measure speaker distance. In the end I didn't actually use the grid very much, and probably could have just gotten away with only the tape measure. Really the only benefit was for helping me place the speakers an equal distance from the centerline...
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