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It comes with a balance knob?!?! I'll take it!

...said no one ever! I've been researching new gear and it hit me. Why, just why, do pieces have a balance knob? The only time in my life I can remember using said knob was to mess with the music and irritate my friends. You know, because it was cool to make every song sound like that classic Led Zep track. I think it was the 80's and on my Sanyo "boom box".

What is the point? To look retro? Do people actually use it and why?

Thought this might be fun to discuss and learn something new.

128x128izjjzi
baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,243 posts
 

Balance control makes sense even if hardly ever used in my case. It is God sent for hard of hearing in one ear, and may even be advantageous for normal hearing folks to better center the sound on some questionable recordings. More options is always a plus.

nd1der's avatar
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nd1der
42 posts
 

My main rig has no balance control. I only use it for critical listening and I sit in the sweet spot.  I don’t need a balance control for this.  I have a second system in the room that I use for casual listening and am always sitting somewhere other than the sweet spot.  The balance control on that one is critical.

roadwhorerecords
259 posts
 

It comes with a balance control?!? I'll take it! Apparently said by many!

zonkler
16 posts
 

Like many here, my hearing is less acute in one ear than the other. Without a balance control the stereo image is always naggingly off center to me.

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,484 posts
 

My Conrad Johnson Classic 2se has no Balance , it was the first component I've owned without....never needed it sitting in the middle.   My Zesto Leto has it ,  only used it while troubleshooting a noise.....    The Zesto Leto Ultra did away with Balance altogether.     My DAC has Balance , again only used it during troubleshooting 

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