Center image on left side and don't know why

Hello Pete-I agree with Socrates' solution. I have always found this to work the best. My room is not exactly symetrical and by moving my right speaker an inch and a half forward the phasing locks in. However, I do not find that using a balance control has the same effect on the soundstaging. Yes, the volume on each channel can be set identical, but the timing of one channel in relationship to the other is not in sync and all those little cues that define a clear and realistic soundstage are missing.

Curious to know what a Radio Shack SPL meter set up one foot from each speaker with a test signal (e.g., Stereophile Test CD bass, mid and treble decades) would read.

Pete,
I know exactly what you're going thru, I've experinced it with my system and room. I also had to put forward one of my speakers. It turned out to be my DAC/preamp. I sent it to factory and they took care of it. I was going crazy.

Your ear being the problem sounds a bit off. I suggest you put the speaker back where it was and get someone else in the room. Your mind can play crazy tricks on you, so I suggest you don't tell the person it's comming from the left. Just tell them its off center and see if they recongnize its the left on their own. If you tell them its on the left they will here it on the left because they are looking for it.

I went through the same crazy problem. It can be madning. I found out that it was all in my head. I went as far as going to Audio dealers, pretending to audition equipment just to see where their center image was on recordings that I supplied. Everywhere I went the image was on the left. I'm not an expert, but maybe its all of us. I was watching a program on T.V that explained how the human brain works and found it interesting to know that when someone walks into a retail store they immediately turn their attention to the right upon entrance(think about it, its true). Maybe the same thing goes for when listening to music that is esentially centered, but yet our brain pays more attention to what is hppening on the left side of the stage.

This happened quite a few years back. After I stopped worring about it the image seem to lock in center. For me it was only vocals that were to the left. Still to this day after the years have passed since (I obviously upgraded virtually everything as we audiophiles tend to due every year, changing entire systems at least 2-3 times and moving homes once) if I concentrate and analyze where the vocals are they turn from lock center to slightly left. Sounds like the singer is in the middle of my left speaker and componant rack. I drove a friend of mine crazy because he thought everything was center on his system until I told him it wasn't, he then let his imagination get the better of him.

The mind is a very powerful tool, too powerful for us to comprehend.

-Dave

Dave, could you be describing the phenomenon that explains why some people hear differences in Power Cords? Did you resolve or admit to your problem by taking measurements, by chance?