I got a new amp, new DAC, new speakers, made sure my cables were the same length, set them the same distance from me, and noticed something that hadn't bothered me before--the vocal track is always slightly left of center. I can move it to the direct center by boosting my right channel volume, but I have to wonder. Is that how it's supposed to be? Maybe I'm losing hearing in one ear faster than the other? Maybe Windows is being dumb? Help me out here
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Image center - supposed to be slightly to the left?
- Thread starter gruevy
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DVDdoug
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This is with all recordings, right?
It's probably not a Windows setting, but maybe... On my Windows 11 computer I have separate left & right volume sliders but I have to dig-through the settings. (I don't know if those settings have any effect with an external DAC.)
You can try swapping your left & right speakers and if they are passive speakers try swapping the amplifier-to-speaker connections.
Is your room symmetrical? Sometimes the sound from one of the speakers will bounce off a wall (or possibly furniture), etc.
It's probably not a Windows setting, but maybe... On my Windows 11 computer I have separate left & right volume sliders but I have to dig-through the settings. (I don't know if those settings have any effect with an external DAC.)
You can try swapping your left & right speakers and if they are passive speakers try swapping the amplifier-to-speaker connections.
Is your room symmetrical? Sometimes the sound from one of the speakers will bounce off a wall (or possibly furniture), etc.
Your brain should compensate for that. Sometimes if I think my ear is plugged, I rub my fingers together next to my ear, or "snap" my fingernails.
Curvature
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Yeah, it's all recordings.
And I just swapped my speaker inputs on the amp and the image is still slightly to the left, which I should really have thought of doing before asking for help. I'm close to a wall on that side and I guess more of the sound is reflecting than I realized. You got me sorted out. Thanks!
STC
Active Member
This is a common problem. Finally, I figured out myself that is due to my pinna shape. One pinna is slightly more protruding than the other and due to how we localize sound the two different source causing a shift. This is only true if you have no hearing loss in one.
Cheers!
ST
Cheers!
ST
Are both you speakers equal distant from the rear and side walls?
Are they equal distant from the listening chair, and aimed to the same center spot (head position) on the chair?
ozzy9832001
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Your problem sounds like a typical symmetry issue. Are the distances from the sidewalls different, or the surfaces are not made of the same material. Even, a window, doorway or a closet can cause the issue. It sounds like the reflections from the left speaker are arriving back at your ear to cause a small summation. Boosting the gain on the right speaker corrects from the differential. By chance, is it more prominent with male vocals?
I will also add that this would only be an issue for a very small frequency range due to the way sound waves propagate from the speakers.
I will also add that this would only be an issue for a very small frequency range due to the way sound waves propagate from the speakers.
Last edited:
Roland68
Major Contributor
To be on the safe side, swap the two speakers to rule out any problems.
STC
Active Member
Sorry for the delay. I am not getting notification.
Brain would compensate for natural sound as the sound localization position is determined by HRTF and visual aid. But with stereo, you are having two source that is making a single phantom image. So the brain is correcting the two emitter of sound and a shift happens.
