Stereo Imaging off center - could room treatment help?

[Holmz]

Your hearing could be off, I had my ears blasted out at the Doctor's office and it made a huge difference in my hearing. I have a similar problem room with a big open arch on the right side. It causes the rear right corner to load. Even though I am two channels it seems like I am listening to an AVR on some songs.

i really doubt it… if everything else sounds fine, and the stereo is off, then it is unlikely to be the ears.
I suppose headphones or IEMs could be a quick test.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

I bit of pre-reading would have helped you indeed. Just two or three posts. ;-). Let me get you up to speed : When the OP switches the amp connections the image shifts. But thanks for sharing your waxing story

I see. I wasn't the first to suggest it either.
if image shifts with switching left and right, is there any reason why it is not the amp or bad calibration ?
Still, a wax suckout could not do any harm!
With electricity prices so high, candles will come handy soon

 

[Bimbleton]

OP here. I take it all back. It might be my ears. My wife feels music is centered when it sounds (to me) right leaning.

To further reinforce this, my damn LG TV speakers sound biased to the right.

Either my room is haunted or my ears are messed up. It’s just bizarre that headphones and IEMs sound fine. Either way, going to try some Debrox for the ears. Thanks all.

 

[Duke]

OP here. I take it all back. It might be my ears. My wife feels music is centered when it sounds (to me) right leaning.

To further reinforce this, my damn LG TV speakers sound biased to the right.

Either my room is haunted or my ears are messed up. It’s just bizarre that headphones and IEMs sound fine. Either way, going to try some Debrox for the ears. Thanks all.

My initial guess would have been that there is some reflecting or diffracting surface or edge to the right which is acting as a secondary sound source at short wavelengths, in which case maybe you could spot-treat that surface or edge with absorption. This is not the sort of thing that would jump out at you in measurements, and is more likely to show up in the time domain than in the frequency response.

Then you said it was an problem with your Denon, and it sounded to me like THAT was the answer.

Now you it sounds like you suspect you may have a hearing imbalance, so let me suggest a simple hearing test:

Put your thumb and fingers up to your left ear and rub them together, focusing on the loudness and tonal quality (brightness or dullness) of the sandpaper-y sound. Then do the same for your right ear, using the same hand so that there is no variation introduced by using the other hand. You might have to go back and forth a few times but if there's a significant imbalance in loudness or tonal balance (the latter indicating a relative loss of high frequency hearing in one ear), you should be able to detect it.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

I bit of pre-reading would have helped you indeed. Just two or three posts. ;-). Let me get you up to speed : When the OP switches the amp connections the image shifts. But thanks for sharing your waxing story

Take this!
I (not alone) named that tune in one, didn't I?

Either my room is haunted or my ears are messed up. It’s just bizarre that headphones and IEMs sound fine. Either way, going to try some Debrox for the ears. Thanks all.

 

[Chrispy]

Not sure how an external amp would change anything in the off center thing as you're still using the same processing/pre-amp. Ed Sheeran gets my vote as being the problem

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Take this!
I (not alone) named that tune in one, didn't I?

Well done. I should have known, just by looking at your Avatar Dr. Ken.

 

[Holmz]

View attachment 233986The speakers are up along the short wall. Wife approval factor and all.

I did run sweeps in REW/UMIK-1. Not sure how to export but here’s the left (green) vs right (purple). Honestly doesn’t look too bad in REW but it is extremely noticeable when listening.

The plots are to the listening position?

 

[Bimbleton]

OP here. Forget everything. My right ear was impacted with earwax. Got a big old chunk out. Will go home and have a listen again.

Moral of the story — before messing with anything, check your damn ears. I am a fool.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

OP here. Forget everything. My right ear was impacted with earwax. Got a big old chunk out. Will go home and have a listen again.

Moral of the story — before messing with anything, check your damn ears. I am a fool.

wait a few days!
your ears need to adjust.
Told you so, sadly I learnt that by experience too.
This is one more feather in the caps of those who insist, " Don't trust your ears" !
Don't you hate that? . . .

 

[Bimbleton]

wait a few days!
your ears need to adjust.
Told you so, sadly I learnt that by experience too.
This is one more feather in the caps of those who insist, " Don't trust your ears" !
Don't you hate that? . . .

Actually good advice. Things sound brighter on my right now after the clean out.

I just find it so strange that sound was biased to the right, but the wax impactation was in my R ear. L ear looked fine.

Who knows!

 

[Thomas_A]

OP here. I take it all back. It might be my ears. My wife feels music is centered when it sounds (to me) right leaning.

To further reinforce this, my damn LG TV speakers sound biased to the right.

Either my room is haunted or my ears are messed up. It’s just bizarre that headphones and IEMs sound fine. Either way, going to try some Debrox for the ears. Thanks all.

Did you turn around and lhear a shift the other way?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Actually good advice. Things sound brighter on my right now after the clean out.

I just find it so strange that sound was biased to the right, but the wax impactation was in my R ear. L ear looked fine.

Who knows!

What is strange too, that the center shifted when you switched the speaker connections at the amp. I would not have expected that with ear problems.

Anyway. Hope you are good now.

 

[tmuikku]

Cool that the problem is fixed now Ear canal is just one part of the hearing system, perhaps brain compensated for the effects of wax and too much, or something. Its easy to speculating the wax could have made low pass filter and brain boosted full bandwidth or something. Hearing system is fascinating