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Frequency/Channel imbalance. Help

I'm using a Benz-Micro H3 Ebony on a VPI Scout w/JMW 9 Sig arm. Since purchasing this TT I've mounted 2 carts to it and have noticed a frequency/channel imbalance on both carts so much that the center imaging bends to the left channel. Almost if a bandpass of upper freq are louder. It is mostly apparent in the upper range where the throatiness of vocals reside and I don't know what could be the problem. I can't decide if the left channel sounds a bit too harsh giving the impression it's louder assuming the right channel sounds correct or the right channel is missing the upper presence and sounds to soft. I heard it with the previous cart I used a Clearaudio Virtuoso and am now hearing it with the Benz, with new and used vinyl. I'm at my wits end with this because I love the lushness of vinyl and use it as my primary playback source and I'm not interested in upgrading my digital front end right now. I've meticulously checked the leveling of the table, cartridge loading, VTA, VTF, overhang, etc. I thought it may be the anti-skate but over a period of listening since it's broken in I've adjusted it slightly till I've minimised the sibilance distortion in either channel. I've gone through the whole system swapping channels to see if the cables or one of the preamp devices have a problem and I haven't heard a change. The only thing left is to reverse the pin config from the cart to TT outputs to see if it moves from one channel to the other but I wanted to use that as a last resort. This is actually my second time posting this question in the hopes someone has had a similar occurance they've rectified.

Side question: The dealer that sold me the cart also set it up and put the added weight between the cart and tonearm. I've noticed significant low freq excursions. Sounds like the arm resonance is too low. Should I remove the weight to reduce that?
n803nut
n803nut OP
21 posts
 
Hardy Har Har, Piedpiper:)
lewm
13,106 posts
 
Azimuth adjustment per se has very little effect on the output per channel (i.e., balance). This fact is mentioned in two erudite treatises on azimuth to be found in the Vinyl Asylum archives, authored by Victor Khomenko and B Kearns, respectively. To check this out, I made measurements across a wide range of azimuth settings using my Wheaton Triplanar with Koetsu Urushi, a sensitized Signet cartridge analyzer, and a Shure test record. The max difference in channel balance effected by the most extreme changes in azimuth was about 1 db. Azimuth affects channel separation (i.e., the amount of L channel signal leaking into the R channel and vice-versa) but not the difference in output signal between channels (much). This comes up all the time on this and the other forum. Look elsewhere for your the solution to your problem.
n803nut OP
21 posts
 
Thank you Lewin. I will do that.
jaytea
78 posts
 
Hi N803nut

I have the EXACT same problem as you do, and i strongly think that your problem is due to your listening room, as other had said. My room is also a living/listening room and it doesnt have the ideal shape for speaker placement. I also tried everything you mentioned but there's only one thing that helps the most: Speaker placement. Try to find a spot that is most balance in your room to set up your speakers there: Meaning a spot that speakers "see" the most balance in furniture placement/density, walls or any surface that can create early reflection, It's kinda weird that the digital playback doesnt suffer this as much as vinyl. Maybe that's because of the frequency responses of digital and vinyl are different. I have some female vocal LPs that have dead-centered image and some have the center image shifted a little to the left (but the same music on CD doesnt do that) because of this problem. It was a nightmare for me but the good thing is that i figure it out now and stop blaming the equipment that i starve myself to get 'em :).

Best wishes to you on this problem ...and please let us know if you can resolve it.
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